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starter activity. How would you describe the political differences between these two presidents?. How do Democrats and Republicans differ?. Aims. To identify the similarities and differences between the two major US political parties. Your task.
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starter activity How would you describe the political differences between these two presidents?
How do Democrats and Republicans differ? Aims To identify the similarities and differences between the two major US political parties
Your task • Read Bennett p.117-122 on the political differences between the two main parties and complete a table noting the response of Democrats and Republicans to the 6 big issues that have traditionally divided the parties.
Your task • Study the cards your teacher provides and sort them into two groups: Democrat or Republican Democrats Republicans
Your task • Read Bennett p.126—130 and define the term ‘Solid South’. Explain when and how the Solid South was broken up.
Solid South • Describes idea that whether black, white, liberal or conservative you voted Democrat if you lived in the South • ‘Yellow dog Democrats’ – even a yellow dog as a Democratic candidate could win • Break down of ‘solid South’ 1964-2000 due to perceptions as party of ‘tax and spend’ and overly liberal attitudes • Emergence of ‘solid North East’
Your task • Create a scales chart gathering evidence to support the so-called ’50-50 nation’ principle and evidence that this idea is over simplistic. How true is his term today?
50-50 nation • 2000 presidential election, both sides gained 49% of popular vote, electoral college divided 271-267, House of Representatives divided 221-212; Senate split 50-50 • 2004 presidential election, 51%-48, electoral college divided 286-252, House divided 232-202, Senate split 55-45
Problems with 50-50 • Overly simplistic, e.g. 2008, 9 states which previously voted for Bush voted for Obama • Congressional & state elections sometimes differ from presidential results, e.g. West Virginia voted McCain, but its Senator and Representatives are Democrats • New York voted Democrat in presidentials but has had Republican governor recently • Decline in party voting
Your task • List reasons for the ‘red-blue’ divide using the evidence on p.133-4.
Red-Blue divide • New right – Reagan’s more ideological approach moved politics away from centre ground, you were either ‘with us or against us’ • Collapse of Cold War consensus politics • Clinton opened divisive issues of 1960s – sex, feminism, authority & morality • Bush – foreign policy, esp. Iraq, divided country • Media – polarised opinion, esp. growth of media syndicates, e.g. News International
Big tent coalitions • Both parties remain ‘big tent’ coalitions • Wide spectrum of political ideologies • Republican and Democrat over-simplifies • Need for prefixes, e.g. ‘conservative’, liberal’ or ‘moderate’ • Also ‘hawks’ & ‘doves’, ‘isolationists’ & ‘internationalists’
Extension task • You have been asked by Time magazine to create a survey to assess the Democrat or Republican leanings of students at FSG. Write a survey and test it out on your peers. Include the following areas: • Education • Immigration • Foreign policy, e.g. Iraq & Afghanistan • Family values • Health care • Socio-economic profile
Homework • Visit the Democrat and Republican Party websites (links on www.studyhistory.co.uk ) and note down the current policies of both parties • Complete Section 2 of the study guide.
Plenary • List as many ideological or policy differences between Democrats & Republicans as possible • What is meant by the term ‘solid South’ • What evidence is there to suggest the USA has become a 50-50 nation • What evidence is there to suggest it is a ‘purple’ nation?
