Political Parties/Participation

1. Political Parties/Participation Review First American Political parties: Federalists and Anti-Federalists

3. What is a political party? A political party is a group people who share the same ideas about the way the country should be governed;. And work together to introduce new laws, or alter old ones.

4. Major Parties in the U.S. (Bi-partisan)

5. LIBERALS – believe in government action to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all.  It is the duty of the government to alleviate social ills and to protect civil liberties and individual and human rights.  Believe the role of the government should be to guarantee that no one is in need. Liberal policies generally emphasize the need for the government to solve problems. CONSERVATIVES – believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense.  Believe the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals. Conservative policies generally emphasize empowerment of the individual to solve problems. Party platforms (planks)

6. Role of the 3rd Party-Minor Parties • In America, third parties have traditionally held the role of protest vehicles. Third parties arise when a group of people believe that the major two parties have become unresponsive to their needs. Many independent candidacies and third parties fulfill the important role of bringing an issue to the public eye that has been neglected by the major players.

7. 3rd Parties in the U.S.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbF5loRF61U

8. What are the 5 functions of political parties? • 1. Nominate Candidates • 2. Inform and Inspire Voters • 3. Ensure candidate quality • 4 Help Govern • 5. Act as Watchdogs

9. What are the 4 reasons the U.S. has a two- party system? • Historical precedents • Tradition • An electoral system that promotes dominance by 2 major parties • Ideological consensus

10. What are the 4 types of minor parties? • 1- Ideological parties. 2. Single-Issue parties. 3. Economic protest parties. 4. Splinter parties.

11. What are the universal voting requirements states follow when determining who can vote? (Article I, section 2), which generally include • being at least 18 years of age, • a resident of the state, • not imprisoned or on parole for the commission of a felony offense, • and a United States citizen.

12. Which amendment allowed for women’s suffrage? • The 19th (ratified August 18, 1920), which says, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

13. What is the motor-voter law? • The Motor Voter Act made it possible to register people to vote at the same time they registered a vehicle.

14. Which amendment outlawed poll taxes? • The 24th Amendment Ended the Poll Tax January 23, 1964

15. Alabama Literacy Test (1940) • Does enumeration affect the income tax levied on citizens in various states? • A United States Senator elected at the general election in November takes office the following year on what date? • How many states were required to approve the original Constitution in order for it to be in effect? • Who passes laws dealing with piracy? • On the impeachment of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who tries the case? • After the presidential electors have voted, to whom do they send the count of their votes? • If the two houses of Congress cannot agree on adjournment, who sets the time? • Of the original 13 states, the one with the largest representation in the first Congress was ______. • The Congress decides in what manner states elect presidential electors. True or false?

16. What outlawed literacy tests? • Poll taxes and Literacy laws were two of the primary ways that some states kept minorities from voting. Poll taxes were set to a point that would not be difficult for White people to afford, but Very difficult for Minorities. White voters would be given something simple to read, and minorities would be given bits of Shakespeare. Many states removed them voluntarily as they saw the way the mood of the country was moving, and as State Legislatures became more enlightened. However, for those states that did not, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended the practices everywhere for good.

17. What are the top reasons people do not vote? • 1. They feel their vote doesn't matter • 2. Too lazy to make the trip to the voting booth • 3. Apathy • 4. Do not like any candidate • 5. Bitter against the government • 6. Some people don't vote because they feel that their vote doesn't matter.

18. Straight ticket voting is when you vote for only one party on your ballot no matter who it is (all democrat, all republican etc) . you usually do this when you are registered with a party. Split ticket voting is when you vote for multiple parties in different positions on your ballot. Sign of a weakened political party What is split-ticket voting? What is it a sign of?

19. What is political socialization? • Political socialization is a lifelong process by which people form their ideas about politics and acquire political values. • While family and school are important early in life, what our peers think and what we read in the newspaper and see on television have more influence on our political attitudes as adults.

20. Why do you think the way the way that you do?

21. What are the agents of political socialization? • 1.The family, • 2. educational system, • 3. peer groups, • 4. and the mass media all play a role.

22. Conservatives vs. Liberals: Where are you?

23. What are the different forms of media used in political campaigns? What is the most persuasive? Expensive? • Internet • Television • Newspapers • Radio • Magazines

24. What is the main focus of an interest group? (IG)Also called: advocacy groups, lobby groups, pressure or special interest groups • An interest group (or special interest group) is any association of individuals or organizations that attempts to influence public policy in its favor. • Interest groups want to affect government policy to benefit themselves or their cause.

25. Political parties nominate candidates Political parties focus on controlling government Political parties are concerned with all public affairs Interest groups are not part of the nominating process Interest groups focus on influencing policy Interest groups have a very narrow scope How are Political Parties and Interest groups different?

26. 1. Economic Business= NAM, Labor= AFL-CIO Agriculture= Commodities, Professionals= AMA, NEA) 2. Ideological or single-issues ACLU AARP NRA 3. Public interest=Public Citizen and the League of Women Voters 4. Foreign policy=NAFTA 5.Government=OBAMA-Care Lobbyists perform useful functions for government by providing information to all three branches of government, educating the public, and preparing legislation. What are the different types of interest groups? How can they affect public policy

27. What is propaganda? Different types? • Propaganda, simply put, is the manipulation of public opinion. It is generally carried out through media that is capable of reaching a large amount of people and ...

28. Different types of propaganda? listverse.com/2007/07/30/top-10-propaganda-videos/ • 1. Bandwagon - To convince the audience to do or believe something because everyone else is doing it. • 2. Plain Folks - Suggesting something is practical and a good value for ordinary people. • 3. Glittering Generality - Using words so strongly positive in emotional content that just hearing them makes you feel good. The words express a positive meaning without actually giving a guarantee. • 4. Transfer - Transferring good looks, feelings, or ideas to the person who the propaganda is meant to influence. Suggests the positive qualities to be associated with the product and the user. • 5. Testimonial - Using a famous person to endorse the product. • 6. Repetition - Using the product name or a keyword or phrase over and over. • 7. Name Calling- Using harsh/kind words to make a point effective.

29. How to interest groups attempt to affect public policy? • In the American political system, there are a wide variety of interest groups that are organized for the sole purpose of exerting influence on the political and legal systems. These groups play a central role in deciding who gets what, when, where and how in legislative and budget processes. They also play a significant role in deciding which values will be promoted and enforced by the government

30. CASH COWS (PACS)

31. A political primary is a preliminary election in which the registered voters of a political party nominate candidates for office. The key word here is preliminary. The current system allows small states such as Iowa and New Hampshire {assisted by the media} to award front-runner status to the victorious candidate. From there the candidates travel a path determined by which states wants to "leap frog" the other by moving up their primary dates. Candidates are whisked across the country without any real ability to distinguish regional issues from national issues. Consequently, party platforms are determined by a make-it-up-as-you-go approach. If the primary process were organized on a regional basis, candidates would be able to study the regional issues, campaign to confirm those issues and then receive votes based on the solutions they propose. A regional approach would also prevent a premature selection of front runner because success in one region certainly would not guarantee success in the next region. This would also further validate the process because each state would still have a say all the way down to the end. Finally, the number of delegates awarded in each state should be determined by the percentage of votes won by each candidate.

32. In an open primary, registered voters can vote in the primary of either party, but are allowed to vote in only one primary. Most states hold closed primaries. In a closed primary, voters may vote only in the primary of the political party in which they registered. There are two types of primaries, closed and open (direct)

33. How does the electoral college system work? • Currently, the Electoral College includes 538 electors, 535 for the total number of congressional members, and three who represent Washington, D.C., as allowed by the 23rd Amendment.

34. What is the least amount of Electoral College votes one state can have? (3)

35. Arguments Against the Electoral College Those who object to the Electoral College system and favor a direct popular election of the president generally do so on four grounds: the possibility of electing a minority president the risk of so-called "faithless" Electors, the possible role of the Electoral College in depressing voter turnout, and its failure to accurately reflect the national popular will. Arguments for the Electoral College Proponents of the Electoral College system normally defend it on the philosophical grounds that it: contributes to the cohesiveness of the country by requiring a distribution of popular support to be elected president enhances the status of minority interests, contributes to the political stability of the nation by encouraging a two-party system, and maintains a federal system of government and representation. What are the major criticisms of the Electoral College System?

36. Popular Vote: The popular vote was won by Gore-Lieberman by 543,816 votes. Bush-Cheney - 50,460,110 Gore-Lieberman - 51,003,926 Nader-LaDuke - 2,883,105 Buchanan-Foster - 449,225 Browne-Olivier - 384,516 Electoral Vote: The electoral vote was won by Bush-Cheney by 5 votes. Bush-Cheney - 271 Gore-Lieberman - 266 Nader-LaDuke - 0 Buchanan-Foster - 0 Browne-Olivier - 0 Bush vs. Gore 2000http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHK1-LA8zEU&feature=related