political parties unit three. the purpose section one
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Political PartiesUnit Three
The PurposeSection One
Necessary for Democracies
Offer a choice in elections
Help citizens develop a vision for society
Give us a path for political participation
Roles of Political Parties
Find Candidates: help voters choose a candidate that matches a certain platform
Partisanship: politicians often vote with their party, which can keep the majority from taking control
Inform the Public: debates and discussions help the public stay aware of government issues
Predicting Behavior: most politicians stay true to their party’s platform once they’re in office
Why Only Two Parties?
Agreement: regardless the party, Americans tend to share the same values
History: it’s what we’ve always had
Winner-Takes-All: too many parties would give less of a majority to the winner
Why Have a Third Party?
A Third Party is a minor party, other than Democrat and Republican
Act as watchdogs
Raise awareness for specific issues
Can sometimes split the vote and change an election’s results
Dangers
Political Parties can fail to respond to the concerns and needs of the citizens
Are often distrusted by the public
The HistorySection Two
Two Main Parties in the U.S.
We started with the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists
Today, the two main parties are the Democrats and the Republicans
The Federalists
Believed in a strong central government
Wanted ratification of the Constitution
Supported industrialization, a national bank, and government aid to build roads and canals
Eventually becomes our modern Republican Party
The Anti-Federalists
Supported states’ rights
Favored farming over manufacturing
Are soon called the Democratic-Republican Party
Eventually becomes our modern Democratic Party
Historical Parties
Federalist (1789-1820
Anti-Federalist / Democratic-Republican (1792-1824)
Whig (1833-1856)
Free Soil (1848-1855)
Socialist (1901-1972)
Bull Moose (1912-1914)
National Woman’s (1913-1930)
Farmer-Labor (1918-1944)
American Nazi (1959-1967)
Black Panther (1966-1970s)
Major PartiesSection Three
Democratic Party
Founded in 1828
Based on American Liberalism Increase government spending to spur the
economy
Supports same-sex marriage, ease immigration,
Wants strict gone control laws
Focuses on the Middle Class
Republican Party
Founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists
Also known as the GOP (Grand Old Party)
Based on American ConservatismSupports free markets
Limits Government intervention
Wants to uphold traditional values (against same-sex marriage, abortion, and drugs)
Has had issues with the influential Tea Party movement which has split Republican votes in recent elections
Constitution Party
Founded in 1992
Focused on restoring the government to its constitutional limited authority
Formerly known as the U.S. Taxpayers’ Party
Views: pro-life, anti-gun control, anti-tax, anti-immigration, trade protection, anti-gay rights, anti-welfare, pro-school prayer
The Green Party
Founded in 1984; follows a similar movement that began in Europe
Ten Key Values: grassroots democracy, social justice & equal opportunity, ecological wisdom, non-violence, decentralization, community-based economics, gender equality, respect for diversity, personal & global responsibility, sustainability
The Libertarian Party
Founded in 1971
Focus on a free-market economy
Are dedicated to personal freedoms (pro-drug legalization, pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, pro-home schooling, pro-gun rights) and total economic freedom (anti-welfare, anti-government regulation of business, anti-minimum wage)
Limit foreign intervention
Communist Party USA
Founded in 1919
Focuses on uniting the working class against oppression, discrimination, and segregation
Supports all races, genders, and sexual orientations
Has a vision of socialism for the U.S.: social ownership of the means of production
Choosing a Party
When to Choose
You “declare” your political party by requesting that party’s ballot in a partisan primary election (held in May in Ohio)
If you want to remain unaffiliated, you won’t be able to vote for partisan contests, but will still vote on issues and tax levies
Can You Change Your Mind?
Absolutely!
The next time you vote in a primary election, you simply say something else
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