Political Parties
What are political parties
Organizations of people with similar ideas that are formed to win elections.
What are political parties• Political parties can
form from factions. • Washington warned
against factions tearing the country apart.
• Madison wrote in Federalist 10 that they were bound to develop.
Political Party History
• The 1st political party was the Federalists from 1789 -1815 began by Madison and Hamilton.• The Democratic-Republicans began
in 1792 by Thomas Jefferson
Democrats
• In 1828 the modern Democrat party began and elected Andrew Jackson as their first President.
Whigs
• The Whig Party began around 1834 and ended around 1852.
Republicans• In 1853 the
Republican Party grew from the abolition movement.
• The abolition movement was a started to end slavery.
Republicans
• In 1860 Abraham Lincoln became the 1st Republican president. He ran on the issue to end slavery.
Third Parties
• Over time Third Parties have formed in an effort to challenge the Dems and Repubs
Some 3rd Parties• Anti-Masonic• Constitutional, Southern Democrats• Populist• Progressive• States’ Rights• Socialist-Labor• American Independent• Libertarian• Green• Communist
Structure
• National Committee State Central Committee County Committees
Precinct Level Party Workers
Political Parties
• Nominate candidates• Pick the best person to run• Governs• Acts as a watchdog
Political Parties
• A multi-party system brings a broader and more diverse electorate but it also causes instability.
• A one-party system is the same as a no-party system.
Political Parties
• Democrat electorate usually consists of Catholics, Jews, African-Americans, high-school graduates single, younger.
• Republican electorate usually consists of Protestants, business people, college graduates, married, older.
Political Action Committees
• Political Action Committees, commonly called "PACs," are organizations dedicated to raising and spending money to either elect or defeat political candidates.
Political Action Committees
• Most PACs are directly connected to specific corporations, labor groups, or recognized political parties.
Political Action Committees
• Examples of these PACs include Microsoft (a corporate PAC) and the Teamsters Union (organized labor).
Political Action Committees
• PACs solicit contributions from employees or members and make contributions in the PACs name to candidates or political parties.
Political Action Committees• Non-connected or
ideological PACs raise and spend money to elect candidates -- from any political party -- who support their ideals or agendas
Political Action Committees
• Non-connected PACs are made up of individuals or groups of U.S. citizens, not connected to a corporation, a labor party or a political party.
Political Action Committees• Examples of non-
connected PACs include the National Rifle Association (gun owner rights) and Emily's List (abortion, pro-choice). A non-connected PAC can solicit contributions from the general public of U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Political Action Committees
• A third type of PAC, called "leadership PACs" are formed by politicians to help fund the campaigns of other politicians.
Political Action Committees
• Politicians often create leadership PACs in an effort to prove their party loyalty or to further their goal of being elected to a higher office.
Political Action Committees
• Under federal election laws, PACs can legally contribute only $5,000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general or special). They can also give up to $15,000 annually to any national party committee, and $5,000 annually to any other PAC.
Lobbyists• Someone who
tries to persuade legislators to vote for bills that the lobbyists favor
Lobbyists• A lobbyist is one
who is professionally employed to lobby on behalf of clients or who advises clients on how to lobby on their own behalf.
What Are Interest Groups?
• An interest group (special interests) is an organization of people with similar policy goals that try to influence the political process to try to achieve those goals.
• Interest groups try to influence every branch and every level of government.
The Roots and Developmentof American Interest Groups
• Interest groups have been part of the American political landscape since the country’s founding.
What Do Interest Groups Do?
• The most common and effective interest group technique is lobbying or seeking to influence and persuade others to support a group's position.
What Do Interest Groups Do?
• Lobbyists are hired by a college or university, businesses, foreign countries,
trade associations, and anyone else wanting their voice heard on policy matters.
Important Points to Think About
Interest Groups:• Promote interest in public affairs• Provide useful information• Serve as watchdogs• Represent the interest of citizens
Interest Groups and PACS
Public opinion is a dominant force in American politics and especially so during the long electoral process. If a presidential candidate fails to hit it off with the media at the first primary, then that presidential candidate is likely to have a political mountain to climb up to the November election.
National television has ensured that candidates pitch every word that they say with great care. What a candidate does,what a candidate will do on a campaign trail and what he says is usually determined by the availability of television coverage. It is the primary purpose of a campaign manager to ensure that a candidate gets this. Speeches have now become orientated to television and 30 seconds sound bites have become the norm rather than a classic speech. Short, sharp quotes are far more media friendly than a long speech on financial reform, welfare reform etc
The Media and Public Opinion
Which of these describes the political party system in the U.S.: one party system, two party system, or multi-party system?
Which of the images shown above are examples of the "mass media"?
What election is conducted with the Electoral College system?
Political process:political parties two-party systemthird partiescampaign platformnational conventions (Republican, Democratic)role of media special interest groups and associationsPACs LobbyistsPolitical spectrumreactionary conservative moderate liberal radical hawk dove