Guess the President• Born: May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts.• Was to be the first Boy Scout to become President• He graduated from high school in June 1935. • In his yearbook was "Most likely to become President". • Graduating from Harvard in 1940, • Entered the Navy. In 1943, when his PT boat was rammed

and sunk by a Japanese destroyer • He married Jacqueline Bouvier

Guess the President

• Back from the war, he became a Democratic Congressman and advancing in 1953 to the Senate.

• Millions watched his television debates with the Republican candidate, Richard M. Nixon.

• Became the first Roman Catholic President• Called for new civil rights legislation. • His administration witnessed the Bay of Pigs Invasion• Also the Cuban Missile Crisis • Only President to have won a Pulitzer Prize• The youngest president• Was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.• **************************************** • Born (May 29, 1917–November 22, 1963),

John Fitzgerald KennedyJanuary 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963

Political PartiesChapter 5

What Is a Party?

• A political party is a group of people who work to get candidates elected to political offices.

• The two major parties in the U.S. are the Republican and Democratic parties.

• http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/video/clips/jaywalking-18/203246/

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kkV7vJdBzE&feature=PlayList&p=28351DF4F248A52E&playnext=1&index=3

What Is a Party?

• Parties can be principle-oriented, issue-oriented, or election-oriented. The American parties are election-oriented.

What Do Parties Do?

• Nominate Candidates—Recruit, choose, and present candidates for public office.

• Inform and Activate Supporters—Campaign, define issues, and criticize other candidates.

What Do Parties Do?

• Govern—Members of government act according to their partisanship, or allegiance to a party.

• Watchdog—Parties out of power keep a close eye on the actions of the party in power.

Why a Two-Party System?

• The Historical Basis. The nation started out with two-parties: the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.

Why a Two-Party System?

• The Force of Tradition. America has a two-party system because it always has had one. Minor parties, have never made a successful showing, so people are reluctant to support them.

Why a Two-Party System?

• The Electoral System. Such as single-member districts (only 1 person represents a district), are designed to favor two major parties.

• Ideological Consensus. Most Americans have a general agreement on fundamental matters.

Advantages• Represents more people.

• More responsive to the will of the people.

• More choices at the polls.

Multiparty System

Disadvantages • Cause parties to form

coalitions, which can dissolve easily.

• Failure of coalitions can cause instability in government.

Multiparty System

Party Membership PatternsFactors that can influence party membership:

FamilyFamily

AgeAge

OccupationOccupation

ReligionReligion

Economic StatusEconomic Status

Major EventsMajor Events

The Nation’s First Parties

Federalists• Led by Alexander Hamilton• Represented the wealthy • Favored strong executive leadership and

liberal interpretation of the Constitution

The Nation’s First Parties

Anti-Federalists• Led by Thomas Jefferson• Represented the “common man”• Favored a stronger congress and a

strict interpretation of the Constitution

Two-Party System Flow Chart

1. 1796 George Washington warns against political parties.

2. Late 1700’s and early 1800’s the first political party, the federalist party.

3. 1828 – The Democratic-Republican party changes its name to the Democratic party; key leader is Andrew Jackson.

Two-Party System Flow Chart

4. 1834: The Whig party is formed to oppose a strong executive branch of gov and Jacksonian democracy

Two-Party System Flow Chart

5. 1854 The Republican party is formed by groups opposed to slavery

6. 1860-1932 The Republican party dominates both the presidency and Congress.

Two-Party System Flow Chart

7. 1932 FDR election as President shifts power back to the Democrats. (1932-1968)

8. 1968 The election of Richard Nixon marks a new era in party politics, characterized by divided government. (neither major party dominates)

Minor Parties in the U.S.Types of Minor Parties

•Ideological Parties - Example: Libertarian Party

•Single-issue Parties - Example: Free Soil Party

•Economic Protest - Parties Example: The Greenback Party

•Splinter Party - Example: “Bull Moose” Progressive Party (Teddy Roosevelt)

Minor Parties in the United States

Minor Party Roles “Spoiler Role” • Minor party candidates can pull decisive votes

away from one of the major parties’ candidates.

Critic• Minor parties, especially single-issue parties,

often take stands on and draw attention to controversial issues.

Minor Party Roles Innovator• Draw attention to

important issues and propose solutions to problems. If supported, they are often integrated into the platforms of the two major parties.

The NationalConvention

The NationalConvention

The CongressionalCampaign Committees

The CongressionalCampaign Committees

The NationalChairpersonThe NationalChairperson

The NationalCommittee

The NationalCommittee

National Party Machinery All four elements of both major parties work together loosely to achieve the party’s goals.

Party Components• The Party Organization - Those who run

and control the party machinery.

• The Party in the Electorate - Those who always or almost always vote for party candidates.

• The Party in Government – Those who hold office in the government.

The Future of Major PartiesFor voters:• More people are unwilling to label

themselves as “Democrats” or “Republicans”

• Split-ticket voting — voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election