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Political Parties and Voting

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Political Party Vocabulary

Definition of Political Party: Group of people who join together to elect a candidate to office in order to control the government.

Role of Political Party: to bridge the gap between voters and the government.

Purpose of Political Party: to win.

3Political Spectrum

The continuum extends from left to right.

Liberal Conservative

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Political SpectrumPolitical Spectrum

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Political Parties are NOT based upon:

Abortion War in Iraq Social Security Gay Marriage Welfare Death Penalty Gun Control Education Foreign Policy...

Political parties use the issues as tools to persuade voters and eventually their vote.

Parties will shift positions to wherever public opinion sits.

Ex: The Republican Party will back a moderate/ liberal Republican candidate for an elected office in a predominantly Democratic area. (Senator Arlen Specter, PA. 1980-2010*)

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Democrats Republicans

Pro-choiceAnti-warSocial programs

(welfare, social security…)

Public EducationPro-unionsSame Sex marriageStricter Gun Control

Pro-lifeTough National DefenseSmaller gov’t…(less

programs, less taxes)

VouchersBig businessTradt’l Family values2nd Amendment Rights

Major Party Platforms

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Diversity in Each Party

Members in the two major parties in the United States are diverse and do not necessarily share any common ideological basis.

Translation:All Democrats don’t think alikeAll Republicans don’t think alike.Ex: (R) John McCain: Illegal Immigration (D) Bob Casey: Pro-Life

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The Five Functions of Political Parties

Nominate- name or recruit candidates, then present to voters

Inform- inform and stimulate the voters about a candidate; pick and choose issues

Approve- keep the party bonded by approving actions of candidate

Government- (how gov’t works) many voters decide winner by party, Congress works on a partisan basis, and appointments are made according to party.

Watchdog- (out of power party) parties watch the conduct of those in power, try to convince voters to oust the ones in charge

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Why have two major Parties?

History: The nation has had two strong parties since America’s beginning. Federalists vs. Anti-federalists

Tradition: It’s always been that way!System: The electoral system has several features that enable only two

parties to compete. Winner take all Single member district Plurality

Lawmakers: Minor parties often find it difficult to flourish because election laws have been written by officials who are members of the major parties.

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Eras of Party Dominance

Between 1800 and today, there have been four eras in which one party or another has dominated national politics.

Democrats- 1800- 1860 Republicans- 1860- 1932 Democrats- 1932-1968 Republicans- 1968-today ?

Republican Democra

t

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Republican Dominance? (1968-today)

1968 Richard Nixon (R)1974 Gerald Ford (R)1976 Jimmy Carter (D)1980 Ronald Reagan (R)1988 George H.W. Bush (R)1992 William Clinton (D)2000 George W. Bush (R)2008 Barack Obama (D)

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4 (10)

4

8(18)

4(22)

8(12)

8(30)

8(20)

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Minor Parties Types

Minor parties are third party choices that tend to fall into one of four categories:

–(1) Ideological—devoted to an overriding set of beliefs Example: Communist Party, Nazi party

–(2) Single issue-party pushes one or few issues Taxes, foreign policy, abortion, freedoms

–(3) Economic protest during times of economic hardship

–(4) Splinter/faction: Branches off of one of the major parties

T.Roosevelt’s- Progressive party (splinter from Republican)

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THE KEY BUILDING BLOCK OF DEMOCRACY?

Voting

THE RIGHT TO VOTE

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THE STATES

Who controls voting?

…which level of government makes laws determining who gets to votes?

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Who is voting?

•The amount of people eligible to vote has grown significantly over the last two hundred years.

•The body of eligible voters is called the electorate.

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RELIGIOUS QUALIFICATIONS DROPPED IN 1810…LEADS TO DROPPING OF TAXES, PROPERTY OWNERSHIP.•Q U OT E :

Thomas Paine (1776)

After observing a man who only owned a jackass, and would lose the right to vote when the jackass died.

“Now tell me, which was the voter, the man or the jackass?”

Elimination of Restrictions

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15TH AMENDMENT

Growing Electorate

• Supposedly gave the right to vote to all non-whites (1887)

• Jim Crow laws prevented many of the newly liberated Black-Americans to exercise the rights guaranteed to them in the Constitution.

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•19TH AMENDMENT

•VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965

Growing Electorate

• Gave enforcement to 15th Amendment

• Attorney general now a watchdog to discrimination in voting laws

•Gave the right to vote to women. (1920)

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•24TH AMENDMENT

•26TH AMENDMENT

Growing Electorate

• Eliminated poll tax

• Lowers age of vote to 18

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•CITIZENSHIP• U.S. Citizen

•RESIDENCE• Usually 30 days in your state (varies)

• AGE• 18 yrs old

What are today’s voting requirements?

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WHAT AFFECTS HOW WE VOTE?

Voting Behavior

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Factors Affecting Voting

Sociological Factors

Psychological Factors

Influence from people/places around us

How our own thinking impacts our votes

Sociological Factors

Income and Occupation:

Higher income=RepLower income=Dem

Education:Higher edu= RepLower edu=Dem

Gender and Age:Men-Rep

Women-DemOlder-Rep

Younger-Dem

Religious/EthnicJews-Dem

Protestants-RepMinorities-Dem TODAY VARIED*

GeographyNY, CA, Northeast-Dem

Midwest-RepUrban-DemRural-Rep

Family & OtherMost vote the same

as their parents

Sociological

Psychological Factors

Party identification•The most important factor

•Most vote along party lines (straight-ticket voting)

Candidates & Issues

•“Image” now has a large impact on voting (TV age)

•Some “hot-button” issues are the only factor for certain voters (ex. Abortion)