POLITICS
SIMILARITIES OF POLITICAL PARTIES
• 1. Organize to win elections
• 2. Influence public policy
• 3. Reflect both LIBERAL and CONSERVATIVE views
• 4. Define themselves in a way that wins majority
support by appealing to the center
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PARTIES
• All differences between the parties are stated in a
document called the party “platform”
• Democrats tend to be more liberal while Republicans
are conservative
• Democrats tend to want more government while
Republicans want less government
• Democrats tend to win big cities while republicans tend
to win in counties and small towns
FUNCTIONS(JOBS) OF POLITICAL PARTIES
• 1. Recruit and nominate candidates
• 2. Educate the electorate about campaign issues
• 3. Help candidates win elections
• 4. Monitor the actions of officeholders
THIRD PARTIES
• Introduce new ideas or revolve around one person.
Teddy Roosevelt is an example of a third party leader.
• Third parties rarely win, but they influence voters and
cause the two major political parties to change their
focus.
• Some examples of 3rd parties:
• Bull Moose(Progressive party), Green party, TEA party,
Libertarian party, Justice party
WHAT YOU NEED-STRATEGIES FOR EVALUATING
CAMPAIGNS
• 1. Identify propaganda
• 2. Separate fact from opinion
• 3. Evaluate sources
• 4. Detect bias
ROLES OF THE MEDIA
• 1. Identify the candidates
• 2. Emphasize selected issues
• 3. Write editorials, political cartoons, op-ed pieces
• 4. Broadcast different points of view
RISING CAMPAIGN COSTS
• Rising campaign costs have led to several changes in
politics
• 1. Requires candidates to hold extensive fundraising
campaigns
• 2. Gives an advantage to the wealthy
• 3. Encourages the development of PACs
• 4. Gives interest groups increased power
REFORM
• Changes that have been made to try and control
political spending
• Limits were placed on how much money an individual
could give to a campaign, but the Supreme Court threw
that law out because it violated the 1 st amendment
ELECTORAL COLLEGE
• The electoral college is the system used to elect
president and VP
• Each political party chooses a “slate” of electors for
each state. If that political party wins the most votes in
that state, those electors go to the electoral college.
• Most states have a winner take all system
• Candidates tend to spend the most time in states with
large populations so they can get the most electoral
votes, but smaller states can decide the election.
ELECTORAL COLLEGE
• The number of electors for each state is based on
congressional representation (loosely based on the
population of the state).
• The winner take all format and the need for a majority
in the electoral college favors a 2 party system.
VOTER REGISTRATION
You can only vote in this country if you register first
To register to vote there are 3 requirements:
1. Citizen of the US
2. resident of Virginia
3. 18 years old or above
To register, you may do so by mailing in an application
or registering at the DMV or other specified locations
• Registration closes 22 days before an election
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VOTER PARTICIPATION
• Several factors help us predict who will vote
• Age-Older people vote more than younger people
• Income-People with higher income vote more than
those without
• Education-People with an education vote more than
those without
REASONS FOR NOT VOTING
• Failed to register
• Lack of interest
• The percentage of voters goes up in a national election
while the number of voters is down in state and local
elections
• Every vote is important