• Libertarians are self-governors in both personal and economic
matters. They believe government's only purpose is to protect people
from coercion and violence. They value individual responsibility, and
tolerate economic and social diversity.
• Centrists favor selective government intervention and emphasize
practical solutions to current problems. They tend to keep an open
mind on new issues. Many centrists feel that government serves as a
check on excessive liberty.
• Liberals prefer self-government in personal matters and central
decision-making on economics. They want government to serve the
disadvantaged in the name of fairness. Leftists tolerate social
diversity, but work for economic equality.
• Authoritarians want government to advance society and individuals
through expert central planning. They often doubt whether selfgovernment is practical. Left-authoritarians are also called socialists,
while fascists are right-authoritarians.
• Conservatives prefer self-government on economic issues, but want
official standards in personal matters. They want the government to
defend the community from threats to its moral fiber.
Who Speaks for
You?
5 BASIC FUNCTIONS
OF PARTIES
1. Select & support candidates
2. Inform the public
3. Carry the message of the people to
government
4. Act as a watchdog over government
activities
5. Serve as link between different levels &
branches of government
THE BREAKDOWN
• The presidency has usually
switched back and forth between
Democrats & Republicans
• Congress has usually been
Democratic
American Politics Today
• Democrats usually feel that the federal
government has a responsibility to help the
poor through government intervention.
• Democrats are generally seen as liberal.
• Republicans hold the view that leaving the
economy alone will allow for growth, giving
people greater ability to help themselves.
They believe in less regulation.
• Republicans are viewed as being
conservative.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
• Traditionally appeals to workers,
Catholics, minorities, union
members, & those involved in social
policies
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
• Traditionally businesspeople,
Protestants, those against
government involvement
Candidates
In General…
Control
No Control
Democrat
$
Personal
Issues
Republican
Personal
Issues
$
LIBERALS
believe in governmental action to
achieve equal opportunity and
equality for all, and that it is the
duty of the State to alleviate
social ills and to protect civil
liberties and individual and
human rights. Believe the role of
the government should be to
guarantee that no one is in
need. Believe that people are
basically good.
Liberal policies generally
emphasize the need for the
government to solve people's
problems.
CONSERVATIVES
believe in personal responsibility,
limited government, free markets,
individual liberty, traditional
American values and a strong
national defense. Believe the role
of government should be to
provide people the freedom
necessary to pursue their own
goals.
Conservative policies generally
emphasize empowerment of the
individual to solve problems
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN PARTIES
Personal Rights & Freedoms
Good Education
Decent Living
Protect the Nation
Preserve the Environment
Help Citizens
The parties just differ in how they want
to achieve these goals
SYSTEM
EXPLANATION
ADVANTAGE
DISADVANTAGE
EXAMPLE
1 Party
•Must win a Plurality
(more votes in the legislature than
anyone else)
•Plurality ≠ Majority
•1 Party = 1 Government
•Very efficient
•Dictatorship, total
control lies on one
person or party
•NO opposition
•NO freedoms
•China (4%)
•Cuba
•North
Korea
2 Party
•2 major parties that exchange
power and participate together
•Very stable
•Appeals to the
masses
•avoids extreme
measures or ideas
•Snuffs out 3rd parties
•USA
•UK
•Spain
MultiParty
•Must win a majority (>½ of the
votes)
•Coalitions form to gain majority
votes.
More parties can
compete
•Unstable government
because of the wide
variety and changes
between terms
•Germany
•Israel
•Japan
IN REVIEW
• Which political system has more
than two parties?
• 50% of the votes plus one would be
a ______ vote.
• Another word for an alliance is
___________.
IN REVIEW
• A ___________ has total control of a
country
• The United States has a _______
party system,
• Two major American parties are
_________ & _____________
VOTING
&
ELECTIONS
Voting is the only time that citizens
can directly bring about change in
government
Voting
Qualifications:
•At least 18
•State resident/ US citizen
•registered
Voting
All who vote in an election are called
the electorate
Voting
Factors limiting voters:
1.Mental Hospital Inmates
2.Convicts
3.Those not yet meeting state
requirements
Voting In The Past
Poll Taxes or Literacy tests against
African Americans
Literacy Test was a test given to
prove that the voter could read and
write and understand public issues
APATHY?
WHO CARES?
Lack of interest
HERE’S WHY
Gives citizens a chance to choose
their government leaders and a
chance to voice their opinions of
politicians and issues
NOMINATING PROCESS
•Caucus: political parties meet to conduct
party business & nominate candidates
•Primary Election: held among party members
to nominate candidates
•Closed Primary: only declared party
members can vote
•Open Primary: voters do not have to register
with a party
FUNDING
•Takes money to pay for the stickers,
buttons, ads and posters
•For president: estimated $400 million
•Private funding (10%)
•Political Action Committees,
PACs,(25%)
•PACs are fund raising groups established
by special interest groups
POLLS
•Polling places: locations where votes are
cast
•Voting for one single party is called a
straight ticket and voting for different
parties is called a split ticket
•A voter who cannot get to the polls on
election day can use an absentee ballot
•Exit poll: media asks as you leave
GENERAL ELECTIONS
•Held on the Tuesday after the 1st
Monday of November
•For all elections except the presidential
race, the candidate winning the majority of
popular vote wins
•Popular vote: votes cast directly by the
people
GENERAL ELECTIONS
•In a presidential race, the voters actually vote
for electors who hold electoral votes and are
part of the Electoral College system.
•# of Senators + # of Representatives = # of
Electoral Votes
•If a Rep. candidate wins the popular vote for
a state then the Rep. electoral voters cast
their vote from that state for that candidate
and the Dem. electoral voters don’t cast a vote
GENERAL ELECTIONS
•This is known as the “winner take all”
system
•States population determines # of
electoral votes
•538 in all
•270 or more wins electoral vote
GENERAL ELECTIONS
•A candidate might win 5 or 6 small
states but still not win because the
other candidate wins one large state
like Texas.
•You can lose the popular vote but
win the election.
•Announce Jan 6
GENERAL ELECTIONS
•If no one is identified as receiving a
majority by November, the House can pick
the president and the Senate can pick the
VP
•Electors will not pick candidate other
than their party
•If they did, they would be called a
“faithless elector” (never been prosecuted)
VOTING ON ISSUES
•Sometimes you vote on issues too
•An initiative is a method by which
citizens propose laws or state
ammendments
•This is done by circulating a petition
asking for the new law or proposition
•A referendum allows voters to approve
or reject a law already passed
SPECIAL ELECTIONS
•Runoffs –held when no candidate
receives majority
• A recall is held to vote an official out of
office
QUIZ 1
•What is receiving at least 50%
plus one vote called?
•What is receiving more votes
than anyone else called?
•What kind of party system does
the US have?
•What are the major US parties?
QUIZ 2
1.What was the 1st political party in
the United States?
2.Who was the 1st president elected
from the Republican Party?
3.What president won 4 consecutive
terms?
QUIZ 2
Voting for one single party is called a
1_________ ticket, whereas voting for
different parties is called a
2_________ ticket.
3As you leave the polls, the media might
take an _______ poll, asking you how
you voted.
QUIZ 3
1. Catholic is to Democrat as
Protestant is to ______________
2. Each city or county is divided into
election districts or __________
3. A party’s statement of goals and
positions on various public issues is
called a __________
• Famous people such as movie stars,
rock stars, or sports figures
• If people admire the person maybe
they will admire the candidate too
• Presents only one side of an issue by
distorting the facts
• A group supporting nuclear power
might only present facts making
nuclear power look safe
• Convincing people that everyone else
agrees with your viewpoint and that
everyone else is going to vote for you
• A statement that sounds good but is
generally meaningless
• “Return to family values”
• Used and misused
• Candidate might salute a flag at
every event to look more patriotic
Straw Man
• Something
bad that
everybody
can be
against—
but it has
very little
to do with
the
candidate.
Ad hominem attack
• Attacking the
person, rather
than his platform
Plain Folks
• I was a band
geek just like
you.
“I Support Education”
-Candidate
“I believe that
Congresswoman
Hart is the person
for the job!”
“Everybody’s
voting for Hart;
how ‘bout you?”
“She’s proud to
be an American
and proud to
serve you and
her country”