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 noparty system.
Political Parties
• Democrat electorate usually consists of
Catholics, Jews, African-Americans, highschool 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 nonconnected 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 Development
of 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
The Media and Public Opinion
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
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 system
third parties
campaign
platform
national conventions (Republican, Democratic)
role of media
special interest groups and associations
PACs
Lobbyists
Political spectrum
reactionary
conservative
moderate
liberal
radical
hawk
dove