Political Parties ____________________________________________________________________
The Two-Party System in American History - Section 3 (p. 126)
A. The Nation’s First Parties
a. What segment of American people were the Federalists’ generally associated with?
b. What segment of American people were the Anti-Federalists’ generally associated with?
i. Do either of these associations surprise you? Why / Why not?
c.
Define: Incumbent
B. American Parties: Four Major Eras
a. Define: Electorate
b. Do you think sectionalism exists in 2013? Explain.
c.
Brief Outline: The Return of the Democrats (p.129-130)
d. Brief Outline: The Start of a New Era (p.130-131)
Minor Parties - Section 4 (p. 133)
A. Define each of the following and answer the questions that follow.
a. Ideological Parties
i. Why do ideological parties struggle to gain footing in the United States even
more so than the other minor parties?
b. Single-Issue Parties
i. Why do single-issue parties tend to be short lived?
c.
Economic Parties
i. Why are economic protest parties usually sectional parties?
d. Splinter Parties
i. Why are these minor parties the most legitimate contenders to knock off one of
the big two?
B. Why are minor parties an important part of the American system of government even if their
candidates rarely get elected on the national stage?
C. Suppose you are considering voting for a presidential candidate from a minor party. Explain the
benefits and drawbacks of casting your vote that way.