Chapter 5 Pictures
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Because I know you all have missed them… but
seriously, I think I’m spoiling you all.
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•
Political Party: a group of like-minded people who join
together to achieve common political goals
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o Requirements
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Shared Beliefs: same goals
Program: agree on turning beliefs into laws once elected
Chance of Success: Needs to be realistic… or does it?
o
Pressure Groups- Minority Parties
o
The U.S. has had a 2 party system since 1796, despite the
fact that George Washington warned against it.
Political parties have to have shared
goals and they need to have a
“realistic chance to win”.
So you’re saying there’s a chance…
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•What do political parties try to accomplish?
 Organize a majority
 Join what reflects their ideas about economics, foreign policy,
social welfare, personal freedom… power goes to what the
majority of people wish for.
 Provide Electable Candidates
 Screen for best candidate for elections
 Public, media, and party leadership weed out candidates who
hold unpopular, unworkable, or extremist views
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Educate Voters
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Platform: sums up stance on national priorities… hopefully
people are edumacated by the time they get to the polls.
Byah…
This is why they screen?
Kind of like the way the Miss America Pageant
screens out those who give terrible answers…
(Special note: I do not blame her. She can’t give
the answer she really wants to.)
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Dear Mr. Schmitt,
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I am sending you this email in response to your showing of the On Stage pageant question of the teen last
Thursday. It was from the Miss Teen USA competition, which is a very different pageant that puts more of an emphasis
on outward appearance. This video is unfortunate and is not a good representation of many young women
participating in scholarship pageants, just as I think the re-playing of a NCAA Final Four basketball player performing
an “air ball” over and over again is not a true representation of his talent and abilities. My exposure with pageants is
only with the Miss America organization, so it is only to this organization that I may address.
The Miss America and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageants encourage girls to develop a talent, to serve in
their communities, to achieve high academics, to stay current on events, and to stay physically fit. We are scored
approximately in the following way:
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Talent --- 30%, 8 minute Interview --- 25 %, Formal --- 20%, Fitness --- 20%, On Stage Question 5%. Therefore, 60% of the
competition is an accumulation of talent and one’s ability to converse, without incorporating outward appearance or “beauty” as many
people would believe.
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In my experience, the on stage question is the most nerve wracking portion of the competition, simply because the
question is unknown until the specified moment and is performed in front of a large audience. This task is very difficult
to complete with confidence and intelligence, even for adults. It takes a lot of preparation to articulate one’s response
in front of others, on a stage with lights, and at the spur of the moment. I think the students in our class would realize
the difficulty of this process if they were to answer a difficult question in front of their peers. Sometimes nerves
overwhelm us, just like they do for a basketball player who has the game on the line, even though he usually makes
his free throws during practice.
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Please find attached the On Stage questions and answers of the Miss America 2015 competition. While I
understand these answers are not perfect, I think this video is a much better representation of the Miss America
competition than the video you showed in class. The winner of this competition, Miss New York, received $50,000 for
her continuing education. I understand that there are numerous pageants available for young women, emphasizing
different areas of competition. However, I believe the Miss America organization searches for well-rounded talented
women who strive to be educated and high achieving.
Sincerely,
Virginia Deig (Spring of 2015)
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At her request, I will show the answers from
the 2015 pageant. These are a much more
accurate representation of the Miss America
pageant and the caliber of young women
that represent this contest.

Also, if you write me an email, that’s how it
should be written: intelligently, coherently,
and articulate with correct punctuation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG
_UaB5vCrE&safe=active
Party Platforms…
also a type of shoe.
Optional Assignment for Chapter 5
Google for Democratic or Republican Party
Platform
1. Choose two (2) issues that you either
support or disagree with and write a
small paragraph response.
2. Turn in.
Finance Election Campaigns: this is huge!
 Winners Get to Run the Government
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Spoils System under Jackson: no longer in place, can’t just come in and
eliminate people from jobs… keeps things running smoothly, also leads to
regret.
When bad things happens, the party in charge usually loses… See: Great
Depression, Vietnam, DotCom Bubble Burst, Housing Market Collapse
PGO: +5 if you
can find the
cost of the past
presidential
campaign...
I love the way they're talkin' to you. 'Cause they're
winners. Winners get to do what they want.
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Why do we keep a two party system?
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Stability
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National Election Laws
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It’s hard to get national representation if you don’t win a state’s
elections… need 51% because we have a “winner take all” system of
government.
Size of the Federal System
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With a lot of parties, not usually a majority. This leads to a coalition
between smaller parties. If one or two leave a coalition you have
gridlock and nothing gets accomplished
Usually before a small party can win a national seat, its ideas are
absorbed by a larger party
Tradition of Alternation in Office

No one party has ever dominated Washington D.C. completely
 Democrats originally (1800-1860)
 Republicans (14 of the following 18 national elections)
Gridlock
Usually before a smaller party can
become too powerful, it is absorbed
(hahahahah) by a larger party.
(Republicans absorbed Tea Party
Ideas… then spit them back out)
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How did the 2 party system start?
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o Should we ratify the constitution?
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Democrats
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Federalists say yes
Anti-Federalists say no, want personal freedoms (Bill of Rights) and
more state power
Originally the Anti-Federalists, called the DemocraticRepublicans
Modern democrats have ties to the “common people”, using
government to solve a variety of problems that individuals and
states can’t solve for themselves
Republicans
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Originally Federalists, then Whigs, then Republicans
Modern Republicans favor states’ rights and freedom from
government control
See what we call “Irony”?
Republican Party descended from the whigs.
CT: What haircut are you most embarrassed to say you had?
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How have 3rd parties affected our system?
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o Sectional Discontent
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Radical Politics
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Represent a group of people’s views about issues (South in 1948 and
1968)
Socialist Party
Peace and Freedom Party
American Nazi’s of Today
Single Issue Parties
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What do political labels stand for? (make us feel more
comfortable, left wing and right wing date back to the
French Revolution)
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o Radical
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Problems of the country can only be solved through extreme
measures, and these need to take place immediately
Radical Right- Militant, reactionary, denounce government
Radical Left- Government should control means of production
Anders Breivik- Norwegian Radical
Want to see video of this?
Want to see a
video of this
guy’s political
party?
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Liberal (left wing)
o
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Moderate (most people)
o
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Accept government as it is, but favor new and better laws
Conservative (right wing)
o
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Look to the government for solutions to problems, accept
interference if it would take care of basic needs
“That government governs best which governs least”, give
individuals as much freedom as possible, leave most decisions up to
the state or local level
o But these labels don’t really cover everything…Depends who
calls who what… for example, let’s draw the political spectrum
line
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Patterns of Voting
Split Ticket- support both parties
Straight Ticket- support their own party
Cross Over Voting- support the other party… why?

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How are political parties organized?
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PGO: Democrats_______ / Republicans_________/
Independent________ / Tea Party______ / Other ________
o National Committee
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Most noticeable during election years
Plan national convention
Raise money
Write the party platform
Run the Presidential campaign
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What happens at party
conventions?
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o Control of the Convention
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Platform Committee
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Used to be caucuses (closed door
meetings), now it is primaries
(statewide party elections)
Come to agreement, choose majority
candidate and then everyone runs
behind him/her to appear united
Steps Taken to Become
President
THE Announcement
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• I’m running for President of the
United States… watch out for
skeletons in the closet.
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o Primaries
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Test out the water for who’s in the lead
Closed Primaries- only vote for your
own party
Open Primaries- nobody knows who
you are until you vote
Cross Over Primaries- You vote for the
other’s candidates… why?
Many say primaries are ridiculous…
Others say it allows them to be close to
voters, get rid of weak candidates, and
helps focus issues
Iowa student Brady
Olson who convinced
Public Policy Polling to
test his fake identity
against Hillary Clinton
and Donald Trump in
North Carolina, even
though he is 20 years too
young to be President.
He got 9% of the vote.
He ran under a
pseudonym….
Sometimes things don’t go
according to plan at the
National Conventions…
{
DNC 2012: God and the Capital of Israel
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o National Convention
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Choose who they want… over and over and over and over
and… until someone’s chosen
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Dark Horse: we didn’t think he’d win the nomination…. Oh
well.
o
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o
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o
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Campaigning
Mostly between Labor Day and day we vote
Election Day (FTAFMIN)
Computer, ballots, punch card (Chads)
Inauguration
Lame Duck: time in office after the election and you’re on your
way out
Usually they help each other get adjusted to coming in to office
And now what I need is a
representative from each class
who you all feel could stand the
test of skeletons in the closet and
run for President.
PGO: Primaries!
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Quiz next time over chapters 4 and 5