American Political Parties
REPUBLICANS VS. DEMOCRATS
History
 Opposing political parties first
appeared during the debate
over ratifying the Constitution
 Federalists vs. Anti-Fed.
 Tradition Continues
 Platforms have changed
 Jefferson (Democrat but
Republican today)
 Civil Rights Movement
 Two party domination
continues today
 Republicans vs. Democrats
Third Party?
 American history has
seen brief formations of
third parties



Populist Party
Progressive Party
Bull Moose Party
 None of them have stuck
 3rd Parties today




Green Party
U.S. Marijuana Party
Libertarian Party
Tea Party
Party Platform
 A political party platform
is a list of actions which a
party supports in order
to appeal to a general
public for the purpose for
having their candidate
voted into office


Often deals with
controversial topics
Each topic is called a
plank

Abortion, Defense
spending, etc.
So…What’s the difference?
Republican Elephant
Democratic Donkey
The Republican Platform (GOP)
 Social Conservatives
 Laissez-Faire economics
 Fiscal Conservatism

Lower taxes for ALL
 Personal responsibility
over welfare programs
 Notable Republicans




Ronald Reagan
George Bush (both)
Dwight Eisenhower
Rush Limbaugh & Glenn
Beck (TV/Radio)
 Voter Base

Financial Sector, low black
vote, high income,
military, higher ed. but
few professors, older,
straight, church goers,
South, Midwest, Mountain
West.
The Democratic Platform
 Social Liberalism
 Social Democracy
 Greater Federal Gov’t
Intervention
 Progressive Taxation
 Different tax rates for
different tax brackets
 Larger government to serve
people’s needs
 Notable Democrats




Bill Clinton
Franklin Roosevelt
John F. Kennedy
Keith Olbermann & Rachel
Maddow (TV)
 Voter Base
 Young professionals,
academia, organized labor,
working class, women,
LGBT, Minorities, Northeast,
Great Lakes, and West Coast
Media Bias
 Media has power to set
cultural standards and
shape political discourse
 Media has challenge to be
accurate and fair
 Determining Bias






Sources?
Diversity?
Who’s point of view?
Double Standards?
Unchallenged Assumptions?
Loaded Language?
News Reporter vs. News Commentator
 News Reporter



Present the news
Little Bias because they give
no opinion
Ex: Walter Cronkite, Local
News, Ron Burgandy
 News Commentator


Presents news from certain
view point
Mixes opinion into coverage




Not necessarily their opinion
May use propaganda (stats
and info to influence people
to support position)
Entertainers
Ex: Bill O’Reilly,, Keith
Olbermann, Rush Limbaugh