George Washington’s Farewell
Address
“The alternate dominion of one faction over
another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge…”
“It serves always to distract the public councils
and enfeeble the public administration. It
agitates the community with ill-founded
jealousies and false alarms, kindles the
animosity of one part against another, foments
occasionally riot and insurrection.”
Chapter 9: The Political
Process
Part 2: Section 3 and 4
American political symbols
GOP
DEMS
Political Parties
 Political Party: an organization that tries to elect its own members
to public office so that its views can become public policy.
 Public policy: a system of laws, regulatory measures, and
government actions derived from a governmental entity.
 Each party has a basic set of principles (ideology: the assertions,
theories, and doctrines that guide a social or political institution)
which are generally supported by its members.
 In which article of the Constitution are political party rules and
regulations discussed?
 What are the historical roots of the the American political party
system?
Two Party System
 Due to the Electoral College system, the U.S. has predominately always
adopted a two-party national system. Why?
- Winner-Take-All
- Majority Rule
- House of Reps
- State Gerrymandering
- Our voting system has helped to determine our party system
 What political divide first started the two-party system in the United
States?
Historical roots
Federalists =
Big Federal
Government
Federalists
Whigs
AntiFederalists =
State Power
and Individual
Freedom
DemocraticRepublicans
Democrats
(1828) =
Southern
Slave Owners
Rights, State
Sovereignty
Republicans
(1860) = Antislavery,
Protection of
Business (big
and small)
Democrats =
After New
Deal, support
Big
Government
and
Progressivism
Republicans =
In 1980’s,
support Small
Government to
support
business and
conservatism
Third Parties in Two Party System
 Third Party: a party that challenges the two main parties.
-
They seldom win, but they can help change politics.
How?
1.
Bring issues to the public’s attention (United States Marijuana Party).
2.
Effect outcome of elections which forces major parties to adopt their core
belief systems.
 -Independent candidate: a candidate not associated with any party.
 Third Parties (examples):
- Libertarian- Individual liberty, shrink government
- Green Party- Regulation of Big Business, Social Justice, and
Environmental responsibility
- Constitution Party- Christian Party, limit federal spending and taxing,
increase tariffs, socially conservative
Alterative Systems
One Party System: A single party controls the
government.
 Also known as a single party system.
 Other parties may exist, but, usually, have no power.
 What type of government does this create?
Multi-Party System
Based on three or more main
parties.
- Benefits: more options to
choose from and more ideas to
choose from. Citizens are not
bound to one of two party’s
ideologies.
- Weaknesses: can lead to
radical/reactionary groups
(extreme political groups),
Coalition government: In a
majority rule system, a group of
parties must agree to cooperate
in order to create a majority of
votes.
Left
Right
Political Spectrum
The two party’s political beliefs are primarily
characterized on how they view the current social
system.
Definitely
Democrats
Radical:
Extreme
Change/
Alter Society
Moderate/
Independent
Leaning
towards
Democrats
Definitely
Republicans
Leaning
Towards
Republicans
Reactionary:
Go Back to
Previous State/
Traditional
Two Party System and Moderation
Some social scientists believe that the two party
system actually creates a more balanced,
moderate system by filtering out extremism.
How?
Obstacles to this theory:
Media
Low Voter Turnout
Primaries
Gerrymandering
Politics
 Liberal: a political belief system founded on the promotion of individual
liberty and equality by the reduction of government. (hence
“libertarians”)
- But in the United States, liberalism is synonymous with big
government and progressivism.
 Conservative: a political belief system which values the preservation of
the social traditions and norms.
- But in the United States, conservatism is synonymous with small
government.
 Planks: each individual belief of a party (pro-life v. pro-choice)
 Platform: the aggregate of all the planks which encompasses the
overall belief system of the party.
Organization
 National Committee: Raises Money at the Federal Level;
Creates a common platform; and organizes the National
Convention (RNC and DNC)
 50 State Committees: Tries to get elected as many candidates
within the state as possible; raises and directs money.
 Ward: A group of precincts. Helps the state committee to decide
where to best put resources.
 Precinct: a geographical area which contains a specific number
of voters.
 Precinct Captain: Each precinct has a member to organize the
party members within the precinct to vote on election day.
Elections: How do we choose the
candidates who will represent us?
Voting
18 years of age, resident of the state, citizen of the
United States, registered.
Polling Place: where the vote is held.
Absentee ballot: a ballot to vote for a registered
voter who is unable or unwilling to attend the official
polling place.
Who is in charge of elections?
- Missouri Secretary of State: Jason Kander
- Saint Louis Board of Elections
Coverage
Returns: Votes from each precinct is counted.
- Voting precinct: voting district
Exit Polls: Polls taken from voters as they leave
polling place.
- Allows analysts to make predictions.
- How can it influence the outcome of an election?
Push polls: a technique used by campaigns to
influence voters under the disguise of a valid poll.
Primaries
 In order for a candidate to be chosen by the party to run in the general
election, a primary is held in order for the parties to choose their
candidates.
 Closed Primary: only voters registered as party members can vote in
selecting candidates.
 Open Primary: any registered voter may vote in either party’s primary
election, but only for one of them.
 Presidential Primary: delegates choose presidential nominee.
-
-
delegates: representatives of the party to cast a vote for a nominee at
the convention.
Super delegates (democrats only): an elected official who receives votes
to distribute to the candidate of their choice at the convention.
Primaries
 Voter turnout is very low:
 Since 1970- 39%-41%.
 “Primary electorates are much more partisan and prone to
ideological extremity, and the need to please them is on e force
behind party polarization in Congress.”
 Explain.
 How does this affect general elections?
 What is the overall effect in Washington?
Types of Elections
 General Election: 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in
November on even dated years.
- Why?
 In most states, only a plurality is required to win. But it
depends on the state.
 Special Elections: Special circumstances can lead to elections
outside of the general election cycle.
- Run-off: if an election requires a majority, but none but was
reached, a run-off is held between the top two candidates.
- Recall: a vote to remove an elected official from office before
the end of term.
Campaign Finance Reform
 Can someone buy our government?
- If there are no limits on what you give politicians, can you buy their
votes in Washington D.C.?
- Creates a need to control campaign contributions.
 FECA- Federal Election Campaign Act- Created to regulate (place rules
and limits upon) campaign finance.
- Public Disclosure (from whom is the money coming, and what is it
spent on?) – Sunshine Laws
- Limit on hard money: money given exactly to a candidate.
- Limit on soft money: money given to a political party to be given
indirectly to a candidate.
- Limit PACs (Political Action Committee): an organization which pools
campaign contributions from its members and donates those funds
from its members for or against candidate, ballot initiative, or piece of
legislation.
Campaign Finance Reform
 Buckley v. Valeo: government COULD set limits on campaign
contributions.
 McCain-Feingold Act: limited soft money.
 Limits:
Candidate
National Committee
- Individual
$2,600
$32,400
- National Committee $5,000
- State Committee
$5,000
No Limit
- PAC
$5,000
$32,400
 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission: Allows corporations and
other unions unrestricted speech in the promotion of their own political
goals.
 Super PAC: Gives no money directly to any party or candidate, and has
no limits on their members contributions to .