Warm Up 5/6
Which political party is older:
republican or democrat?
Objectives
• Explain how political parties develop their
platforms.
• Define and determine political ideology
• Contrast the views of Republicans and
Democrats
Announcement
• Test on:
– State and Local Gov
– Political Parties
– Media
– Interest Groups
– Thursday, May 14th
Where do you fall on the
political spectrum?
Analyzing political
ideology
Analyzing your Scores
•
•
•
•
•
25-21
20-16
25-21
20-16
15-10
“L” = Strong Liberal
“L” = Moderate Liberal
“C” = Strong Conservative
“C” = Moderate Conservative
of either = Moderate
Political Spectrum
Liberal
Conservative
Moderate
Economic Spectrum
Liberal
Favors broad gov’t
involvement in
economic
policymaking &
regulation of
business
Conservative
Favors limited
gov’t involvement
in economic
policymaking &
regulation of
business
Political/Social
Spectrum
Liberal
Favors broad
gov’t regulation
of individual
behavior
Conservative
Favors limited
gov’t regulation
of individual
behavior
Liberal or
Conservative
Liberal or Conservative?
Our national government should
tax less and therefore allow its
citizens to decide how best to
spend their money.
Liberal or Conservative?
When companies are given more
economic freedoms they create
more jobs and opportunities for
citizens to become prosperous.
Liberal or Conservative?
Freedom of speech should be
protected even if we find that
speech offensive.
Liberal or Conservative?
Parents and students should be
given the choice as to what type of
schooling is best for their children,
even if that choice is a religious
school.
Liberal or Conservative?
Our government has an
obligation to provide for all
citizens basic necessities like
food and healthcare.
What does your
political ideology help
you to decide?
Political Party
• A group of people who share
similar views on issues & elect
government officials who best
promote those views
Main role
• To get their party’s candidate
elected
–Provide campaign funds
–Sponsor political ads
–Promote candidate’s platform
Major Parties
• Democratic Party, founded
circa 1828 grew out of
Democratic-Rep. Party
• Republican Party, founded
1854 by Northern abolitionists
Minor or
rd
3
Parties
• Green Party
– Emphasizes environmentalism
– Gov’t should work to end poverty
• Libertarians
– Laissez-faire economy
– Strong support of civil rights
– No gov’t intervention in foreign affairs
Political Terms
• Moderate
–A person opposed to extremes in
political beliefs
• Independent
–A person not affiliated with a political
party
Where do the two major
political parties fit on the
spectrum?
Political Spectrum
Liberal
Conservative
Democrats
Republicans
Where do your
thoughts/feelings on
politics come from?
• #1 influence is your family!
• Is your political ideology
similar to that of your
family?
Identify five other factors
that influence your
political values and beliefs.
Answers
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Media
Family
Friends
Religion
Education
Personal experiences
Geography
Race/Ethnicity
Political SocializationProcess by which parents
& others teach children
about values, beliefs &
attitudes of political
culture
Summary
– Was your ideology profile what you
expected? Why or why not?
– Why might some people have a profile that is
different than they originally thought it
might be?
• Ex: thought they were liberal, but
they’re really conservative
– Based on your ideology, what political party
would you join?
Homework
• Read the article and respond in a paragraph
on the back.
• Cite examples or evidence to back up your
opinion.