Political Parties Flashcards
Political Party
A group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office
Nominate candidates, unite politicians, ideological framework
Wha doe political parties do?
- Choose candidates (now done through primaries, not internally)
- Run campaigns
- Provide a political identity
- Endorse specific policies
- Coordinate policymaking
- Inform and activate support
- Act as a watchdog (check the other party in power)
Minor party examples
Reform
Bull Moose (progressive party) formed by Teddy Roosevelt when he could not run as Rep.
Green Party
Third Parties Impact on American Politics
Do not put a candidate into office
Rather force particular issues onto the political agenda and allow Americans to express their discontent with major parties
Can shift the votes of the electorate
Ideological Parties
Based on particular set of beliefs
Ideas and values that are not mainstream
Often built on Marxist ideas
Single Issue Parties
Focus on one public policy
Parties fade away when issues fade away
Example of ideological parties
Ex: socialist, communist, libertarian
Example of single issue parties
Ex: free soil party, right to life
Economic Protest parties
Rooted in periods of economic discontent
No ideological base, but rather fed up with major parties
Ex. of Economic Protest Parties
Greenback Party for farmers, Populist Party
Splinter Parties
Split away from one of the major parties
Often form around a strong individual
Ex: progressive party
Multiparty system
Several major and many lesser parties exist
Pos: provides broader representation to the electorate and is a more meaningful choice among voters
Cons: instability in government
Examples of multiparty system
Italy, Israel, France
One Party System
A dictatorship
Criticism of 2 party system
Little choice for voters
Less oppurtunity for political change
Decentralized that it fails to translate campaign promises into policy because politicians do not have to vote with the party
First Party System 1796-1826
Hamilton’s short lived Federalist party was the first party
Jefferson Democratic Republicans got control of the white house (states rights and farmers)
The Democrats and the Whigs 1828-1856
Jackson appeals to the masses and formed the Democratic Party (Democratic-Republicans) to broaden voting rights for the COMMON man
Whig Party was led by Henry Clay and Daniel Webster was more for merchants and the wealthy (high tarriffs)
Famous Whig Presidents
William Henry Harrison
Zachary Taylor
The Two Republican Eras 1860-1932
Republican party formed out of a coalition of antislavery groups
Lincoln
Controlled government for 75 years
McKinely took the party in the direction of industrialization
The New Deal Coalition 1932-1968
FDR brings the Democratic party back into power by using federal programs after the great depression
The New Deal
Kennedy’s New Frontier and LBJ’s Great Society expand on this
The Era of Divided Party Government 1968-Present
President from one party faces opposition in one or both of the houses
Who started the Divided Party era?
LBJs poor handling of Vietnam allowed Nixon to be easily elected as a Republican
Party Realignment
Shift of party loyalty
Occurred in 1932 after the Great Depression (New Deal)
Party Dealignment
People moving away from their parties
Neutral view of party identification
People support policies or certain issues within a PLATFORM, not necessarily a party
Ideas>party
LIberal Characteristics
Accept change
Increase spending
Social programs
Rights of all people
Conserative Characteristics
Resistant to change
Thrifty
Traditional
Tea Party
Emerged prior to 2010 midterm election
grassroots movement by former members of Republican party
Supported republican candidates on balot
Principles of the Tea Party
Government must abide by boundaries set forth in federal and state constitutions
Balanced bugets
Free enterprise, no gov regulation
Tax is too high, debt is bad
Educate on early government documents to help election process
