Political Parties Primaries Major Party Roles Minor Party

Political Parties Primaries, Major Party Roles & Minor Party Roles

Voting • Most people do not vote because they do not care!!! • Political Inefficacy – the belief that their vote does not count

Types of Primaries • Direct Primary – election prior to a general election • Closed Primary – limited to registered party members – usually Republican or Democratic • Open Primary – voters can choose which primary to vote in

Primaries (cont) • Blanket Primary – all voters may vote – even nonparty members ex: Independents and Democrats voted in the Republican primary • Runoff Primary – a second election held in some states when no candidate receives a majority of votes in the 1 st primary usually the Democrats – they require a candidate to have a majority of votes to be on the ballot Republicans require a candidate to win the state ex: Hillary Clinton vs. Barrack O’bama

Minor Parties • To support a cause or idea • To back a candidate Problems: • May have difficulty getting on a ballot – election laws in “most” states favor two major parties • May not get campaign money – their candidate can’t win

Major Parties • The two major parties 1) Republican 2) Democratic • Role 1) to select a candidate 2) to get their candidate elected 3) to influence government policies through their candidate(s)

Minor Parties (cont) Importance • They may change the outcome of an election – pull votes away from a favored candidate ex: 1912 Teddy Roosevelt pulled votes away from President Taft (R) – Woodrow Wilson (D) won • They bring up new ideas or press for action on an issue ex: the Green Party