There are TWO sides to every story What

“There are TWO sides to every story!”

What IS a Political Party? • A political party is an organization made up of people who share similar ideas about the way the country should be governed. Democrats are represented by the donkey.

What IS a Political Party? • In the United States, we have a 2 -party system in which 2 major parties compete for control of the government. They are the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Republicans are represented by the elephant.

Important Vocabulary Terms Ideology: An idea or a way of thinking that is shared by a group or culture. Ex: Republican ideology favors lower taxes and less government spending on welfare programs.

Important Vocabulary Terms Candidate: People seeking elected office, chosen as the government’s leaders.

Important Vocabulary Terms Electorate: The people who are eligible to vote in an election.

Important Vocabulary Terms Issue: A matter of public concern or debate. Ex: Gun control, taxes, abortion, death penalty, education.

Why do we have Political Parties? Creates a balance between political ideologies so that our leaders don’t become too extreme.

Why do we have Political Parties? Encourages moderate views and provides government stability.

Why do we have Political Parties? To nominate and elect candidates who are qualified for government offices. WIN!

The Political Party Spectrum

The Political Party Spectrum DEMOCRATS

The Political Party Spectrum DEMOCRATS

The Political Party Spectrum REPUBLICANS DEMOCRATS

The Political Party Spectrum DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS

The Political Party Spectrum Radical DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS

The Political Party Spectrum DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS Radical Extreme or Revolutionary changes.

The Political Party Spectrum Liberal DEMOCRATS Radical. Extreme or Revolution ary changes. REPUBLICANS

The Political Party Spectrum DEMOCRATS Radical. Extreme or Revolutionary changes. REPUBLICANS Liberal. Supports civil liberties, promotes social change

The Political Party Spectrum Moderate DEMOCRATS Radical. Extreme or Revolution ary changes. Liberalsupports civil liberties, promotes social change. REPUBLICANS

The Political Party Spectrum DEMOCRATS Radical. Extreme or Revolution ary changes. Liberalsupports civil liberties, promotes social change. REPUBLICANS Moderate Opposed to extreme views or measures.

The Political Party Spectrum Conservative DEMOCRATS Radical. Extreme or Revolution ary changes. Liberalsupports civil liberties, promotes social change. REPUBLICANS Moderateopposed to extreme views or measures.

The Political Party Spectrum DEMOCRATS Radical. Extreme or Revolution ary changes. Liberalsupports civil liberties, promotes social change. REPUBLICANS Moderateopposed to extreme views or measures. Conservative Tends to oppose change, favors traditional views and values.

The Political Party Spectrum Reactionary DEMOCRATS Radical. Extreme or Revolution ary changes. Liberal. Supports civil liberties, promotes social change. REPUBLICANS Moderate. Opposed to extreme views or measures. Conservative. Tends to oppose change, favors traditional views and values.

The Political Party Spectrum DEMOCRATS Radical. Extreme or Revolution ary changes. Liberalsupports civil liberties, promotes social change. REPUBLICANS Moderateopposed to extreme views or measures. Conservative -Tends to oppose change, favors traditional views and values. Reactionary Especially opposes progress or change.

The Political Party Spectrum DEMOCRATS Radical. Extreme or Revolution ary changes. Liberalsupports civil liberties, promotes social change. REPUBLICANS Moderateopposed to extreme views or measures. Conservative. Tends to oppose change, favors traditional views and values. Reactionary. Especially opposes progress or change. Most voters fall in the moderate range

A Brief History of Political Parties The first two political parties were the FEDERALISTS and the ANTIFEDERALISTS.

A Brief History of Political Parties This stemmed from the debate over the issues surrounding the ratification of the new Constitution (i. e. addition of the Bill of Rights)

A Brief History of Political Parties During the debate over slavery in the 1850’s two parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, began to form.

What About Third Parties? There is no law requiring any number of political parties.

What About Third Parties? Therefore, smaller “third parties” exist to introduce new ideas and concerns overlooked by the Democrats and Republicans.

What About Third Parties? They usually are tied to a single issue, political belief or candidate. Ex: The Green Party advocates environmental protection.

What About Third Parties? These parties tend to be found on the ends of the political spectrum. They usually are tied to a single issue, political belief or candidate.

What do Political Parties do? • Select and support candidates running for office. • Help candidates win elections by working for their campaigns.

What do Political Parties do? • Educate the electorate on campaign issues so that citizens can participate in the political process. • Monitoring actions of office-holders to make sure they are staying in line with party beliefs.

What do Political Parties do? • Carry messages to the government to support party ideologies.