Political Parties

1
Political Parties

• Magruders American Government
• Chapter 7

2
Organization of Parties
3
The Role of Parties in Politics

• Select candidates
• Raise funds
• Conduct campaigns
• Identify important issues
• Monitor the party in power

4
The Political Spectrum
5
The MAJOR Parties--US

• Democrats

• Republicans

• Derived from American Federalists (Hamilton)
• Liberal or left
• Larger Government (more national power)
• Barack Obama and Joe Biden
• Mark Warner

• Derived from Anti-Federalists (Jefferson)
• Conservative or right
• Smaller Government (more state power)
• John McCain and Sarah Palin
• Jim Gilmore

6
Third Parties in the US

• Minor parties not supported by a majority of
  voters in the US
• What role can these smaller parties play in major
  elections like the one next Tuesday?

7
Significant Minor Parties
8
Major Party Platforms

• SMALL GROUP ASSIGNMENT
• In your group, you will examine one issue that
  appears in both the Democratic and Republican
  Party Platforms this election year.
• You will create a Venn Diagram where you
  compare/contrast the two parties on this issue.
• We will compile the information into a chart
  after each group shares its information.