TSW: View a short clip and explore online resources in order to describe the role of political parties in the US political system.

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• TSW View a short clip and explore online
  resources in order to describe the role of
  political parties in the US political system.
• Warm Up What do each of the following symbols
  represent? (Hint Were talking political parties
  today)

2
Political Parties

• Local, State, and National Government
• Chapter 16

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A Political Party

• a group of people with broad common interests
  who organize to win elections, control
  government, and influence government policies.

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Party Systems

• One-Party Systems
• Authoritarian governments
• Theocracy
• Multi-Party Systems
• Most common form of party system
• Politically Unstable

• Two-Party Systems
• Least common form of party system
• Example United States

5
Growth of American Parties

• 1789 Federalists vs. Democratic-Republican
• 1828 Dem-Repslit into National Republican
  (Whig) vs. Democrat
• 1860 Whig Party becomes Republican
• In essence, both modern political parties
  (Democratic and Republican) have their roots
  during the Civil War era.

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Modern Political Parties
The Democratic Party
The Republican Party AKA The Grand Old Party (GOP)
www.democrats.org
www.gop.com
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Role of Minor Parties

• Third Party
• any party other than one of the two major parties
• Examples Constitution, Green, Socialist
• Impact of Third Parties? draw votes from major
  parties bring attention to issues
• Obstacles to Third Parties
• Getting on ballot
• Single-member districts
• Financing

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Political Party Organization

• Precinctvoting district
• Wardseveral adjoining precincts
• County Committeeconsists of several wards
• State Central Committeecomposed of reps from
  county organizations
• National Committeecomposed mainly of reps from
  50 state party organizations

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Functions of the Political Party

• Recruiting Candidatesseek out and support people
  they feel can be elected
• Educating the Publicraise public awareness as to
  important issues
• Operating Governmentrun and staff government
• Dispensing Patronagefavors given to reward party
  loyalty
• Loyal Oppositionparty out of power assumes role
  of watchdog over government
• Reduction of Conflictmoderate policies adopted
  to attract approval of many differing factions.

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Nominating Candidates

• Caucusesprivate meetings of party leaders who
  gather to select candidates 19 states use this
  method today
• Nominating Conventionsofficial public meeting of
  a party to choose candidates for office
• Primary Electionselection in which voters select
  candidates to run
• Closed primary? only members of a political party
  can vote
• Open primary? all voters may participate
• Petitiona person announces his/her candidacy and
  files petitions that a specified number of voters
  have signed in order to be placed on the ballot

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Learning Log
Extra Credit

• Exploring todays major parties online? Use the
  guide sheet go to online and answer questions
  about the Democratic and Republican parties.

• Which method for selecting candidates (Chapter
  16-3) is most fair in your opinion? Explain your
  choice.