REPUBLICANS VS. DEMOCRATS

1
American Political Parties

• REPUBLICANS VS. DEMOCRATS

2
History

• Opposing political parties first appeared during
  the debate over ratifying the Constitution
• Federalists vs. Anti-Fed.
• Tradition Continues
• Platforms have changed
• Jefferson (Democrat but Republican today)
• Civil Rights Movement
• Two party domination continues today
• Republicans vs. Democrats

3
Third Party?

• American history has seen brief formations of
  third parties
• Populist Party
• Progressive Party
• Bull Moose Party
• None of them have stuck
• 3rd Parties today
• Green Party
• U.S. Marijuana Party
• Libertarian Party
• Tea Party

4
Party Platform

• A political party platform is a list of actions
  which a party supports in order to appeal to a
  general public for the purpose for having their
  candidate voted into office
• Often deals with controversial topics
• Each topic is called a plank
• Abortion, Defense spending, etc.

5
SoWhats the difference?

• Republican Elephant

• Democratic Donkey

6
The Republican Platform (GOP)

• Social Conservatives
• Laissez-Faire economics
• Fiscal Conservatism
• Lower taxes for ALL
• Personal responsibility over welfare programs
• Notable Republicans
• Ronald Reagan
• George Bush (both)
• Dwight Eisenhower
• Rush Limbaugh Glenn Beck (TV/Radio)

• Voter Base
• Financial Sector, low black vote, high income,
  military, higher ed. but few professors, older,
  straight, church goers, South, Midwest, Mountain
  West.

7
The Democratic Platform

• Social Liberalism
• Social Democracy
• Greater Federal Govt Intervention
• Progressive Taxation
• Different tax rates for different tax brackets
• Larger government to serve peoples needs
• Notable Democrats
• Bill Clinton
• Franklin Roosevelt
• John F. Kennedy
• Keith Olbermann Rachel Maddow (TV)

• Voter Base
• Young professionals, academia, organized labor,
  working class, women, LGBT, Minorities,
  Northeast, Great Lakes, and West Coast

8
Media Bias

• Media has power to set cultural standards and
  shape political discourse
• Media has challenge to be accurate and fair
• Determining Bias
• Sources?
• Diversity?
• Whos point of view?
• Double Standards?
• Unchallenged Assumptions?
• Loaded Language?

9
News Reporter vs. News Commentator

• News Reporter
• Present the news
• Little Bias because they give no opinion
• Ex Walter Cronkite, Local News, Ron Burgandy

• News Commentator
• Presents news from certain view point
• Mixes opinion into coverage
• Not necessarily their opinion
• May use propaganda (stats and info to influence
  people to support position)
• Entertainers
• Ex Bill OReilly,, Keith Olbermann, Rush
  Limbaugh