Federal
Government 2305--Web
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LECTURE NOTES
POLITICAL PARTIES
Define
a Political Party & its Basic Function:
Political parties are organizations which run candidates for
office. They want to run
government from the inside. (Interest groups try to influence it from the
outside by
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Democratic Party
The Democratic Party evolved from the Jeffersonian Republican Party. The Jeffersonian Republican Party was founded on the principles of a limited national government, participation of the common man, and the belief that the American farmer was the backbone of American society, and thus , advocated policies to benefit the farm class.
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Republican Party
In 1856 the Republican Party was established and their major issue became their opposition to slavery. Thus, they drew most of their support from the North and Midwest and found little support in the South. The South then became a strong one-party Democratic region.
Compare
the current democratic and Republican parties on the following aspects:
a.
Ideology
b.
Issues
c.
Group support
d.
Images
e.
Geographical areas
|
REPUBLICAN |
DEMOCRATS |
|
Most Republicans are moderate to conservative major
issues are: Strong Military Defense Reducing Crime conservative strategy. use tougher penalties & death penalty Abortion- Pro Life.
|
Most Democrats are
moderate to liberal.
major
issues are: Equality for blacks and other minorities Equality for women. Abortion pro choice |
|
Group supporters (Types of Voters) |
|
|
Republicans: |
Democrats: |
|
The
more educated Higher
income White
collar and professional. Conservatives Males Older voters Businesses, white collar professionals Anglos Protestants Born-again evangelical Christians Rural
areas and small cities, and suburbs Mountain, Plains, Sunbelt, Midwest states.
|
Grade
school graduate the less educated Lower
income Blue
Collar Workers & Union Members. Liberals Females
(The gender gap) Younger voters Union members, blue collar workers Minorities Catholics & Jews Urban
and inner city voters East and West coast, Northeast and South. (South is gradually becoming less Democratic and more 2-party or slightly Republican.)
|
|
Images (the Democratic Party Perspective): |
|
| Republicans are: (negative images) |
Democrats are:(positive images) |
|
1.
dominated by big business 2.
dominated by wealthy 3.
economic conservative anti worker 4.
conservative-tied to status quo afraid to change 5.
party of the Depression 6.
insensitive to poor 7.
Radical Rights, ultra conservative
|
1.
For the little man & common people 2.
Party of minorities, equality for all 3.
Progressive party 4.
Party of the poor and under privileged 5. Party of social programs 6. Party with a social conscience |
|
Images
(The Republican Party Perspective) |
|
|
Republicans are :(positive images) |
Democrats
are: (negative images)
|
|
1.
Free enterprise 2. Individualism 3.
Laissez
faire less government 4.
Middle
of the road- moderate 5. Fiscal restraint lower taxes & spending 6. Strong defense, peace 7. Family values
|
1. dominated
by labor unions 2. dominated by minorities 3. radical liberal big spenders party 4. party that promises anything to win 5. Party of war. 6. Ultra liberal, leftist party
|
HISTORY,
CONTRIBUTIONS, AND LACK OF SUCCESS OF THIRD PARTIES
4
types of third parties:
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· Single Issue Third Party: Formed because they feel two major parties are ignoring a key issue. Liberty and Free Sol
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· Economic Protest Third Parties: People feel left out of prosperity of the country. Farmers and Laborers.
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· Secessionist Third Parties: Formed by major political Leaders who Temporarily Drop out of their party and form a third party and use it to vent frustrations over things being done. Teddy Bull Noose. Lafont Progressive.
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· Ideological Third Parties: Formed by people who feel the two major parties is not dealing with major issues in American Society. Demanding Drastic changes in American Society. Ex Communist, Socialist Laborers. Socialist, Libertarian. Would rather stick to their philosophy and lose than compromise their principles and win.
Benefits
of third parties
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· Third parties have forced major parties to deal with issues they wanted to ignore.
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· Have represented ignored groups in society
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· Raised ignored issues
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· Kept the other two parties on their toes.
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· Act as a safety valve in our political system. Reduces Violence.
Reasons
Third Parties Have Not Been Successful
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· Not viable party why waste their vote.
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· Not a popular issue.
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· The larger parties steal issue from them. Ross Perott and the balanced budget.
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· Radical Image always fighting against a distorted image
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· Poor Lack of money.
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· Lack of Media Coverage frivolous candidate
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· Often their issues are too narrow. Dont affect a wider audience.
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· Election Rules have been deliberately written against them.
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