POLITICAL PARTIES INTRODUCTION

THIRD PARTIES

• Even if there are 7 other parties running against the two major parties, they are still referred to as a third party

• Believe neither party is meeting certain needs• 1. Single-issue party

– Focuses on one major social, economic, or moral issue– Short lived

• 2. Ideological party– Focuses on overall change rather than on an issue – EX. Socialist party, Libertarian Party. Communist Party

• 3. Splinter Party – Split away from another group – Ex. Teddy Roosevelt splitting the Republican Party to form the Progressive

IMPACT OF THIRD PARTIES

• Draw support away from one of the two major parties–Ex. T. Roosevelt’s Progressive Party split Republican

support and Democratic Woodrow Wilson was elected• Third parties often promote ideas that are at first unpopular

–Picked up by major parties later on

EXAMPLES OF THIRD PARTIES• America First Party• American Heritage Party• American Independent Party• American Nazi Party• Communist Party USA• Constitution Party• Family Values Party• Grassroots Party• Green Party• Independence Party• Labor Party• Libertarian Party• Light Party• Natural Law Party• The Third Party• Worker’s World Party

• Peace and Freedom Party• Prohibition Party• Reform party• The Revolution• Socialist Party, USA• Southern Independence Party• U.S. Pacifist Party• Veterans Party of America• We the People Party• Knights Party• Libertarian National Socialist Green

Party• Pansexual Peace Party• Pot Party• Constitutional Action Party• American Falangist Party• U.S. Marijuana Party

2 PARTY SYSTEM

• Two-Party System: Two parties compete with each other to run the government.– Party system of U.S.: Democrats and Republicans– Advantages: Continuity– Disadvantages: Minority parties (third parties) receive little

attention – focus is on two main parties

DEMOCRATIC PARTY The oldest political party

1792, when Jefferson founded the Democratic - Republican Party

initially opposed a strong central government

Andrew Jackson split party in two during his campaign/election in 1828

he believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution and limited government

Different today

“party of the People” - attract minorities, women, blue collar workers, immigrants

liberal stand, more active government role in people’s lives

especially when people are in need

Ex. FDR

REPUBLICAN PARTY

GOP - Grand Old Party

Founded in 1854 by Alvan E. Bovay

opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act

which would allow these new territories to choose whether or not they wanted to be slave or free

even though they lost the first election, later won with Abraham Lincoln by adding transcontinental railroad and free land to settlers to their platform

GOP TODAY

Conservative

Little government involvement

Lower taxes

Less government spending on social programs

little government intervention in business and the economy

WHAT DO PARTIES DO?

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