Development of Parties

Ch. 16, Sect. 1 (pg. 453)

Name: Date: Ch. 16, Sec. 1“Development of (Political) Parties”

Define 3 Key Terms (p. 453)

1.

2.

3.

Warm up

• Local State California Issues• 1.• 2.• 3.• Federal USA Issues• 1.• 2• 3.

What Is a Political Party?

• A political party is a group of citizens who agree on major issues facing the nation and work to create public policies that reflect their views.

• Parties choose, or nominate, people they want to elect to public office. These candidates campaign to get elected.

Parties Before the Civil War

(historical review)

• Parties first emerged when followers of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson disagreed over major issues on how the U.S. government should function.

• Hamilton—a “federalist”—championed a strong national government with a powerful chief executive and fully supported the Constitution.

• Jefferson’s group—the “anti-federalists”—called themselves the Democratic-Republicans. They feared a powerful central government and wanted more power and rights for the states.

Jackson’s Democrats• In the 1820s, the Democratic-Republicans split

into two factions.

• Farmers and small business owners—the “common men”—nominated Andrew Jackson in 1828 and called themselves the Democratic Party.

• Those who opposed Jackson formed their own party called the Whigs.

• The Whigs and Democrats would dominate American politics until the Civil War.

Lincoln’s Republicans

• In 1854, several Whigs, some Democrats and others who opposed the spread of slavery formed the Republican Party.

• The Republicans came to national power with the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln as president.

A Two Party System• Since the Civil War, the U.S. has basically had a two-

party system:

– The Democratic Party that formed

under Andrew Jackson in the 1820s

(donkey = strong-willed, smart & brave)

– The Republican Party that emerged

in the 1850s and 1860s with

Abraham Lincoln

(elephant = strong & dignified)

The Role of Third Parties• Any minor political party can be

called a “third party.”

• Third parties rarely win major elections, but occasionally win seats in Congress or lower offices.

• Third parties influence policy on one or more issues because they believe that neither major party meets their needs.

• Third parties can have a significant impact on the outcome of elections.

Ralph Nader, Green Party Candidate,

2000

The Impact of Third Parties

• In the late 1800s, many

ideas about worker’s rights

that became laws in the 20th

Century came from the

People’s Party, also known as the “Populists.”

• In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt split the Republicans when he formed the Progressive or “Bull Moose” Party. This split the Republican votes, helping Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson win the election.

The Impact of Third Parties (Con’t)

• The Reform Party of Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot was a force in 1992 and 1996, which may have helped elect Bill Clinton.

• Many believe George Wallace, of the American Independent Party swayed the 1968 election in Republican Richard Nixon’s favor.

• Running as a Green Party candidate, many attribute former VP Al Gore’s loss to George W. Bush in 2000 to Ralph Nader.

Obstacles to Third Parties

• Third parties find it difficult to compete financially against the major parties.

• In our single-member district system, only one member is selected for each district. Most voters support a major party, so winners are usually Democrats or Republicans.

• Third-party candidates must show they have support by getting a large number of voter signatures for their names to be placed on the ballot for national office.

U.S. Political Parties Today• Democrats are generally seen

as liberal and typically feel that the federal government has a responsibility to help the poor through government intervention.

• Republicans are generally viewed as conservative and usually believe that leaving the economy alone will allow for growth, giving people greater ability to help themselves with less regulation.

• Many view both major parties today as increasingly centrist, with similar political platforms.

Congressional Quarterly’s pg 455

• Answer the Critical Thinking Question!

• Congressional Quarterly’s page 456

• Answer the Critical Thinking Question

Questions to Answer

Section 1 Assessment, Pg. 457:

#1

#4

#5