Political PartiesThe Two Main Parties

Political Parties

• Bryce “The Parties are two bottles, each having a label denoting the kind of liquor it contains, but each being empty”

Task

• Can you think of 3 areas where the political parties agree……clue, do not go into policy detail

Areas of Agreement

• 1) Protection of the Constitution• 2) Protecting America’s Status Quo• 3) The value of free enterprise and

individualism

Broad Appeal

• Brogan “All Republicans claim to be Democrats and all Democrats claim to be Republicans”

• Tend to offer a broad range of similar programmes and rarely does one party wholly unite against the other

• However, aside from Reagans ideological route there is a difference in style, degree and method

Task

• Following on from last years task

• Can you draw a typical Democrat?

A typical Democrat is:

• Ethnic minority• Trade Union Member• Working Class• Non-Protestant• Urban Dweller• Support Social Welfare• Favour regulation of big business• Support America as a leader of the free

world

Task

• Same method can you draw a typical Republican?

A typical Republican

• White• Male• Middle Class• College Educated• Protestant• Support law and order• Believe in limited Govt. intervention• Be wary of American involvement overseas• Believe in Big Business and Individualism

Far too simplistic, in truth Democrats are:

• White and Black• Working and Middle class• Urban and Rural dwellers

• Republicans have:• Business, professional and working

people• Small town religious fundamentalists

and some city agnostics

Task

• Can you come up with 5 policy areas where Democrats and Republicans may differ?

Specific Issues

• Abortion• Civil Rights• Affirmative Action• Role of Govt. in education• Anti-poverty• Welfare reform• Medical Care• Urban renewal• Defence spending

Research Task

• Can you find specific policies from the Republicans and the Democrats on each of the issues mentioned in the previous slide?

• Don’t forget the split is more likely to be Liberal vs Conservative

Policy Liberals Conservatives

Role of Govt A regulator of public interest

Free market solutions

Spending Disadvantaged Reduce spending

Taxes Tax the Rich! Keep taxes down

Abortion Pro-Choice Right to life

Affirmative Action

In favour Wary

Crime Causes rights of accused?

Tough on crime

School Prayer Opposed Infavour

Make-up if the Democratic Party

• The New Left• Represents minorities• Supports interventionalist policies to help the

disadvantaged

• Neo Liberals• Tax and spend policies

• Regulars• Governmental intervention in economic and

welfare matters

• Southerners (i.e. Bill Clinton / Al Gore)• A more Conservative stance• Pro free market

More to do with the Southerners

• Sympathetic to Civil Rights• Democratic Leadership Council

• Organise and co-ordinate the more centrist elements

• Progressive Policy Unit• A Washington think tank• Forum for debate on Policy• Has it’s own magazine ‘The New

Democrat’

THE REPUBLICANS

Some Common Republican themes

• Family – Support for family values• Organised Labour – Dislikes Unions• Minorities – Members tend to be the

pioneers, WASPs (White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant) and are suspicious of new arrivals

• Foreign Policy – Deeply isolationist, with strong commitment to Americanism and patriotic goals. Protecting Americas stautus

The New Right

The New Right

• “The Government is the problem” – Reagan

• Emphasis on the market economy, relaxation of business controls, hostility to trade unionism and aim for low taxation (all very well unless you’ve got a Cold War to pay for!!)

• Supports business, the death penalty and school prayer

• Opposes abortion, drugs and pornography

Task

• Can you see any similarities between Ronnie Reagans policies and those of Big Thatch?

• Can you think of any policies the Religious Right may follow?

The Religious Right

• Religious values are the cement which holds Society together

• Believes in: Compulsory reporting of AIDS carriers

• Mandatory teaching of creationism• Abolition of Abortion• Rejection of Gun control• Banning Roald Dahls “The Witches” in school

libraries• Exporting of convicts to Mexico

Pat Robertson – 700 club – SCARY!

• Says that Liberals believe that it is wrong to ridicule Hispanics, Blacks, the disabled, Women, Gays, but the liberals see Christians in the same light as Nazis!

• He believes the Women’s movement is Socialist, anti-family political movement, that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children and practice witchcraft oh and become Lesbians

• God does not want us to turn America over to radical feminists, militant homosexuals, profligate spenders or World Communists

Clinton Impeachment Trial

• Fortunately for world sanity the Religious Right ferociously chased Clinton, whose case was ultimately dismissed

• They have lacked power until 2004 election where they are credited (??) for re-electing Dubya

Main Make-up of the Republicans

• Economic Conservatives – Favour competition and free market

• Libertarian Right – Criticises increased role of Government, stressing freedom of the individual

• The Christian Right – Represents the hopes, fears and ahem prejudices of ‘ordinary’ white families from Small town or Suburban America

Task

• Can you work out who the following would vote for and why?

• Affluent Suburban voters• Farmers• Workers• Medics

• Easy…….yay we are getting somewhere!

Party Structures

• At a national level parties only come together once every Four years

• For the rest of the time parties are loose coalitions - Decentralisation

• The party is regulated at the state/local level

RNC/DNC – Republican and Democratic National Committees

• The main national organisation in each party

• Their job is stop the national party organisation falling away altogether

• Research / produce pamphlets / raise money

• Also clear up finances from presidential campaign and plan for the next convention

Reasons for Party weakness

20th Century impact

Resurgence of Parties because

Federal System Growth of Primaries Issues went off agenda

Seperation of powers

Development of mass media

PACs started working with parties

Broad Consensus New issues crossing party lines – Feminism etc.

Internal party reforms

Individualism Interest Groups and PACs

Support of candidates

Conclusion

• Parties are essential in any democracy• Organise elections, simplify process

and help translate choices to effective action

• Overall provide a link between voters and elected representatives

Question

• ‘Party decline’ or ‘Party renewal’? Do parties still play an important part in American politics?