Political Systems Political Parties Elections Interest Groups.

Political Systems

Political PartiesElections

Interest Groups

Essential Question

•What are the pros and cons of politics in American life?

Political Parties

• A group of people that seek to control the government by winning elections and holding public office

• Partisanship – the strong support of a party and what they stand for

What Parties Do

• Nominate Candidates• Inform and Activate

Supporters• “Bonding Agent”• Governing• Act as Watchdog

Two Party System

• History – Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

• Force of Tradition• Electoral System• Ideological

Consensus

Historic Party Time Periods

• Democratic 1800-1860– Started with the election of Jefferson and then

Jackson solidified support through the Civil War• Republican 1860-1932– Began with Lincoln and ran through the Progressive

Era – Elections of 1912 and 1964 turning points

• Democratic 1932-1968– Dominated by the Depression and Roosevelt’s New

Deal

Current System

• Era of Divided Government (1968- )– Back and forth on the

Presidency– Congress often

controlled by opposition party

– Split-Ticket Voting – voting for candidates from different parties on the same election ballot

Minor Parties

• Examples:• Libertarian• Green• Constitution• Socialist

• Four Types–Ideological–Single Issue–Economic

Protest–Splinter

Other Government Systems

• Multi Party System– Proportional

Representation

– Parliamentary Systems

– Coalition – an alliance of different groups/parties to form a majority

Voting and Elections

The Right to Vote

• Successful democratic government depends on the participation of its citizens through voting.

• The history of the United States has been marked by a steady expansion of the electorate through the elimination of restrictions on voting qualifications.

Expanding Franchise

• Property and religious tests eliminated by the mid 1800s

• 15th Amendment after the Civil War• 19th Amendment in 1920• The Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s• 26th Amendment

Limiting Participation

• Citizenship• Residence• Registration• Literacy• Tax Payment

Preclearance

• The Voting Right Act of 1965 • Requirements of only some states shown to

have discriminating voting patterns.• They must get federal government approval to

change anything about voting in their states.

Voter Behavior

• Low voter turnout is a serious problem in this country.

• Among those who do vote, sociological and psychological factors work together to influence voter behavior.

Voting Factors

• Non-Voting Factors– “Cannot-Voters” and efficacy (lack of feeling

influence)• Sociological Factors– Income/Occupation, Education, Gender/Age,

Religious/Ethnic Background, Geography and Family, Peers

• Psychological Factors– Party Identification, Candidates, and Issues

Running Elections

• Election Day – Polling places, absentee, and vote by mail

• Ballots – – Office Group vs. Party

Column

• Automated Voting• Online Voting?

The Nominating Process

Methods:• Caucus• Convention• Primary– Closed vs. Open– Top-two

The Formation of Public Opinion

• public opinion• noun

1. the attitude of the public, especially as a factor in determining the actions of government

• Family• Education• Mass Media• Peer Groups

Measuring Public Opinion

• Elections– Mandate – a claim of

approval for a course of action by elected officials.

• Personal Contact• Polling– Straw vs. Scientific

• Scientific Polling– Define Universe– Construct a Sample– Prepare Valid Questions– Interview– Report Findings

The Mass Media

Campaign Financing• Campaign finance

refers to all funds raised in order to promote candidates, parties, or policies.

Sources of Money

• Sources– Individuals (Small

Donors)–Wealthy

Individuals/Families

– Candidates– Political Action

Committees (PACs)

The Average Campaign

• For Congress costs: $1,700,000• For Senate costs: 10,500,000• For President costs 2012: – Obama Democrats

$1,107,114,702– Romney Republicans

$1,238,097,161

Campaign Finance Reforms

• Regulation FECA in 1972• Federal election

Commission– Public Disclosure– Limits/PACs

• Hard vs Soft Money• Citizens United v. Federal

Election Commission – The case has changed the nature of campaign finance…

Interest Groups

• They are Good – Stimulate interest– Bring people together– Provide information– Provide a way to get involved– Provide oversight– Compete with other groups

• They are Bad– Influence out of proportion to

their size– It is unclear who they really

represent– Run by an active minority of

the groups– Tactics undermine political

system norms…

• A group that seeks to influence public policy• Different than parties in making nominations, their focus, and

their scope

Types of Interest Groups

• Economic Interests– Business– Labor– Agriculture– Professional

• Others– Certain specific cause– Support a certain group– Religious organizations

Interest Groups at Work

• Providing information– Propaganda –

• Supporting candidates and parties– Through PACs and “Soft Money” – “Grass Roots” organizing

• Advocating policy positions – Lobbyist – a person who advocates for a particular

group through the legislative process