Smallest Political Quiz Examine the following 10 statements. Respond with Y if you agree, M for maybe or sometimes, and N if you disagree. Smallest.

• Libertarians are self-governors in both personal and economic matters. They believe government's only purpose is to protect people from coercion and violence. They value individual responsibility, and tolerate economic and social diversity.

• Centrists favor selective government intervention and emphasize practical solutions to current problems. They tend to keep an open mind on new issues. Many centrists feel that government serves as a check on excessive liberty.

• Liberals prefer self-government in personal matters and central decision-making on economics. They want government to serve the disadvantaged in the name of fairness. Leftists tolerate social diversity, but work for economic equality.

• Authoritarians want government to advance society and individuals through expert central planning. They often doubt whether self-government is practical. Left-authoritarians are also called socialists, while fascists are right-authoritarians.

• Conservatives prefer self-government on economic issues, but want official standards in personal matters. They want the government to defend the community from threats to its moral fiber.

Who Speaks for You?Who Speaks for You?

5 BASIC FUNCTIONSOF PARTIES

1. Select & support candidates2. Inform the public3. Carry the message of the people to

government4. Act as a watchdog over government

activities5. Serve as link between different levels

& branches of government

THE BREAKDOWN

• The presidency has usually switched back and forth between Democrats & Republicans

• Congress has usually been Democratic

American Politics Today• Democrats usually feel that the federal

government has a responsibility to help the poor through government intervention.

• Democrats are generally seen as liberal.• Republicans hold the view that leaving the

economy alone will allow for growth, giving people greater ability to help themselves. They believe in less regulation.

• Republicans are viewed as being conservative.

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

• Traditionally appeals to workers, Catholics, minorities, union members, & those involved in social policies

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

• Traditionally businesspeople, Protestants, those against government involvement

Candidates

In General…

Control No Control

Democrat $ Personal Issues

Republican

Personal Issues

$

LIBERALS believe in governmental action to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all, and that it is the duty of the State to alleviate social ills and to protect civil liberties and individual and human rights.  Believe the role of the government should be to guarantee that no one is in need.  Believe that people are basically good.  Liberal policies generally emphasize the need for the government to solve people's problems.

CONSERVATIVES believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense.  Believe the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals.   Conservative policies generally emphasize empowerment of the individual to solve problems

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN PARTIES

Personal Rights & Freedoms

Good Education

Decent Living

Protect the Nation

Preserve the Environment

Help Citizens

The parties just differ in how they want to achieve these goals

SYSTEM EXPLANATION ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE EXAMPLE

1 Party •Must win a Plurality(more votes in the legislature than anyone else) •Plurality ≠ Majority•1 Party = 1 Government

•Very efficient •Dictatorship, total control lies on one person or party•NO opposition •NO freedoms

•China (4%) •Cuba•North Korea

2 Party •2 major parties that exchange power and participate together

•Very stable•Appeals to the masses•avoids extreme measures or ideas

•Snuffs out 3rd parties •USA•UK•Spain

Multi-Party

•Must win a majority (>½ of the votes)•Coalitions form to gain majority votes.

More parties can compete

•Unstable government because of the wide variety and changes between terms

•Germany•Israel•Japan

IN REVIEW

• Which political system has more than two parties?

• 50% of the votes plus one would be a ______ vote.

• Another word for an alliance is ___________.

IN REVIEW

• A ___________ has total control of a country

• The United States has a _______ party system,

• Two major American parties are _________ & _____________

VOTING

& ELECTIONS

Voting is the only time that citizens can directly bring

about change in government

Voting

Qualifications:

•At least 18

•State resident/ US citizen

•registered

Voting

All who vote in an election are called the electorate

Voting

Factors limiting voters:

1.Mental Hospital Inmates

2.Convicts

3.Those not yet meeting state requirements

Voting In The Past

Poll Taxes or Literacy tests against African Americans

Literacy Test was a test given to prove that the voter could read and write and understand public issues

APATHY?

WHO CARES?

Lack of interest

HERE’S WHY

Gives citizens a chance to choose their government leaders and a chance to voice their opinions of politicians and issues

NOMINATING PROCESS

•Caucus: political parties meet to conduct party business & nominate candidates

•Primary Election: held among party members to nominate candidates

•Closed Primary: only declared party members can vote

•Open Primary: voters do not have to register with a party

FUNDING

•Takes money to pay for the stickers, buttons, ads and posters

•For president: estimated $400 million

•Private funding (10%)

•Political Action Committees, PACs,(25%)

•PACs are fund raising groups established by special interest groups

POLLS

•Polling places: locations where votes are cast

•Voting for one single party is called a straight ticket and voting for different parties is called a split ticket

•A voter who cannot get to the polls on election day can use an absentee ballot

•Exit poll: media asks as you leave

GENERAL ELECTIONS

•Held on the Tuesday after the 1st Monday of November

•For all elections except the presidential race, the candidate winning the majority of popular vote wins

•Popular vote: votes cast directly by the people

GENERAL ELECTIONS

•In a presidential race, the voters actually vote for electors who hold electoral votes and are part of the Electoral College system.

•# of Senators + # of Representatives = # of Electoral Votes

•If a Rep. candidate wins the popular vote for a state then the Rep. electoral voters cast their vote from that state for that candidate and the Dem. electoral voters don’t cast a vote

GENERAL ELECTIONS

•This is known as the “winner take all” system

•States population determines # of electoral votes

•538 in all

•270 or more wins electoral vote

GENERAL ELECTIONS

•A candidate might win 5 or 6 small states but still not win because the other candidate wins one large state like Texas.

•You can lose the popular vote but win the election.

•Announce Jan 6

GENERAL ELECTIONS

•If no one is identified as receiving a majority by November, the House can pick the president and the Senate can pick the VP

•Electors will not pick candidate other than their party

•If they did, they would be called a “faithless elector” (never been prosecuted)

VOTING ON ISSUES

•Sometimes you vote on issues too

•An initiative is a method by which citizens propose laws or state ammendments

•This is done by circulating a petition asking for the new law or proposition

•A referendum allows voters to approve or reject a law already passed

SPECIAL ELECTIONS

•Runoffs –held when no candidate receives majority

• A recall is held to vote an official out of office

QUIZ 1

•What is receiving at least 50% plus one vote called?

•What is receiving more votes than anyone else called?

•What kind of party system does the US have?

•What are the major US parties?

QUIZ 2

1.What was the 1st political party in the United States?

2.Who was the 1st president elected from the Republican Party?

3.What president won 4 consecutive terms?

QUIZ 2

Voting for one single party is called a 1_________ ticket, whereas voting for different parties is called a 2_________ ticket.

3As you leave the polls, the media might take an _______ poll, asking you how you voted.

QUIZ 3

1. Catholic is to Democrat as Protestant is to ______________

2. Each city or county is divided Each city or county is divided into election districts or into election districts or ____________________

3. 3. A party’s statement of goals A party’s statement of goals and positions on various public and positions on various public issues is called a issues is called a ____________________

• Famous people such as movie stars, rock stars, or sports figures

• If people admire the person maybe they will admire the candidate too

• Presents only one side of an issue by distorting the facts

• A group supporting nuclear power might only present facts making nuclear power look safe

• Convincing people that everyone else agrees with your viewpoint and that everyone else is going to vote for you

• A statement that sounds good but is generally meaningless

• “Return to family values”

• Used and misused• Candidate might salute a flag at

every event to look more patriotic

Straw Man• Something

bad that everybody can be against—but it has very little to do with the candidate.

Ad hominem attack

• Attacking the person, rather than his platform

Plain Folks

• I was a band geek just like you.

“I Support Education”

-Candidate

“I believe that Congresswoman Hart is the person for the job!”

“Everybody’s voting for Hart; how

‘bout you?”

“She’s proud to be an American

and proud to serve you and her country”