Political Parties
an organization that seeks to achieve power by electing its members to public office
Interest Group
any organized group whose members share a common goal and try to promote their interests by influencing government policymaking and decision making
What Do Political Parties Do in a Democracy?
The main goal of parties is to get their candidates elected to office. Parties:
i. Recruit candidates and support campaigns
ii. Help organize elections and inform voters
iii. Organize the government
iv. Unite diverse interests and make collective action p
What do committees do?
Committees manage the affairs of the party at each level.
National Committee
National Chairperson
The national committee is made up of delegates from each state
A national chairperson oversees day-to-day operations of the committee and makes public appearances to raise support for the party and improve its chances in upcoming elections
What comes after the national committee? What is a precinct?
Each state has a central committee with a chairperson
Next comes county committees, and then sometimes city, town, or precinct committees
Precinct - a local voting district
What are ways for citizens to get involved in politics?
i. Voter registration
ii. Identifying with a party/registering to vote as a member of that party
iii. Donate money to a political party or its candidates
iv. Show their support using social media
v. Attend party rallies/meetings
vi. Volunteer to work on p
When the Constitution was written, no political parties existed in the U.S. Leaders begun to divide into _________.
factions - groups with different views, which soon led to political parties
Two-Party System
Our system of government, which is based on the two major parties.
Parties formed around two figures during _______'s administration.
President Washington
Alexander Hamilton and his followers were _______.
Federalists
Federalists
Favored a strong national government and drew their support largely from commercial and industrial interests in northern cities.
Thomas Jefferson and his supporters were __________.
Democratic-Republicans
Democratic-Republicans
Favored a much weaker national government and strong state governments (gained the backing of farmers and rural interests in southern states)
What happened when Democratic-Republicans dominated politics for a short time?
Members (disgruntled) broke off and formed the National Republican group which then became known as Democrats.
What happened when slavery divided the Whigs?
Their party soon fell apart. Many former Whigs joined with antislavery activists to form the Republican Party (established as second major party during the Civil War/Lincoln's presidency)
Red-States
Mainly in the southern and central parts of the country; majority voted Republican
Blue-States
Mainly in the Northeast and far West; majority voted Democratic
Republicans in the 21st Century
More likely to be white, male, and relatively affluent; more conservative
Democrats in the 21st Century
More likely to be a member of a minority group, female, and less affluent; more liberal
Log Cabin Republicans
Strongly support equal rights for gay and lesbians
Party views on the size of the national government
Democrats - support a strong federal government and look to it to solve many problems
Republicans - favor limiting the size of the national government and giving more power to the states to solve problems at a local level
Party views on taxes
Democrats - support tax cuts for the poor, but are more willing to raise taxes on affluent Americans in order to support programs that they see beneficial to society
Republicans - Favor broad-based tax cuts to encourage economic growth and to allow people
Party views on regulation of business
Democrats - support government regulation of business as a way to protect consumers, workers, or the environment
Republicans - oppose what they see as excessive business regulation by the government believing that too much regulation prevents economic gro
Party views on social issues
Democrats - support same-sex marriage rights, abortion, and gun control laws
Republicans - oppose legalizing same-sex marriage, abortion, and gun control laws
Party views on the environment
Democrats - favor strict environment regulation
Republicans - oppose strict regulations because they believe it hurts businesses and the economy
What are the 4 main types of third parties?
Single-Issue, Economic Protest, Ideological, and Splinter Groups
Single-Issue Party
groups that tend to focus on one issue
Economic Protest Party
parties who unite opponents of particular economic policies or conditions
Ideological Party
parties who look at politics and society through the lens of a distinct ideology, such as socialism
Who makes up the Moderate Middle?
Centrists and Independent Voters (10% of voters)
Special Interest Group
a group that seeks to influence policymaking and decision making to further its particular goals; the term special interest refers to a particular goal or set of goals that unites the members of a group
Why do many Americans distrust special interests?
They believe that these groups seek to achieve their goals at the expense of society as a whole; they think interest groups represent a selfish, corrupting force in U.S. politics
Who addressed interest group criticism in the Federalist Papers?
James Madison
Pluralism
the idea that political power should be distributed and shared among various groups in society
According to Madison, interest groups competing in a pluralistic society should act as a _________.
check on tyranny and make government more representative
In what ways do interest groups offer Americans a way to participate in the political process?
1. They present specialized info to government officials
2. They monitor government actions to ensure that the rights and interests of their members are protected
3. They help keep people informed about their government
4. Sometimes they influence the pol
Why Do People Join Interest Groups?
Some join for the information and benefits the groups offer
Many groups publish newsletters and host workshops and conferences for members
Some offer training that helps members qualify for higher-
paying jobs
Some join because they agree with the group's
AARP (American Association of Retired Persons)
a group for older Americans, provides information on federal health insurance benefits and prescription drug programs
AAA (American Automobile Association)
offers benefits in the form of emergency towing service and discounts on insurance and travel
Give an example of interest groups who attract people with similar goals.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) attracts people who want to protect animal habitats
Christian Coalition of America share religious and political beliefs
How Are Interest Groups Organized?
Interest groups have an elected board of directors or trustees who set policy
Also have both national and state chapters, and decide how the group's resources will be used
How Are Interest Groups Funded?
Funding methods vary
Economic/single-issue groups get most of their operating expenses from dues, membership fees, and direct mail fundraising campaigns
Some public groups get their funding from foundations or government grants
What do groups try to do during election campaigns?
Groups try to influence the government by contributing money to political parties/candidates during election campaigns.
Political Action Committees (PACs)
an organization that raises and distributes funds to candidates running for office; private groups sponsored by corporations, trade associations, unions, or other interest groups
Political Action Committees (PACs) are:
Allowed to collect donations and funnel that money into political campaigns
Donations come from employees or founding members of the group
The money raised/spent by PACs has grown
PAC campaign contributions give interest groups too much influence over ele
How Do Interest Groups Influence Policy?
Through campaign contributions, lobbying, research, litigation, and grassroots mobilization
Lobbying
An attempt to influence the policy process by persuading public officials to favor or oppose action on a specific issue
Lobbyists speak to members of Congress and their staff, testify before congressional committees, and offer comments at hearings held by
Research and policy proposals
Some interest groups do research and write policy proposals that support their goals
Think tanks
organizations of scholars/policy experts who study public issues and write articles/books that summarize their research; groups use these expert findings to influence gov. officials
Litigation
the bringing of lawsuits to influence policy
Grassroots mobilization
rallying strong and vocal support from a large group of people at the local level
16. What Makes an Interest Group Powerful?
a. Size and Money - groups succeed when they have large membership and substantial resources
b. Unity of purpose - commitment of members to the group's goals is important
c. Effective leadership - effective leaders can clearly express the group's message
Public Policy
gov. actions or programs designed to achieve certain goals
Multistep process
Gov. officials, policy experts, political parties, groups, and citizens take part in such policymaking
Public Agenda
set of public priorities