Political Parties
Harleigh White
Building our future together, one Political Party at a time
History
In George Washington's farewell address, he warned against the effects that political parties would bring. The first two major political parties were the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. Alexander Hamilton was the leader of the Federalists and his opponent was Thomas Jefferson who was the leader of the Democratic-Republicans. From those two parties, the Democratic and Republican parties grew, which led to the formation of third parties which can consist of independent voters.
Role of Political Parties
Run Candidates for Political Office
- Parties select candidates for positions in American politics
- Some voters even choose a straight ticket, or candidates from the same party for all positions in that election
Checking the other Party
- Party leaders can criticize the actions of a President who was elected by the opposite party
- Partisanship comes from this party role
Informing the Public
- Discussions with in parties help to inform citizens about important issues and present different ways of solving social problems
Organizing the Government
- State legislatures and Congress are both organized by political parties
- Legislative Representatives support their party's position regarding specific social/economic issues
Characteristics of Political Parties
General Characteristics
- Parties agree on some issues and programs for the society in order to promote the collective good
- Parties try to sway people to get them to understand how the party they belong to is better than the others
- Parties are known for what they stand for which supports the interests that it seeks
Republican
- The Republican party supports a conservative platform which includes a small government and low taxes, pro-business regulations, pro-life and anti-gay rights, and individual responsibility
Democrat
- The Democratic party has a more liberal or progressive platform that includes strong federal programs to help the poor, strong environmental regulations, and pro-choice and gay rights
Third Parties
- American Third Parties promote concepts and and policies that are important parts of our social lives
- Those that are members typically don't agree with the majority of the ideologies of members of the republican or democratic parties
AIN'T NO PARTY LIKE A POLITICAL PARTY!
Kid President - Guide To Being A Party
CItations
- http://www.ushistory.org/gov/5a.asp
- http://www.preservearticles.com/2012030424905/what-are-the-main-features-of-a-political-party.html
- http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/politicalsystem/a/thirdparties.htm
- http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2015/03/andrew-gripp-why-we-need-political-parties-and-more-of-them/