AKS 26aAKS 26aIdentify and define political Identify and define political parties and their purposeparties and their purpose

Socialist green party

libertarian

Political PartiesPolitical Parties• Groups of people who seek to control

government through the winning of offices in elections.

• Also people joined together on the basis of common principles.

Major Political PartiesMajor Political Parties• RepublicanRepublican- having the supreme power the supreme power lying in the body body

of citizens entitled to vote for officers and representatives of citizens entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them or characteristic of such government; "the responsible to them or characteristic of such government; "the United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government"- United States Constitution. republican form of government"- United States Constitution. Represented by the elephant.Represented by the elephant.

• DemocratDemocrat- one who believes in democracy as a principle; a person who believes in the political or social equality of all people. Represented by the donkey.

4 Distinct Types of Minor 4 Distinct Types of Minor PartiesParties

• Ideological Parties- Parties based on a particular set of beliefs.

• Single-Issue Parties- Parties which focus on one public-policy matter.

• Economic Protest Parties- Have been rooted primarily in periods of economic discontent.

• Splinter Parties- Parties which break from major parties, and create new sects.

Minor PartiesMinor Parties

• Socialist Labor Party(1891)- Marxist party,; seeks ”class-less society” based on collective ownership of industries and “social servants.”

• Socialist USA(1900)- Staunchly anti-communist ; advocates democratic socialism; seeks a “non-racist, feminist, socialist society.”

• Communist USA(1919)- promotes

communist ideology; seeks complete restructuring of American economic institutions.

• Libertarian(1971)- Stresses individual; opposes taxes, foreign involvements, and government intrusion into private lives.

More Minor PartiesMore Minor Parties• Constitution(1992)- anti-tax, strong pro-life, pro-

school prayer, opposes: gun control, immigration, gay rights, the UN.

• Reform(1995)- Advocates trade agreements to protect American jobs, balance budgets, taxes and electoral reforms, and term limits.

• Green Party Of the USA(1996)- committed to “environmentalism”, non violence, social justice, and grass-roots democracy.

• America’s First(2002)- Splinter from the reform party; promotes Christian beliefs, opposes immigration, and free trade.

26b26b

Socialist green party

libertarian

VICTORY!!!!!!!!!! LOSER!!!!!!!!!!

StructureStructure• The structure of both major parties

at the national level has four basic elements.

• These are national convention, the national committee, the national chairperson, and the congressional campaign committees.

National ConventionsNational Conventions

• The national convention meets in the summer of every presidential election year and introduces the vice-presidential candidate.

• It also performs some other functions like the adoption of the party’s rules and the writing of its platform.

National CommitteeNational Committee

• The National Committee is composed of committee people from every state; on paper the committee appears very powerful but really it isn’t.

National ChairpersonNational Chairperson• The National Chairperson is the

leader of the national committee;

• The National Chairperson directs the party’s headquarters

• Is responsible for promoting party unity, raising money, recruiting new voters, and preparing for the next election.

Congressional Campaign CommitteeCongressional Campaign Committee

• The congressional campaign committee’s job is to make sure that seats given up by retiring party members remain in the party

• Some campaigns try to unseat people from the other party.

State LevelState Level• At the state and local levels the

structure is largely set by the state.• At the State level the party is

centered around a State central committee which is headed by a State chairperson.

• Together the chairperson and the central committee work to further the party’s interests in the state, build party unity, funding candidates and campaign funds.

Local LevelLocal Level• At the local level the party

structures vary from one place to the next and usually follow the electoral map of the State.

• Each district has a party unit which all the offices are filled from congressional and legislative districts to the precincts.