American Government and Elections November 2012

The Democrats

• The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States along with the Republican Party. The party supports a social liberal, social democratic and progressive platform,[1][2][3] and its Congressional caucus is composed ofprogressives, liberals, centrists,[4] and left-libertarians. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous operation in the United Statesand is one of the oldest political parties in the world.[5]

• Current President of the United States Barack Obama is the 15th Democrat to hold that office

• The Democratic Party evolved from Anti-Federalist factions that opposed the fiscal policies ofAlexander Hamilton in the early 1790s. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison organized these factions into the Democratic-Republican Party. The party favored states' rights and strict adherence to the Constitution; it opposed a national bank and wealthy, moneyed interests. The Democratic-Republican Party ascended to power in the election of 1800.

Democrats• To combat the rise of the Federalist agenda of the federal government in the late 1780s,

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison led a breakaway faction to form a rival political party known as the United States Democratic-Republican Party. Three decades later, the Party crumbled under the weight of two opposing factions, leading to the formation of the Andrew Jackson-influenced Democratic Party. It has since become one of, if not the oldest surviving political organization in the country.

• The center left party currently has the largest number of registered voters in the country at 72 million.

• The Democratic Party advocates social liberalism grounded in modern progressivism.

• Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include a social foundation. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education

while simultaneously expanding civilrights Former Democratic Presidents: Jackson (1829-1837), Van Buren (1837-1841), Polk (1845-1849), Pierce (1853-1857), Buchanan (1857-1861), Johnson(1865-1869), Cleveland (1885-1889/1893-1897), Wilson (1913-1921), F.D. Roosevelt (1933-1945), Truman (1945-1953), Kennedy (1961-1963), Johnson (1963-1969), Carter (1977-1981), Clinton (1993-2001), Obama (2009-present) 

Barack Obama

• Born in Hawaii in 1961. His father was from Kenya and mother from Kansas.

• First black U.S President and former senator of the state of Illinois

• Studied at Harvard University

• Member of Protestant religion

Platform/What they promise• Increase border security • Deepen cooperation on economy and trade with China• Withdraw troops over the next two years from Afghanistan• Rebalance defense capabilities for the 21st century• Strengthen military partnerships and alliances• Approve Same Sex Marriage• Pro-Choice• Believes in Climate Change• Legalize Medical Marijuana• Provide tax cuts for middle class and working class Americans • Protect and strengthen Social Security

Republicans• The Republican Party (also called GOP (for "Grand Old Party")) is

one of the two major political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery activists in 1854, it dominated politics nationally for most of the period 1860-1932. 18 presidents have been Republicans. The most recent Republican president was George W Bush.

• Currently the party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S. political spectrum.[1

• Economic conservatives and libertarians favor small government, low taxes, limited regulation, and free enterprise. Social conservatives see traditional social values as threatened by secularism; they tend to support school prayer and oppose abortion and the legalization of same-sex marriage.[3] Neoconservatives want to expand American ideals throughout the world and show a strong support for Israel.[4

Mitt Romney

• Former Governor of Massachusetts

• 64 years old

• Member of the Mormon religion

• Studied at Harvard University

Platform/What they promise• Make American businesses competitive in the global economy• Open markets abroad, on fair terms, for American goods and services• Ban Same-Sex Marriage• Pro-life• Does not believe in Climate Change• Modernize air and naval forces, weapons systems, and equipment including the

nuclear arsenal• Grow the number of troops and ensure that funds go to their needs and care• Bring troops home as soon as possible, according to orders of U.S.

generals• Increase regulations on Chinese businesses involved in the U.S.-China

trading relationship• Condemn China's one-child policy• Oppose resident college tuition and driver's licenses for illegal immigrants• Eliminate chain reaction of families immigrating to join their family member

who is a citizen• Allow Death Penalty

New Kind of Conservative Party• A new element of conservatism was the Tea Party movement of 2009–

present, a populist grass-roots movement comprising over 600 local units angry at the government and at both major parties.[180] Many units have promoted activism and protests.[181] The stated purpose of the movement has been to stop what it views as wasteful government spending, excessive taxation, and strangulation of the economy through regulatory bureaucracies. 

• The Tea Party movement is an American political movement that advocates strict adherence to the United States Constitution,[1] reducing U.S. government spending and taxes,[2][3][3] and reduction of the U.S. national debt and federal budget deficit.[2] The movement is generally considered to be partly conservative,[4][5] partly libertarian,[6][7] and partlypopulist.[8][9][10] The movement has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009.

YOUR TURN TO VOTE!

• http://2012-presidential-candidates.findthedata.org/compare/1-5/Barack-Obama-vs-Mitt-Romney

• Gives a side by side comparison of the candidates

Basics of American Government System

• 3 Branches of Government: Judicial, Executive, and Legislative

Legislative Branch• Legislative Branch makes the laws of the USA and is composed of

the House of Representatives and Senate which form “Congress”• The primary duty of Congress is to write, debate, and pass bills,

which are then passed on to the president for approval.• The Constitution grants Congress "all legislative powers" in the

national government. Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution lists a wide range of congressional powers, including:

• Coining money.• Maintaining a military.• Declaring war on other countries.• Regulating interstate and foreign commerce.

• 435 members of the House • 100 members of the Senate

Judicial Branch

• The judicial branch of government is established in Article III of the Constitution with the creation of the Supreme Court. This court is the highest court in the country and is empowered with the judicial powers of the government. 

• There are 9 Supreme Court judges, appointed/chosen by the President

Executive Branch

• Composed of the President and President’s “Cabinet”• Because he has so much responsibility, the President,

along with the Vice-President, is the only official elected by the entire country. Not just anyone can be President, though. In order to be elected, one must be at least 35 years old. Also, each candidate must be a natural-born U.S. citizen and have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years. When elected, the President serves a term of four years. The most one President can serve is two terms, for a total of eight years.

• President approves or vetoes the laws written by Congress

Constitution of the USA

• Preamble: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,[note 1] promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Bill of Rights• Amendment 1: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of

religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

• Amendment 2: A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

• Amendment 3: No Soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

• Amendment 4: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

•

Bill of Rights • Amendment 5: No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime,

unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, expect in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb, nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.

• Amendment 6: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed; which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defence.

• Amendment 7: In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

• Amendment 8: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

• Amendment 9: The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

• Amendment 10: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.