WARM-UP
Do you think we need we need a third major party
in the U.S. to provide another option in elections?
Do the current Republicans and Democrats do an
adequate job of representing the American people?
Explain your answer.
WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF POLITICAL
PARTIES IN THE U.S.?
• Nominate Candidates/Manage Campaigns
• Choose and support candidates during elections and in office
• Inform and Activate Supporters
• Educate the public, inspire voters
• Connects the people with their government (linkage institution)
• Govern
• Make laws/policy decisions
• Serve on committees and in leadership positions.
• Serve as Watchdog
• Provides accountability- the minority party criticizes the decisions of the
party in power.
TWO-PARTY SYSTEM
• In the U.S., we have two major parties and many minor
parties.
• Major Parties: parties with significant political
control; in the U.S., the Republicans and the Democrats.
• Minor Parties: parties without wide voter support.
• Even though we have many minor parties, only two parties
have a realistic chance of winning elections.
OTHER PARTY SYSTEMS
• Multi-party system: Several major parties
have a realistic chance of winning elections
(Most popular model in democracies around the
world)
• One-party system: Only
one party is allowed, essentially
a dictatorship with no other
options.
POLITICAL IDEOLOGY
• Political Ideology: a set of beliefs about politics, public policy,
and the role of government.
• Your ideology will guide you to a political party. Conservatives tend
to join the Republican Party and liberals tend to join the Democrats.
• If you don’t support either major party, minor parties are an option.
How did the Two-Party System
HISTORY Begin?
• Began with the natural division between
the Federalists and Anti-Federalists
(eventually Democratic Republicans)…
but there is no mention of parties in the
Constitution.
• George Washington warned against
parties, but they developed anyway.
• Parties have realigned, changed names,
and we have even seen the collapse of
certain parties, but two major parties
continue to compete in our political
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=u7JBXja7SAY
system.
POLITICAL PARTY ERAS
• There have been 4 major eras of U.S. political parties.
• During the first 3 eras, one party dominated elections.
• Democrats (1800-1860)
• Republicans (1860-1932)
• Democrats (1932-1968)
• However, today we are in an era of divided
government, where power constantly shifts back and
forth between parties.
• Been in place since 1968
DIVIDED GOVERNMENT: 1968 TO TODAY
• 1968: Richard Nixon Elected (Rep)
• 1974: Nixon was succeeded by Gerald Ford (Rep)
• 1976: Jimmy Carter Elected (Dem)
• 1980,1984: Ronald Reagan Elected (Rep) What factors
contributed to
• 1988: George H.W. Bush Elected (Rep)
the shifts we
• 1992, 1996: Bill Clinton Elected (Dem)
see?
• 2000, 2004: George Bush Elected (Rep)
• 2008, 2012: Barack Obama Elected (Dem)
• 2016: Donald Trump (Rep)
REASONS WE STILL HAVE A TWO-
PARTY SYSTEM
• It’s a part of our political tradition.
• Single-member districts- one person elected for each
representative position, which typically means a major party
will always win.
• Plurality system- you simply need to secure more votes
than anyone else and the major parties have the numbers.
• The winner-take-all system discourages minor party
candidates.
• Most people can identify with one party or the other.
OUR TWO MAJOR PARTIES
• What do each of the two parties stand for?
Democrats Republicans
• Greater gov’t involvement in the • Hands-off economic policies, usually
economy, progressive tax system prefers a flat tax and less regulation
• Greater emphasis on social welfare • Believes social welfare should be left
up to private organizations, churches,
programs
etc.
• Individuals should determine their
• Government should set moral
own moral choices (Pro-choice, standards
same-sex marriage, etc.) • Greater emphasis on military strength
• Less foreign/military involvement and involvement overseas
• Greater emphasis on environment • Emphasizes gun rights, pro-life policies
Dem Video: Rep Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEqTJYwTpU8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVF5Ehyedqs
WHO TENDS TO JOIN/VOTE WITH
EACH PARTY?
* The following are simply trends, not absolutes
• Democrats • Republicans
• Younger voters • Older voters
• African Americans • Whites
and Hispanics • Men
• Women • Higher income
• Lower income • Mid-western and
• Coastal residents southern residents
PARTY IDENTIFICATION
WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?
• 2016 Data
Republicans Independents Democrats
29% 34% 33%
(Including Leaning) No Leaning (Including Leaning)
44% 8% 48%
• 2004 Data
Republicans Independents Democrats
33% 27% 35%
(Including Leaning) No Leaning (Including Leaning)
44% 9% 47%
*According to Pew Research Center
POLITICAL PARTY
TRENDS
• Party loyalty is decreasing.
• Increase in split ticket voting: voting for officials
of different parties in the same election.
• According to a 2017 Gallup poll, 61% of Americans
believe a third major party is needed in America.
Only 34% of Americans believe the two current
parties are doing an adequate job.
POLITICAL PARTY TRENDS (CONT.)
• Campaigns are becoming more candidate-centered
and parties have less control over who is nominated.
• Consider the 2016 Republican nomination.
• Parties must adjust to changing demographics and
communication technology.
• Consider the impact of social
media today versus 10-15
years ago.
MINOR PARTIES
• If people really don’t want to support one of the major
parties, minor (third) parties are an option.
• What is their purpose?
• They serve as critics of current policies and highlight
issues major parties tend to ignore.
• They innovate new ideas.
• They can make the difference in an election by
drawing votes away from one of the major parties.
WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR MINOR
PARTIES TO WIN ELECTIONS?
• Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJTPPxF3xRI
• Difficult to raise funds.
• Not included in debates.
• The winner-take-all system makes it very difficult.
• They must get petition signatures to even get placed
on the ballot.
4 TYPES OF MINOR PARTIES
• Ideological Parties: based on a comprehensive set of beliefs.
• The Libertarian or Green Party
• Single-Issue Parties: focused on one policy matter.
• Right to Life or Marijuana Party
• Economic Protest Parties: rooted in periods of economic
discontent.
• Greenback Party
• Splinter/Factional Parties: party that has split from one of the
major parties
• Progressive “Bull Moose” Party
