Whig Party

Political Party SystemsPolitical Party Systems 3 Political Party Systems in the World3 Political Party Systems in the World

1.) One Party System: 1.) One Party System: Political party and the government Political party and the government are the are the SAMESAME Only 1 party, so no competing ideasOnly 1 party, so no competing ideas Party membership based on lineage, wealth, military Party membership based on lineage, wealth, military

power, religious powerpower, religious power Example: China (Communist Party)Example: China (Communist Party)

Political Party SystemsPolitical Party Systems2.) Multi-Party System: 2.) Multi-Party System: Three or more parties compete for Three or more parties compete for

control of the governmentcontrol of the government– Common in Europe, Israel, JapanCommon in Europe, Israel, Japan– AdvantageAdvantage:: provides voters with many different choices and ideas provides voters with many different choices and ideas

– Disadvantage: Disadvantage: difficult for one party to get majority of votes, difficult for one party to get majority of votes, which leads to a which leads to a Coalition:Coalition:

EXAMPLE – ItalyEXAMPLE – Italy (50 different govts. since WWII) (50 different govts. since WWII)

Daisy AllianceDaisy Alliance Sunflower Alliance Italian CommunistSunflower Alliance Italian Communist 500,000 votes500,000 votes 450,000 votes 450,000 votes 200,000 votes 200,000 votes

Coalition

Political Party SystemsPolitical Party Systems3. Two-Party System: 3. Two-Party System: Two parties compete with each other to Two parties compete with each other to

run the government.run the government.– Party system of U.S.: Party system of U.S.: Democrats and RepublicansDemocrats and Republicans– Advantages:Advantages: Continuity Continuity– Disadvantages: Disadvantages: Minority parties (third parties) receive Minority parties (third parties) receive

little attention – focus is on two main partieslittle attention – focus is on two main parties

U.S. Political Parties: CharacteristicsU.S. Political Parties: Characteristics

Democratic PartyDemocratic Party– Tends to AttractTends to Attract

Working people (blue Working people (blue collar)collar)

LiberalsLiberalsCatholicsCatholicsMinoritiesMinoritiesUnion MembersUnion MembersPeople in favor of People in favor of

govt. involvement in govt. involvement in social policiessocial policies

Republican PartyRepublican Party– Tends to attractTends to attract

Businesspeople Businesspeople (white collar)(white collar)

ProtestantsProtestantsConservativesConservativesNon-minoritiesNon-minoritiesNon-union supportersNon-union supportersPeople against People against

govt.involvement in govt.involvement in social policiessocial policies

The Issues: AbortionThe Issues: Abortion

Democrats: Democrats: – Pro ChoicePro Choice– Favors Favors

contraceptive contraceptive education to education to prevent necessity of prevent necessity of abortionabortion

Republicans: Republicans: – Pro-life; Anti-ChoicePro-life; Anti-Choice– Prefers funding go Prefers funding go

towards marriage towards marriage education and abstinence education and abstinence only campaignsonly campaigns

– Have tried several times Have tried several times to pass statutes that would to pass statutes that would allow prosecution of acts allow prosecution of acts that harm fetusesthat harm fetuses

Democrats The Issues: EnvironmentDemocrats The Issues: Environment

DemocratsDemocrats– Support stronger Support stronger

environmental laws and environmental laws and protection of natureprotection of nature

– Push for cleaner air and Push for cleaner air and waterwater

– Support funding for Support funding for preservation (Everglades preservation (Everglades in FL; Redwoods in CA, in FL; Redwoods in CA, etc…)etc…)

Republicans: Republicans: – Favor the exploration of all Favor the exploration of all

resources in the U.S. for energy resources in the U.S. for energy production and have generally production and have generally opposed looking for more opposed looking for more environment-friendly power environment-friendly power alternativesalternatives

– Pushed for oil drilling in ANWR, the Pushed for oil drilling in ANWR, the building of more nuclear power building of more nuclear power plants, a shift towards the use of plants, a shift towards the use of coal, and have submitted proposals coal, and have submitted proposals that would weaken the Clean Air Actthat would weaken the Clean Air Act

Democrats: The Issues: Gay RightsDemocrats: The Issues: Gay Rights

Democrats:Democrats:– Should be protected from Should be protected from

workplace discrimination workplace discrimination and hate crimesand hate crimes

– Should be given equal Should be given equal work benefits like more work benefits like more traditional familiestraditional families

– Largely oppose President Largely oppose President Bush’s proposal to ban gay Bush’s proposal to ban gay marriage through a marriage through a Constitutional AmendmentConstitutional Amendment

Republicans: Republicans: – Against giving gays equal rights in Against giving gays equal rights in

the eyes of the lawthe eyes of the law– ““We do not believe sexual We do not believe sexual

preference should be given special preference should be given special legal protection or standing in legal protection or standing in law”law”

– Oppose idea of gay marriage; seek Oppose idea of gay marriage; seek to define marriage as union to define marriage as union between man and womanbetween man and woman

– Supports amendment to the Supports amendment to the Constitution defining marriage Constitution defining marriage

The Issues: Gun ControlThe Issues: Gun Control

Democrats: Democrats: – Strong advocates Strong advocates

for gun controlfor gun control– Supported both the Supported both the

Brady Bill and the Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Assault Weapons BanBan

Republicans: Republicans: – Favors allowing the sale Favors allowing the sale

of firearms to proceed of firearms to proceed more easily, and with more easily, and with fewer safety precautionsfewer safety precautions

– Opposes any new gun-Opposes any new gun-control lawscontrol laws

– Fought the regulation and Fought the regulation and banning of assault banning of assault weaponsweapons

The Issues: Health CareThe Issues: Health Care

DemocratsDemocrats: : – Push for more Heath Care Push for more Heath Care

funding (Medicare, funding (Medicare, Children’s Health Children’s Health Insurance Program)Insurance Program)

– In favor of program to In favor of program to ensure all Americans ensure all Americans have quality, affordable have quality, affordable health care. (100% health care. (100% government funded)government funded)

Republicans: Republicans: – Believes health care Believes health care

should work within the should work within the free market system free market system where competition will where competition will lower the costs of lower the costs of healthcare (no federal healthcare (no federal govt. involvement)govt. involvement)

The Issues: Foreign PolicyThe Issues: Foreign Policy

Democrats:Democrats: – Generally much more Generally much more

supportive of international supportive of international agencies than are Republicans agencies than are Republicans – support NATO and the UN– support NATO and the UN

– More skeptical of the Bush More skeptical of the Bush Administration’s rush to war Administration’s rush to war than were the Republicans than were the Republicans

– Very skeptical of the handling Very skeptical of the handling of the reconstruction of Iraqof the reconstruction of Iraq

Republicans: Republicans: – Have brushed aside international Have brushed aside international

organizations in favor of organizations in favor of unilateral policy of preemptionunilateral policy of preemption

– Bush Doctrine supports Bush Doctrine supports preemptive invasion when preemptive invasion when necessary to protect the security necessary to protect the security of the U.S.of the U.S.

– Argue that the use of American Argue that the use of American military force is essential for military force is essential for keeping the world safe for keeping the world safe for DemocracyDemocracy

The Issues: EducationThe Issues: Education

Democrats:Democrats: – More funding for More funding for

struggling schools is struggling schools is necessarynecessary

– Highly critical of Highly critical of No No Child Left BehindChild Left Behind, , which has been under which has been under fundedfunded

– Tax money should not be Tax money should not be used on religious schoolsused on religious schools

Republicans: Republicans: – Support both the “No Child Left Support both the “No Child Left

Behind” program and the school Behind” program and the school vouchersvouchers

– Favor school vouchers because Favor school vouchers because they think that by giving students they think that by giving students more educational options, more educational options, including religious schooling, a including religious schooling, a competitive market will be createdcompetitive market will be created Argue public schools will be forced Argue public schools will be forced

to improve in order to retain studentsto improve in order to retain students

The Issues: Social SecurityThe Issues: Social Security

Democrats:Democrats: – Fundamental right of Fundamental right of

AmericansAmericans– Best way to protect is to Best way to protect is to

maintain federal maintain federal government controlgovernment control

– Largely oppose Largely oppose privatizing privatizing

RepublicansRepublicans: : – Favor privatization of social Favor privatization of social

securitysecurity– Citizens will be able to opt to Citizens will be able to opt to

place portions of money that place portions of money that would have gone into Social would have gone into Social Security into other types of Security into other types of accounts. Accounts will give accounts. Accounts will give the opportunity to play the stock the opportunity to play the stock market in an attempt to increase market in an attempt to increase returns. (takes away Federal returns. (takes away Federal responsibility)responsibility)

The Issues: WelfareThe Issues: Welfare

Democrats:Democrats:– Support increased child Support increased child

care for welfare care for welfare recipients so theyrecipients so they are are more able to work more able to work steady jobssteady jobs

– Support funding for Support funding for job training so job training so recipients will be more recipients will be more competitive in the job competitive in the job marketmarket

Republicans: Republicans: – Favors increasing the Favors increasing the

mandatory work week for those mandatory work week for those receiving government receiving government assistanceassistance

– Support cuts in child care and Support cuts in child care and training funding while pushing training funding while pushing $200 million for marriage $200 million for marriage educationeducation

– Pushing for more funding for Pushing for more funding for religious organizations and religious organizations and charities, which then will be charities, which then will be responsible to caring for our responsible to caring for our nation’s poornation’s poor

The Issues: Women’s RightsThe Issues: Women’s Rights

Democrats: Democrats: – For over 20 For over 20 yearsyears, have , have

been pushing to ratify the been pushing to ratify the Treaty of the Rights of Treaty of the Rights of Women that arose from the Women that arose from the Convention on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Discrimination Against Women (would be a Women (would be a statement on America’s part statement on America’s part saying that we support saying that we support equal rights for all women)equal rights for all women)

Republicans: Republicans: – Support the advancement Support the advancement

of women in the military, of women in the military, – Support their exemption Support their exemption

from ground combat units, from ground combat units, – Support the Support the

implementation of the implementation of the recommendations that co-recommendations that co-ed basic training be endeded basic training be ended..

The Issues: Worker’s RightsThe Issues: Worker’s Rights

DemocratsDemocrats::– Favor labor unions and Favor labor unions and

workers rightsworkers rights Includes right to organize Includes right to organize

free from harassment and free from harassment and the right to challenge the right to challenge employers for disability employers for disability and discrimination cases.and discrimination cases.

– Support worker movements Support worker movements to increase the minimum to increase the minimum wage and worker benefitswage and worker benefits

Republicans: Republicans: – Favor the rights of businesses Favor the rights of businesses

to maximize profitsto maximize profits– Favors workers and Favors workers and

management working together management working together to do what is in the best of all to do what is in the best of all involved; no outside influences involved; no outside influences (against Labor Unions)(against Labor Unions)

– Believes Labor Unions restrict Believes Labor Unions restrict production of businesses; sees production of businesses; sees it as a regulation of businessit as a regulation of business