Public Opinion

Issues on the public arena consist

Democrat

and 

Republican

Appealed to small farmers and urban working class

Why has the two-party system become so firmly entrenched in America?

According to scholars, the first major political division between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists established a precedent that continued over time and ultimately resulted in the domination of the two-party system.

Founding Fathers View of Political Parties

They did not want political parties because they were afraid one party might take over

-Both parties are fragmented and decentralized. The have no central power or command.

-State and Local organizations are very different.

            State: the organization is built around a central committee and a chair person.

            Local: There is usually a party unit for each district. 

When a political party wins the presidency or control of one or more chambers of Congress, it has the opportunity to carry out the party platform it developed at its national convention.

-Their main function has been to link the people’s policy preferences to actual government policies.

            1. They recruit and nominate candidates for political office.

2.  They help educate the public about important political issues

3. They coordinate policy among the various branches of the government. The President works through the party leaders in Congress to promote the administration’s legislative program.

Primary

A preliminary election held for the purpose of choosing a party’s final candidate.

This process begins in childhood and continues throughout life.

            Most is informal, and it usually begins during early childhood, when the dominant influence on a child is the family. 

 A political tactic that ask “fake” polling questions that are actually designed to “push” voters toward one candidate or another.

A fee of several dollars, was another device used to prevent African Americans from voting.

OUTLAWED BY?

Had the effect of restricting voting rights to those whose ancestors had voted before 1860s

OUTLAWED BY? 

African Americans were prohibited from voting in the primary elections.

OUTLAWED BY? 

Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965

-Voters often base their decisions on the perceived character of the candidates rather than on their qualifications or policy positions.

-Policy Voting when they vote on a candidate because of a particular issue.

Socioeconomic factors: educational attainment, income level, age, gender, religion, and geographic location. 

A nominating convention is held every four years the summer before the Presidential election. Candidates are chosen by local party officials who were usually called the bosses.

Those who attend the convention are called the delegates and they are chosen to represent the people of a particular geographic area.

The primary election happens next, in which voters go to the polls to decide among candidates who seek the nomination of their party.

Then the direct primary happens where voters cast their ballots directly for candidates.

The number of electors in each state is equal to the number of that state’s representatives in both chambers of Congress

On the first day of convention, delegates hear the reports of the Credentials Committee, which inspects each prospective delegate’s claim to be seated as a legitimate representative of her or his state.

On the second day, it includes committee reports and debates on the party platform.

The third day is devoted to nominations and voting.

The vice presidential nomination and the acceptance speeches occupy the fourth day.

This was put into effect to curb abuses in the ways political campaigns were financed.

The United States Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the provision in the 1971 act that limited the amount each individual could spend on his or her own campaign. The court held that a “candidate, no less than any other person, has a First Amendment right to engage in the discussion of public issues and vigorously and tirelessly to advocate his own election. 

Candidates use these to focus on flaws in the opponents’ position on issues.

Candidates try to undermine their opponents’ credibility by pointing to discrepancies between what the opponents say in their campaign speeches and their political records, such as voting records, which are available to the public and thus can easily be verified.

The overwhelming dominance of strong conservative voices on talk radio is justified by supporters as a good way to counter what they perceive as the liberal bias in the mainstream print and TV media.

The distribution of House seats among the states on the basis of their respective populations.

            States with larger populations, such as California, have many more representatives than states with smaller populations, such as Wyoming.

            Every ten years the seats are reapportioned based off the census. 

The Supreme Court held that congressional districts must have equal populations.

            This principle has come to be known as “One person’s vote has to count as much as another’s vote”.

A person must have been a citizen of the United States for at least seven years prior to his or her election, must be a legal resident of the state from which he or she is elected, and must be at least twenty-five years old.

            Congress is elected every second year by popular vote.

to be elected, A person must have been a citizen for at least nine years, must be a legal resident of the state from which she or he is to be elected, and must be at least thirty years of age.

            Senators are elected every six years by popular vote.

These are formed for the purpose of achieving agreement between the House and the Senate on the exact wording of the legislative acts when the two chambers pass legislative proposals in different forms.

1. Introduction of Legislation

2. Referral to committee

3. Reports on bill

4. The rules committee and scheduling

5. Floor debate

6. vote

7. Conference committee

8. Presidential Action

9. Overriding a veto

Represents the people as a whole

The first branch of government 

makes the laws of the land

All congressional districts must have equal population

"One person, One vote"

Candidates run every two years

-have to be a US citizen for 7 years

-Legal resident of the state

-at least 25 years old

Run every six years

-Us citizen for 9 years

-Legal resident of the state

-At least 30 years old

Speaker of the house

Majority leader

Minority leader

Majority and minority whips

Vice President of the US (President of the Senate)

President Pro Tempore

Majority Leader

Minority Leader

Majority and Minority Whips

Unlike the House, the Senate minority party can fillbuster (or block) legislation with unlimited debate

The majority party needs 60 votes to end the fillbuster (cloture)

'64 between linden johnson and berry goldwater

-point was that johnson showed that goldwater was going to lead us into nuclear war if we voted for him

-a personal party

-bull moose party

11

-9 for representatives

- 2 for senators