Political Parties - Powell

All Questions/Answers from the PAPER STUDY GUIDE given out. These are not from the packet though some topics may overlap.

How are political parties dissimilar to interest groups?

Political Parties aim to win elections and control government to implement broad policy agendas.
Interest Groups focus on influencing policy makers from the outside to support specific, narrow issues.

What is a political action committee?

A private group organized to raise and spend money to influence elections. (Usually supporting or opposing specific candidates, parties, or legislation.)

Part 1: Issues which caused party creation & rivalries: Federalists vs Anti-Federalists

• The Issue: Ratification/Approval of the Constitution.

• The Creation: This rivalry began because the "Articles of Confederation" were failing. One group wanted a stronger central government to handle debt and defense (Federalists), while the other feared a new monarchy and demanded a Bill of Rights (Anti-Federalists).

• The Rivalry: It turned into a permanent battle over implied powers—whether the government could do things not explicitly written in the Constitution (like start a National Bank).

Part 2: Issues which caused party creation & rivalries: Democrats vs Republicans (1860s)

• The Issue: The Kansas-Nebraska Act

• The Creation: The act allowed slavery to potentially spread into new Western territories. It caused the existing "Whig" party to collapse and split completely. Anti-slavery activists created the Republican Party specifically to stop this expansion.

• The Rivalry: It became a regional war of identity: the Industrial North (Republicans) vs. the Agrarian, Slave-holding South (Democrats).

Part 3: Issues which caused party creation & rivalries: Democrats vs Republicans (early 20th century to present)

• The Issue: The Great Depression & Civil Rights

• The Creation: Economic collapse in the 1930s forced a "re-creation" of party platforms. FDR’s New Deal created a "Big Government" Democratic party. Later, the 1964 Civil Rights Act caused a final split where Southern "Dixiecrats" left the party, moving toward a more conservative Republican base.

• The Rivalry: It evolved into a fight over the Social Safety Net—how much the government should tax the wealthy to provide services for the poor and marginalized.

Which political party in the U.S. has had the longest continuous existence?

The Democratic Party (The modern Democratic Party was organized around 1828 to support Andrew Jackson, though it traces back to Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party in 1790s.)

What is an exit poll?

A survey taken by researchers interviewing voters immediately after they leave a polling station on Election Day. It asks how they voted, their demographic info, and opinions on issues.

What is the meaning of the term “party base”?

A "party base" refers to the core group of loyal supporters, voters, and activists who consistently support a political party and its candidates.

(1/7) - Positions of Democrats & Republicans on: G*n Control

Democrats: Stricter Laws (Background checks, bans).

Republicans: 2nd Amendment (Oppose new restrictions).

(2/7) - Positions of Democrats & Republicans on: Big vs Small Gov

Democrats: Big Gov (Active role to ensure equality/safety net).

Republicans: Small Gov (Limited role to protect individual liberty).

(3/7) - Positions of Democrats & Republicans on: Taxes

Democrats: Progressive (Wealthy pay more) to fund programs.

Republicans: Tax Cuts (Broad cuts) to stimulate the economy.

(4/7) - Positions of Democrats & Republicans on: Wellfare Programs

Democrats: Expand/Protect (Social Security, Medicare, SNAP).

Republicans: Reform (Work requirements, private alternatives).

(5/7) - Positions of Democrats & Republicans on: Ab0rtion Question

Democrats: Pro-Choice (Protect federal access).

Republicans: Pro-Life (Support state-level restrictions).

(6/7) - Positions of Democrats & Republicans on: Military Spending

Democrats: Decrease/Maintain (Prioritize domestic needs).

Republicans: Increase (Strong national defense).

(7/7) - Positions of Democrats & Republicans on: Regulating Businesses

Democrats: More Regulation (Protects workers/environment).

Republicans: Deregulation (Belief that rules stifle growth).

Third Parties: Libertarians & their views - which major party they gravitate towards.

Republican Party because of shared economic goals.

(Libertarian Core Philosophy: Individual liberty above all; "Maximum freedom, minimum government".)

Green Party: Liberal or Conservative?

Political organization focused on environmentalism, social justice, nonviolence, and anti-corporate politics. They are liberal.

The influence of Third parties on elections?

They can significantly impact elections.

Positive effects of a two party system?

Promotes stability and efficient governing by encouraging moderate policies that appeal to a broad majority, reducing the risk of extremist views holding power.

Trace the evolution of America’s oldest party: Democrats, from 1800s to today.

1800s (Jefferson/Jackson): Small Gov, states' rights, supported farmers.

1930s-60s (FDR/LBJ): The "Big Switch" to Big Gov (New Deal & Civil Rights).

Today: Liberal/Progressive; active gov for social & economic equality.

Alexander Hamilton

Party: Federalist Party (Founder/Leader)

Core Beliefs: Strong central government, national bank, and an economy based on manufacturing/trade.

Thomas Jefferson

Party: Democratic-Republican Party (Founder/Leader)

Core Beliefs: Limited federal power (States' Rights), strict interpretation of the Constitution, and an economy based on farming/agriculture

Whigs - appealed to whom?

Anti-Jackson: People who hated Andrew Jackson’s "king-like" power.

Pro-Business: Northern bankers, merchants, and manufacturers.

Modernizers: People who wanted the government to build roads, canals, and railroads.

Lincoln - party affiliation?

Primary Party: Republican Party (Was the 1st Republican Pres).

Main Goal: Stopping the spread of slavery and preserving the Union.

Republicans - came into being when & under what circumstances?

Came into being: 1854 (Middle of the 19th century).

Under what circumstances: Formed to stop the expansion of slavery into new Western territories.

Party affiliation of: Bush, Obama & Trump

George W. Bush: Republican

Barack Obama: Democrat

Donald Trump: Republican

(1/6) - Ways the 1968 election changed: Voting Patterns of the South

The "Solid South" flipped from Democrat to Republican (due to opposition to the Civil Rights movement).

(2/6) - Ways the 1968 election changed: Democrats Leadership & Focus (who won)

The "Protester Types" (Anti-war/Young) eventually won the party's future focus over the "LBJ Types" (Old Guard/Pro-war).

(3/6) - Ways the 1968 election changed: Democrat Primaries - Who Ran & Who Won?

• Eugene McCarthy (Anti-war), Robert F. Kennedy (Assassinated), and Hubert Humphrey.

• Hubert Humphrey (The "LBJ Type" who supported the war).

(4/6) - Ways the 1968 election changed: Hawks vs Doves

Hawks: Supported the Vietnam War (Humphrey/LBJ).

Doves: Wanted to end the war (McCarthy/Kennedy).

(5/6) - Ways the 1968 election changed: Dividing Issues

The Vietnam War and Civil Rights/Law & Order.

(6/6) - Ways the 1968 election changed: Effect of George Wallace

Ran as a 3rd party (American Independent); he split the Democrat vote by winning 5 Southern states.