Political Parties and Government

Political Parties in America

  • Two-Party System: The US has a two-party system, dominated by two major parties.

    • Currently, these are the Democrats and Republicans.

Democrats

  • Beliefs: Advocate for an active central or national government, similar to the Federalists.

  • Role of Federal Government: Believe the federal government should provide programs and services.

    • Examples: Food stamps, Obama's healthcare plan (to ensure universal health insurance).

  • Corporate Regulations: Known for supporting more corporate regulations.

Republicans

  • Beliefs: Advocate for a smaller federal government.

  • Role of State Government: Believe state governments should provide programs.

  • Taxes: Advocate for less taxes, arguing individuals can then afford programs themselves.

  • Business Regulation: Believe the government should not regulate business.

Party Focus

  • Republicans: Small government.

  • Democrats: Programs and larger government.

  • Reality: Both parties are more similar than different.

Third Parties

  • Existence: Despite the two-party system, other parties exist.

  • Examples: Libertarians, Socialists, Communists.

Libertarians

  • Beliefs: Advocate for minimal government intervention.

  • Government Role: Believe the government should only provide basic services (police, roads).

  • Critique of Republicans: Believe Republicans do not shrink the federal government enough.

Socialist Parties

  • Beliefs: Advocate for wealth redistribution.

    • The wealthy should contribute more through taxes to help the lower classes.

  • Government Role: Advocate for government-run businesses (e.g., healthcare).

    • Providing these services for free.

Communist Parties

  • Historical Context: Less prevalent after the fall of the Soviet Union.

  • Beliefs: Advocate for outlawing private property and sharing everything.

    • Workers should control all businesses.

  • Historical Outcomes: Often led to dictatorships with government control of all businesses.

Qualifications for Federal Public Office

President

  • Age: Must be 35 years old.

  • Residency: Must have lived in the US for at least 14 years.

  • Citizenship: Must be a natural-born citizen (born in the US or to a US citizen).

  • Term Limits: Maximum of two four-year terms (22nd Amendment).

    • Maximum of ten years if a VP takes over in the last two years of a president's term.

Senators

  • Age: Must be 30 years old.

  • Residency: Must be a US resident for at least nine years.

  • State Representation: Must be a resident of the state they represent.

House of Representatives

  • Age: Must be at least 25 years old.

  • Citizenship: Must be a citizen for seven years.

  • State Representation: Must be a resident of the state their district is in.

    • Note: They don't have to live in the district they represent.

Term Limits for Senate and House

  • None: No term limits; can serve as long as elected.

Other Qualifications

  • Prior Experience: Candidates with experience in similar positions are preferred.

    • Example: Obama served in the Senate before becoming president.

  • Relevant Experience: Serving in state legislatures, as a mayor, or governor.

Party Platforms

  • Definition: The big ideas and goals that parties have for the country.

  • Examples:

    • Democrats: Programs they want to pass.

    • Republicans: Cutting taxes.

Debates

  • Definition: Discussions or arguments about what candidates believe should be done.

  • Purpose: To help voters decide who they agree with.

Political Advertisements

  • Function: A way for candidates to reach voters.

  • Caution: Biased and not always the best source of information.

Influence on Politics and Government

Interest Groups

  • Definition: Organizations that try to influence the government to help their members through laws or policies.

  • Examples:

    • NRA: Opposes stricter gun control.

    • Sierra Club: Advocates for environmental policies.

    • AARP: Advocates for retired people.

  • Lobbying: Interest groups use lobbyists to ask lawmakers to support their agendas.

  • Influence Tactics: Educate the public, publicize issues, and use lobbyists.

Media

  • Definition: Forms of communication like television, radio, newspapers, and the internet.

  • Role:

    • Politicians use media to gain support for policies.

    • Media serves as a watchdog to ensure the government doesn't do anything wrong.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

  • Function: Spend money on advertising for candidates they support.

  • Goal: Educate the public to support their chosen politicians.

  • Expectation: Expect politicians to pass laws that help them in return.

Communications and Bias

  • Importance of Public Support: Success depends on public support.

  • Bias: Opinions and incentives of those spreading communications.

  • Considerations: Must consider bias to determine trustworthiness of information.

Propaganda

  • Definition: Biased information that appeals to emotions to persuade people.

  • Goal: To persuade the people.

  • Examples:

    • World War II posters encouraging gas conservation.

    • Posters promoting war bonds.

  • Characteristics: Uses images and symbolism to convey messages.

Media Bias

  • Historical Context: Media used to strive for unbiased reporting.

  • Modern Considerations: Must consider the bias of the media source.

  • Examples:

    • Fox News: Known to support the Republican Party.

    • CNBC: Known to support the Democratic Party.

Levels of Government and Policy

  • Test Questions: Identifying which level of government deals with specific issues.

  • Public Policy: A plan to resolve an issue or problem.

  • Agencies: Focus on the level of government that should handle the problem.

National Government

  • Issues: Military, interstate/international trade, large-scale environmental issues, healthcare.

State Government

  • Issues: Education, in-state trade, in-state environmental issues, public safety (e.g., driver safety, state police).

Local Government

  • Issues: Local schools, local roads, traffic safety, trash collection, local safety (e.g., bicycle helmets, texting while driving).

Identifying Level

  • Local: City names in agency titles.

  • State: State names in agency titles.

  • National: "The US" in agency titles.

Foreign vs. Domestic Policy

Domestic Policy

  • Definition: Policies dealing with issues inside the US (home).

  • Examples: Education, welfare benefits, healthcare, public safety.

Foreign Policy

  • Definition: How the government deals with other countries.

  • Examples: Diplomacy, treaties, international trade, US military.

Government Branches and Foreign Policy

  • President and Congress: Set foreign policy.

  • President:

    • Signs treaties.

    • Appoints ambassadors.

    • Appoints the Secretary of State (chief advisor on international events).

    • Serves as commander-in-chief of the military.

    • Chief diplomat, meeting with foreign leaders.

  • Senate:

    • Confirms treaties.

    • Confirms ambassadors and the Secretary of State.

  • Congress:

    • Power to declare war.

    • Provides funding for foreign policy plans.

International Organizations

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

  • Type: Collective security group, defensive treaty.

  • Function: Members protect each other from foreign attacks.

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

  • Type: Free trade agreement between the US, Canada, and Mexico.

  • Function: Eliminates taxes (tariffs) on imports between these countries.

United Nations (UN)

  • Membership: International organization of countries.

  • Mission: Keeping peace and helping member nations.

  • Programs: UNICEF (aid to children).

  • International Court of Justice: Settles disputes between countries and charges leaders with war crimes.

World Trade Organization (WTO)

  • Function: Promotes trade between countries without tariffs.

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

  • Definition: Organizations not aligned with countries or governments.

  • Operation: Operate in countries that allow them to help, without governmental oversight.

  • Examples: Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, Oxfam.

US Government Reaction to International Conflicts

Diplomacy

  • Priority: Building relationships with other countries.

  • First Step: Seeking peaceful solutions.

Alliances

  • Development: Forming friendships with other countries (e.g., NATO).

War

  • Extreme Measure: Dealing with international conflicts through war.

  • Recent History: Use of military force without declaring war (e.g., Vietnam, Afghanistan).

  • NATO Conflicts: Many conflicts since World War II have involved NATO.

Sanctions and Embargoes

  • Purpose: Blocking trade with a country.

  • Example: Cuba (following the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis).

  • Last Step: Before going to war.

Shift in International Conflicts

  • Post-Communism: Shift towards the Middle East.

  • Examples:

    • Iran hostage crisis.

    • Wars with Iraq (Gulf War/Operation Desert Storm).

    • War on Terror in Afghanistan (following 9/11).