Political Parties, Elections, and Elected Officials: Tutorial

Which leader helped form the Democratic Party as the first modern political party ?

Andrew Jackson

Part A Look at these maps from the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. In the space provided, note the differences and similarities between the two maps. Are certain regions more Democratic and some more Republican? What other interesting points do you recognize about the maps?

Both show that the Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast are blue, meaning the states voted for Barack Obama in both elections. The South, the Great Plains, and the Rocky Mountain regions, are red in both elections, meaning these states were won by the Republican candidate. In the 2012 map, Barack Obama won almost the exact same states as in the 2008 election. The only states that voted differently are Indiana and North Carolina.

Part B According to the article, what is one great obstacle preventing third parties from gaining equal footing with the Democrats and the Republicans?

Compared with the Democratic and Republican Parties, it's difficult for third parties to gain any sort of media coverage. This problem prevents Americans from learning more about third parties and their candidates.

How are the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates chosen?

Each is nominated by his or her respective party.

In your own words, why did George Washington oppose political parties?

He felt that they posed a risk to government and they threatened to weaken liberty.

Part C Based on what you see in the maps, how might shifts in the census, and thus the Electoral College, affect presidential races. For instance, what if more citizens from the Northeast move to states in the South, such as Texas?

If people move away from a region that is typically Democratic, to a region that is typically Republican, it will affect how many electoral votes each state has. Since most states use a winner-take-all system to allocate Electoral College votes, this may mean that Republicans will be able to rely on more electoral votes as a baseline of support.

Part A According to the article, which candidate ran one of the most successful third-party, independent campaigns in US history? Explain a little bit about the campaign.

In 1992, Ross Perot ran one of the most successful third-party, independent campaigns in US history. They received 19 percent of the vote, but lost the election and didn't win a single state.

What is the difference between a closed and an open primary?

In a closed primary, only party members can vote for a nominee; in an open primary, anyone can vote.

Which issue led to the split in the Democratic-Republican Party in the late 1850s?

Slavery

Part D In what way does the article describe the two-party system as a positive system when compared with a multiparty system?

The article describes the two-party system in a positive way, because in a multiparty system, parties can still gain political power. A two-party system helps prevent radical or extreme view from gaining power.

Part C Why does the article refer to third parties as "gadflies," and why is this something positive?

The article refers to third parties as gadflies because third parties tend to bring attention to political, social, or national issues that neither major party wants to discuss.

In your own words, describe the biggest motivation of a media source that is privately owned and how it might affect the source's coverage of political issues.

The biggest motivation is to increase viewership while supporting a certain candidate and promoting him. Privately owned media sources are usually biased towards someone and help them while they show bad things about other candidates.

Part E Do you think there should be more than two parties in the US political system, or does the US system work well? Write one paragraph in response to this question. Use your own words, and support your argument with information from the article.

You're gonna have to do this own on your own, but your response should include: -an argument supporting or opposing the two-party system -historical or current examples to bolster your argument -information from the supplied article that supports your view

In the modern US political system, what is the main system political parties use to nominate candidates?

primary

Part B Refer to the maps again, taking into consideration what you know about the census. Because the census is conducted every 10 years, the electoral votes for the 2008 presidential election were still based on the 2000 census. In the 2012 election, however, the states' electoral votes were updated based on the 2010 census. In the space below, note some of the states that gained or lost electoral votes. How do these changes in electoral votes illustrate shifts in population?

two states that gained electoral votes: Texas: 34 Electoral votes in 2008, 38 EV in 2012; population in 2000: 28.8 million. population in 2010: 25.1 million Florida: 27 EV in 2008, 29 EV in 2012; population in 2000: 15.9 million. population in 2010: 18.8 million two states that lost electoral votes: New York: 31 Electoral votes in 2008, 29 EV in 2012; population in 2000: 18.9 million. population in 2010: 19.3 million Michigan 17 EV in 2008, 16 EV in 2012; population in 2000: 9.9 million. population in 2010: 9.8 million.