How do political parties
play a large role in the
decisions made by
government? By answering
this question, it may also
help you identify your own
political beliefs.
The Donkey— Presidential candidate Andrew Jackson was the first Democrat ever to
be associated with the donkey symbol. His opponents during the election of 1828 tried
to label him a "jackass" for his populist beliefs and slogan, "Let the people rule."
Jackson was entertained by the notion and ended up using it to his advantage on his
campaign posters.
But cartoonist Thomas Nast is credited with making the donkey the recognized symbol
of the Democratic Party. It first appeared in a cartoon in Harper's Weekly in 1870, and
was supposed to represent an anti-Civil War faction. But the public was immediately
taken by it and by 1880 it had already become the unofficial symbol of the party.
The Elephant— Political
cartoonist Thomas Nast was also
responsible for the Republican
Party elephant. In a cartoon that
appeared in Harper's Weekly in 1874,
Nast drew a donkey clothed in lion's
skin, scaring away all the animals at
the zoo. One of those animals, the
elephant, was labeled "The
Republican Vote." That's all it took for
the elephant to become associated
with the Republican Party.
Parties and Party Systems
• A political party is a group of people with
broad common interests who organize to win
elections, control government, and influence
government policies.
• In a one-party system, the party is the
government and party leaders set
government.
• A government run by religious officials is
known as a theocracy.
Parties and Party Systems (cont.)
• In nations that allow more than one
political party, the most common political
system today is the multiparty system.
• The parties in a multiparty system often
represent widely differing ideologies, or
basic beliefs about government.
• A coalition government is a group of
parties that combine forces to obtain a
majority.
Parties and Party Systems (cont.)
• In two-party systems, two major parties
compete for power, although minor parties
exist.
A group of parties that combine forces to
obtain a majority is called
A. a splinter party.
B. a theocracy.
C. a coalition
government.
D. a two-party
government.
Rise of American Parties
• After the Federalists elected John Adams,
their power quickly declined.
• The Democratic-Republicans dominated
politics in the 1820s before being split over
banking, tariffs and slavery into the
Democrats and the National Republicans—
or the Whigs
Rise of American Parties (cont.)
• The debate over slavery split Democrats
into Northern and Southern factions while
many Whigs joined the Republican Party.
• By the end of the Civil War the Republicans
and the Democrats dominated the national
political scene.
• For most of the 60 years following 1932, the
Democratic Party was the majority party.
The Democratic-Republicans dominated
politics in the 1820s before being split over
banking, tariffs and slavery into the
Democrats and the:
A. Whigs.
B. RepublicanDemocrats.
C. Green Party.
D. Federalists.
The Role of Minor Parties
• A third party is any party other than one
of the two major parties.
• Third parties generally fall into three
categories:
– The single-issue party focuses exclusively
on one major social, economic, or moral
issue.
The Role of Minor Parties (cont.)
– The ideological party has a particular set
of ideas about how to change society
overall rather than focusing on a single
issue.
– The splinter party splits away from one
of the major parties because of some
disagreement.
The Role of Minor Parties (cont.)
• Third parties can influence the outcome of
national elections by drawing votes from
one party and often influence politics by
promoting new ideas.
• Difficulties for minor parties include:
– They must obtain a large number of voter
signatures in a short time to appear on a
ballot.
The Role of Minor Parties (cont.)
– Nearly all elected officials in the U.S. are
selected by single-member districts.
– Many nations use an election system
based on proportional representation in
which several officials are elected to
represent voters in an area.
The Role of Minor Parties (cont.)
– They often have problems with financing
and appealing to a broad cross section
of voters.
What type of third party has a particular set
of ideas about how to change society overall
rather than focusing on a single issue?
A. the splinter party
B. the single-issue party
C. the ideological party
A. A
B. B
C. C
THE END