First Nine Weeks – Unit 2 – Political Parties
Standard CE.5a – Functions of Political Parties
Political parties play a key role in government and provide opportunities for citizens to participate in the
___________political process______________________.
Functions of political parties
1. Recruiting and nominating _______candidates_________
2. Educating the ______electorate_______ about campaign issues
3. Helping candidates _____win elections________
4. Monitoring actions of ______officeholders___________
Standard CE.5b – Characteristics of Political Parties
A __two__-party system characterizes the American political process.
Although ___third____ parties rarely win elections, they can play an important role in public politics.
Similarities between parties
1. Organize to ____win____ elections
2. Influence _____public policies__________
3. Reflect both _____liberal_______and __________conservative___________ views
4. Define themselves in a way that wins majority support by appealing to the _____political_______
_____center_________.
Differences between parties
1. Stated in __________party platforms___________ and reflected in campaigning
Third parties
1. Introduce _________new ideas___________ and/or press for a particular _____issue____
2. Often revolve around a political personality (e.g.,______Theodore Roosevelt_____________)
First Nine Weeks – Unit 2 – Political Parties
Standard CE.5c – Media and Evaluation
Voters ___evaluate______ information presented in political campaigns to make reasoned choices among
candidates.
The ___media____ play an important role in the political process.
Strategies for evaluating campaign speeches, literature, and advertisements for accuracy
1. Separating ____fact_______from _______opinion________
2. Detecting ________bias________
3. Evaluating ______sources_________
4. Identifying ________propaganda_____________
Mass media roles in elections
5. Identifying ______candidates____________
6. Emphasizing selected _____issues__________
7. Writing ___editorials________, creating _____political cartoons_____, publishing ____op-ed____
pieces
8. Broadcasting ________different points of view______________
A recent edition of the local paper, had a chart with candidates, how they felt about education, health care,
and jobs. Which of the following mass media roles was NOT demonstrated?
• [A] Identifying candidates
• [B] Emphasizing selected issues
• [C] Writing editorials, creating political cartoons, publishing op/ed pieces
• [D] Broadcasting different viewpoints
Which of the following is NOT an example of a way to evaluate campaign speeches, literature, and
advertisements?
• [A] Recognize when a candidate is telling you something that is their opinion rather than a fact.
• [B] Notice if a newspaper article seems to be trying to convince you that one candidate is better than another.
• [C] Pay attention to where the information came from and decide if it is from a reliable source.
• [D] Ask your family and friends about the issues that interest them the most in the election.
First Nine Weeks – Unit 2 – Political Parties
Standard CE.5d – Campaign Contributions and Costs
Running for political office is ______expensive_______.
Rising campaign costs
1. require candidates to conduct extensive ________fund-raising activities_______________
2. limit opportunities to run for public office
3. give an advantage to ____wealthy_____ individuals who run for office
4. encourage the development of ____political action committees______ (PACs)
5. give issue-oriented _____special interest groups__________ increased influence.
Campaign finance reform
1. Rising campaign costs have led to efforts to ______reform campaign finance laws___________.
2. Limits have been placed on the amount individuals may contribute to ______political candidates_____
and _____campaigns______.
Standard CE.9a – The Media and Public Policy
The media informs _____policymakers__________ and influences public____policy_____.
Ways the media play an important role in setting the public agenda
1. Focusing public attention on _____selected issues___________
2. Offering a forum in which _____opposing_____ viewpoints are ______communicated________
3. Holding government officials __________accountable to the public____________
Government officials use the media to _______communicate_________________ with the public.
First Nine Weeks – Unit 2 – Political Parties
Standard CE.9b – Individuals and Interest Groups - Public Policy
____Individuals________ and ___________interest groups__________ influence public policy.
Terms to know
_____lobbying_____: Seeking to influence legislators to introduce or vote for or against a bill
Ways individuals influence public policy
1. ________Participating in politics_________________ (voting, campaigning, seeking office)
2. ________Expressing opinions________________________ (lobbying, demonstrating, writing letters)
3. ________Joining interest groups______________________________
Ways interest groups influence public policy
1. Identifying ____issues___________
2. Making ________political contributions__________________________
3. Lobbying ___________government officials_______________________
Explain how the people in each picture may be influencing public policy.
A.
B.
C.
A. __________________These people are participating in politics by campaigning.______ _______________
B. _________________This man is participating in politics by seeking office.__________________________
C. __________________This person is donating money to an interest group or a campaign.______________
First Nine Weeks – Unit 2 – Political Parties
Standard CE.5e – Voter Registration and Participation
Voting is a basic ________responsibility__________of citizenship. Voter ____registration__________
is required before a citizen may vote. The number of citizens who register and vote is related to how
___important____ election issues are to citizens. Only citizens who ____register_______ may
participate in primary and general elections.
Qualifications to register to vote in Virginia
1. Citizen of the _____United States of America____________
2. Resident of ____Virginia__________ and _______precinct____________
3. At least __18___ years of age by day of ________general election___________________
How to register to vote in Virginia
1. In person at the ______registrar’s office___________, at the Department of Motor Vehicles, or at other
designated sites
2. By ________mail-in application________________
Voter registration is closed __22___ days before elections.
Factors in predicting which citizens will vote
1. _____Age____________
2. _____Education_________________
3. _____Income________________
Why citizens fail to vote
1. Lack of _____interest (apathy)__________
2. Failure to _____register_________
The percentage of voters who participate in ______presidential___________ elections is usually greater
than the percentage of voters who participate in state and local elections.
Every ____vote________ is important.
First Nine Weeks – Unit 2 – Political Parties
Standard CE.5f – Electoral College
The Electoral College process is used to select the _____president____ and _______vice president_______
of the United States.
Electoral College process
A slate of electors for each state is chosen by _______popular vote__________.
Most states have a _______winner-take-all___________ system.
The electors meet to vote for _____ president _______ and __________ vice president_________.
The ______________winner-take-all________________ system leads to the targeting of densely populated
states for campaigning, although candidates must pay attention to less populated states whose electoral
votes may make the difference in tight elections.
The number of electors of each state is based on the size of the state’s ________Congressional__________
______representation________, which is based on the state’s _________population______.
The requirement for a majority vote to win in the Electoral College favors a ____two-party____system.
First Nine Weeks – Unit 2 – Political Parties
Standard CE.9c – Local Decisions and International Relations
Local governments may be required to ____formulate____, ____adopt_____, and _____implement_____
public policies in response to international issues and events.
International _____issues____ and ________events_______ that would require policy decisions by local
government officials could include the following:
1. _________Public health_____________ concerns in the event of a pandemic
2. _________Public safety_________________ in the event of an act of terrorism
3. Economic development policies in response to the emerging _____global economy________
4. _________Policies to protect______________________ the environment (e.g., wildlife protection)
1.
According to the decision-making model to the right, what level of
government is involved in the public safety solution?
A
B
C
D
National
Regional
State
Local
Use this list to answer the next question.
INTERNATIONAL ISSUES AND EVENTS
□ Respond to public health concerns
□ Planning for the public safety in the event of an act of terrorism
□ Preparing economic development policies in response to the emerging global economy
2.
Who might be required to make policy decisions based on the list above?
A
B
C
D
local jury.
local government officials.
local community centers.
local church leaders.
First Nine Weeks – Unit 2 – Political Parties
Ready, Set, Review!