This document summarizes the history and process of political parties and elections in the United States. It outlines that political parties began forming during the writing of the Constitution between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. It then describes the evolution of the major political parties from the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans to the current Republican and Democratic parties. The document also discusses third parties like the Libertarian and Independent parties. Finally, it provides an overview of the nominating and electoral processes used in the U.S., including primaries, conventions, and voting procedures.

1. Political Parties & Process
Ch 9.3 & 9.4

2. History of Parties
 Began developing during the writing of the
Constitution
 Federalists and Anti-Federalists
 Washington’s farewell address even warned
against the development of parties—they would
destroy the US
 A political party by definition is an organized
group that seeks to win elections in order to
influence the activities of government. (pg 87 in
textbook)
 In essence, political parties differ on how they
interpret the Constitution and its amendments.
 Thus it impacts the writing of new laws and

3. • Parties start in 1789 with Federalist/Anti-Federalist (green/purple
lines)
• By 1820 Federalist party is dead, Monroe only option, moves into
the Democratic-Republican party, producing 4 candidates in 1824
• Party split again to the Democratic-Republicans (blue) and the
National Republican (orange) party
• Democratic-Republican party stays, the National Republican
party becomes the Whig party in 1836 (yellow)
• Around 1860 the Whig party becomes the Republican party (red)
• Other parties separate and form and collapse along the way
(Anti-mason, Know-Nothing, Freesoil, etc.)

4. • After the Republican party forms before the Civil
War, the formal Democrat and Republican parties
that we know and still have are formed and operate
largely as the two main political parties in the
United States.
• Other 3rd parties (including stronger ones like
Libertarian and Independence) broke off from one
or both to form in the last century, but do not yield
the same power as the major D and R parties.

5. Major Parties
 Republican
Symbol is the Elephant
Called G.O.P. (Grand Ol’ Party)
Right Wing
Conservatives
Mostly religious
Wealthy, successful
South and midwest region

6. Major Parties
 Democrat
 Symbol is the donkey, or the jack ass (no
joke)
 Left-Wing
 Liberals
 Does not usually identify themselves as
religious
 Middle class to lower class
 East coast and west coast region
 Ethnic groups more likely to be
Democrat

7. Major 3rd Parties
 Libertarian Party- formed December 1971
 Interpret the Constitution in the defense and best interest
of maintaining personal freedoms.
 We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole
dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in
whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not
forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in
whatever manner they choose. (www.lp.org/platform)
 This sometimes puts them in between the values of Republican
and Democratic views
 Libertarians view the role of government to uphold the
Constitutional freedoms only, not to impose personal
values or any sense of morality on citizens
 Example: Libertarians might not think abortion is morally or
ethically right, but would say that the Government needs to uphold
the ability for everyone to choose for themselves

8. Major 3rd Parties
 American Independent Party- formed 1967
 Staunchly in support of Christian values
 According to the party platform, the
American Independent Party [exists] "limited
constitutional government, with emphasis on the
rights of the several states to govern their own local
affairs and educational systems without federal
bureaucratic or court interference." As to foreign
affairs, the declaration stated that "the American
Independent Party supports a foreign policy based
on America's best interests, not world opinion," and
"preservation of our national sovereignty.”
(www.aipca.org)

9. Third Parties (a few, anyway)
 America First Party
 American Party
 American Heritage Party
 American Nazi Party
 American Reform Party
 Christian Falangist Party of America
 Communist Party, USA
 Constitution Party
 Constitutional Action Party
 Family Values Party

10.  Freedom Socialist Party/Radical Women
 Grassroots Party
 Green Party of the U.S.
 The Greens/Green Party US
 Independence Party
 Independent American Party
 Labor Party
 Light Party
 Natural Law Party

11.  New Party
 New Union Party
 Peace & Freedom Party
 Prohibition Party
 Reform Party
 The Revolution Party
 Socialist Party USA
 Socialist Action
 Socialist Equality Party
 Socialist Labor Party

12.  Socialist Workers Party
 Southern Independence Party
 US Pacificst Party
 Veterans Party
 We the People Party
 Workers World Party
 American Patriot Party
 Knights Party
 Multicapitalist Party
 Pansexual Peace Party
 Pot Party
 US Marijuana Party
…and SO many more

13. The Electoral Process

14. The Nominating Process
 Critical first step in selecting a candidate
 Nomination is naming of person who will seek office
 Functions of nomination: (From ch. 5)
 1. prime function of political parties in the US
 2. main reason for decentralized character of the
two major parties, Republican & Democrat
 5 ways to nominate a candidate:

15.  Oldest form of nominating process
 Used since colonial era
 Person announces that they are running, or want
to run for office.
 Sometimes someone else announces that
person’s intentions
 Think Schwarzenegger on Jay Leno
Self-Announcement

16. Caucus
 Caucus is a group of like-minded people who
meet to select a candidate for an upcoming
election
 Began in the late colonial era
 Private gathering of influential people
 Caucuses were highly criticized in 1800s, rarely
done now except in New England

17. Convention
 Convention takes place of dying caucuses
 First national convention to elect a candidate was
held by Anti-Mason party in 1831
 Also the Republicans and Democrats began
using conventions within a year
 Some states still rely on conventions as voting
tools- Connecticut, Michigan, S. Dakota, Utah &
Virginia

18. Direct Primary
 Intra-party election
 Held within the parties itself
 2 types:
 Closed primary
 Party nominating election in which only declared party
members can vote
 Open primary
 Party nominating election in which any qualified voter can
take party

19. Petition
 Potential candidates must have a required
amount of signatures to put their name on a
national ballot.

20. Voting
 Date set by Congress
 National elections are November of every even-
numbered year.
 Tuesday after the first Monday
 Absentee voting
 Covers 3 types of people
 1.) too ill or disabled to go to polling place
 2.) those who are away from home on election day
 3.) serving in Armed Forces

21.  Precinct- voting district
 Area no more than 500 to 1,000 qualified voters
 Polling Place-place where voters who lived in a a
precinct actually vote
 Ballot- device by which a voter registers a choice in
an election.