Political Parties Flashcards

Definition of Political Party

• An organization composed of citizens aiming to influence government by electing members to office.

Understanding Political Platforms

• A political platform is a formal declaration summarizing a party's stance on key public issues.

Significance of Philosophy

• Represents the ideological framework guiding the beliefs and actions of a political group or nation.

Influence of Support on Party Affiliation

• Individual viewpoints on various issues can determine which political party a person chooses to support.

Major Political Parties in the U.S.

• The two predominant political parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

Similarities Between Political Parties

• Political parties monitor each other, select candidates for public office, establish governmental goals, and provide leadership to achieve those objectives.

Differences Between Political Parties

• Parties vary in their positions on social issues, overall platforms, and philosophical beliefs.

Democratic Party's Platform

• Advocates for federal government involvement in social programs, including aid for the poor.

Additional Democratic Party Issues

• Generally supports tax increases to fund social programs and is more favorable towards labor unions compared to Republicans.

Republican Party's Platform

• Emphasizes minimizing federal government power while favoring state and local governance for social programs.

Additional Republican Party Issues

• Strongly endorses maintaining a robust military for national defense.

Similarities in Support Structures

• Both parties conduct national conventions every four years to energize supporters and nominate presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

Core Values Shared by Both Parties

• Both Democrats and Republicans uphold the principles of equal respect, freedom, justice, and equality for all Americans.

Influence in Congress

• Both parties exert influence on their respective platforms by swaying legislators, demonstrating significant power in the legislative process.

Common Characteristics of Political Parties

• Political parties universally share three foundational characteristics: philosophy, platform, and support.