CHECK THIS OUT!
The 27th Amendment
“No law, varying the compensation for the services of
the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect,
until an election of Representatives shall have
intervened.”
In terms of the government shutdown, what does this
mean?
WHY DOES ONE OF THESE TWO WIN
EVERY ELECTION?
WHAT WILL I LEARN TODAY?
• I can explain the difference between single party,
two party and multi party systems.
• I can explain why the U.S. has a two party system.
• I can explain the role of minor parties in the U.S.
PARTY SYSTEMS
Two Party System:
Only two parties
have a chance to
win elections.
• Advantage:
• Disadvantage:
Multi Party System:
Three or more parties
have a change to
win elections
• Advantage:
• Disadvantage:
Single Party System:
Only one party exists
and wins all elections
• Advantage:
• Disadvantage:
WHY A TWO-PARTY SYSTEM?
• The Historical Basis. The nation started out with two-parties: the Federalists and the
Anti-Federalists.
• The Force of Tradition. America has a two-party system because it always has
had one. Minor parties, lacking wide political support, have never made a
successful showing, so people are reluctant to support them.
• The Electoral System. Certain features of government, such as single-member
districts, are designed to favor two major parties. We expect the winner of the
election to have a 51% or better majority.
• Ideological Consensus. Most Americans have a general agreement on
fundamental matters. Conditions that would spark several strong rival parties do
not exist in the United States.
• Election Rules – Getting names on the ballot requires petitions, excluded from
most debates.
• $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Minor Parties in the United States
MINOR PARTIES IN THE U.S.
•Parties based
on a
particular set
of beliefs.
•Parties that
arise in bad
economic
times.
•Parties based
on a single
policy issue.
Ideological
Single Issue
Parties
Parties
Economic
Protest
Parties
Splinter
Parties
Examples:
Green Party
Libertarian Party
Bull Moose Party
Reform Party ‘92
•Parties that
break from a
major party.
WHY MINOR PARTIES ARE IMPORTANT
JESSE VENTURA
Minor parties play several important roles:
“Spoiler Role”
• Minor party candidates can pull decisive votes away
from one of the major parties’ candidates, especially if
the minor party candidate is from a splinter party.
Critic
• Minor parties, especially single-issue parties, often take
stands on and draw attention to controversial issues
that the major parties would prefer to ignore.
Innovator
• Often, minor parties will draw attention to important
issues and propose innovative solutions to problems. If
these proposals gain popular support, they are often
integrated into the platforms of the two major parties.