Questions & Answers: U. S. Government - Elections in the United States

Review single and multiple political party formats.
Different types and numbers of political parties can have a significant effect on how a government is run. If there is a single party, or a one-party system, the government is defined by that one party, and all policy is based on that party’s beliefs. In a two-party system, two parties with different viewpoints compete for power and influence. The US is basically a two-party system, with checks and balances to make it difficult for one party to gain complete power over the other. There are also multi-party systems, with three or more parties. In multiparty systems, various parties will often come to agreements in order to form a majority and shift the balance of power.

Review some of the early political parties.
George Washington was adamantly against the establishment of political parties, based on the abuses perpetrated by such parties in Britain. However, political parties developed in US politics almost from the beginning.

Major parties throughout US History have included:
· Federalists and Democratic-Republicans—formed in the late 1700s and disagreed on the balance of power between national and state government
· Democrats and Whigs—developed before the Civil War, based on disagreements about various issues such as slavery
· Democrats and Republicans—developed after the Civil War, with issues centering on the treatment of the post-war South.
While third parties sometimes enter the picture in US politics, the government is basically a two-party system, dominated by the Democrats and Republicans.

Explain the political positions of: liberals, conservatives, moderates, and libertarians.
Liberal—believes government should work to increase equality, even at the expense of some freedoms. Government should assist those in need of help. Focus on enforced social justice and free education for everyone.
Conservative—believes government should be limited in most cases. Government should allow its citizens to help one another and solve their own problems rather than enforcing solutions. Business should not be overregulated, allowing a free market.
Moderate—incorporates some liberal and some conservative values, generally falling somewhere in between in overall belief.
Libertarian—believes government’s role should be limited to protecting the life and liberty of citizens. Government should not be involved in any citizen’s life unless that citizen is encroaching upon the rights of another.

Review some of the actions of political parties.
Political parties form organizations at all levels of government. Activities of individual parties include:
· Recruiting and backing candidates for offices
· Discussing various issues with the public, increasing public awareness
· Working toward compromise on difficult issues
· Staffing government offices and providing administrative support
At the administrative level, parties work to ensure that viable candidates are available for elections and that offices and staff are in place to support candidates as they run for office and afterwards, when they are elected.

Review caucuses and primaries.
Historically, in the quest for political office, a potential candidate has followed one of the following four processes:
1. Nominating conventions—an official meeting of the members of a party for the express purpose of nominating candidates for upcoming elections. The Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention, convened to announce candidates for presidency, are examples of this kind of gathering.
2. Caucuses—a meeting, usually attended by a party’s leaders. Some states still use caucuses, but not all.
3. Primary elections—the most common method of choosing candidates today, the primary is a publicly held election to choose candidates.
4. Petitions—signatures are gathered to place a candidate on the ballot. Petitions can also be used to place legislation on a ballot.

Explain the role of the media in government.
The right to free speech guaranteed in the first amendment to the Constitution allows the media to report on government and political activities without fear of retribution. Because the media has access to information about the government, its policies and actions, as well as debates and discussions that occur in Congress, it can ensure that the people are informed about the inner workings of the government. The media can also draw attention to injustices, imbalances of power, and other transgressions the government or government officials might commit.
However, media outlets may, like special interest groups, align themselves with certain political viewpoints and skew their reports to fit that viewpoint. The rise of the Internet has made media reporting even more complex, as news can be found from an infinite variety of sources, both reliable and unreliable.

Review some of the sources of money for a political campaign.
Political campaigns are very expensive ventures. In addition to the basic necessities of a campaign office, including office supplies, office space, etc., a large quantity of the money that funds a political campaign goes toward advertising. Television advertising in particular is quite costly.
Money to fund a political campaign can come from several sources including:
· The candidate’s personal funds
· Donations by individuals
· Special interest groups
The most significant source of campaign funding is special interest groups. Groups in favor of certain policies will donate money to candidates they believe will support those policies. Special interest groups also do their own advertising in support of candidates they endorse.

Review some of the ways that U.S. citizens can get involved in the political process.
In addition to voting for elected officials, American citizens are able to participate in the political process through several other avenues. These include:
· Participating in local government
· Participating in caucuses for large elections
· Volunteering to help political parties
· Running for election to local, state, or national offices
Individuals can also donate money to political causes, or support political groups that focus on specific causes such as abortion, wildlife conservation or women’s rights. These groups often make use of representatives who lobby legislators to act in support of their efforts.