Political Papers

By Kourtney Sweeney

We need political parties!

The importance of establishing political parties.

March 16, 2016

Americas founders were against factions to begin with, but as time went
on they would find them necessary for political organization and mobilization.
When people come together with shared ideas and values, more progress can be
made when there are more voices involved.

With the existence of political parties, a platform is created to support

the pursuit of a political goal. It is much more effective than if disorganized mobs
were to try to achieve the same thing. Political parties establish an efficient voting
process as well.

Some argue that we actually have too-few parties. Citizens who feel that
no party accurately represents them and their beliefs can form their own party.
However, it is tough for independent parties to gain ground in elections because
they have to get thousands of signatures on petitions just to get on the ballot.
Political parties are necessary for the efficiency of the political
process. When groups of people are arranged that share the same values, it is more
likely that their ideas will be heard rather than disorganized groups shouting
unproductively.

Why do we have a twoparty system?

March 15, 2016

There have been some theories that a two-party system was created
early on because of battling between the federalists and anti-federalists in the first
few decades after the ratification of the Constitution The US political system is a
single-member district, meaning that one person is elected to represent each
district in an area.
Most elections in the US use a plurality voting system. A plurality
voting system means that the person with the highest percentage of votes wins,
even if its less than 50%. There is a political science called Duvergers Law that
finds that a country with a plurality voting system...will be more likely to develop a
two-party system
In conclusion, the Us has a two-party system due to plurality voting in
single-member districts. Single-member district means that the winner takes all.
There are no prizes or benefits for the person that takes second place.

Join the Republican Party!

The Republicans together fight for less government involvement in our life
decisions. Individuals should be able to own guns and should not be subject to a
large income tax. We believe in less government spending and free trade.
The Constitution was made for a reason, and as the Republican party, we
plan to stick to it. This ensures that America is run in a way our founding fathers
would approve of. We will fight for a free market in order to maintain economic
prosperity. Do you have strong feelings about citizens being personally responsible?
The Republican party emphasizes the importance of individuals looking out for
themselves. This means cutting government funded welfare programs, which in turn
means taking less of your money.
Are you opposed to same-sex marriage? Do you believe that God only wanted
man and woman together? This party stands strongly for those topics.
The Republican party is profoundly aligned with the ideals that will ultimately
lead this country to prosperity. Join today if you believe in America!

Join the
Democratic
Party!
Are you in favor of peace
over violence? The Democratic
party believes in diplomacy before
military action. As a party united,
we also believe that people should
be free to marry the person they
love. If you support same-sex
marriage, the Democratic party is
for you!
One of the most beautiful
things about America is its diversity. The Democrats believe in cultural
pluralism-- immigrants should never lose sight of their native culture when
they come to America for a better life. With that, we believe that immigrants
should have an easier path towards citizenship. We believe that every human
deserves the right to a fruitful life.
An education is vital to ones life. It opens doors and brings potential into the
light. If you believe that college should be more accessible financially, then the
Democrats will fight for you. Join the Democratic party today, we will make life
equal and smooth for all!

The Libertarian Party is

For
You!
We as Libertarians
believe that government
should only be in place to

protect us, not control us. If you believe that parents should ultimately be
responsible for their childrens education expenses, then you are a Libertarian at
heart.
Too few people love the environment and the planet we live on. Humans are
reckless to our planet on a daily basis and we believe that the government is
accountable for the damage done. We oppose government intervention in price
regulations regarding wages, rents, profits, and interest rates. If you believe in
freedom to be responsible for oneself, then the Libertarian Party is calling your
name!

Join the Green Party!

Do you have strong feelings regarding feminism, non-violence, social justice,
and anti-racism? Then this party is for you! We believe in not accepting donations
from big corporations or political action committees. Decentralization is one of our

main focuses. We believe that power should be distributed away from a central
location.
Humans all inhabit this planet together, which means that we are all equally
responsible for taking care of it. The Green Party believes that our actions should
consider other nations, other species, and future generations. We do not believe in
putting our well-being over that of others.
The resources here on Earth are not infinite, and we tend to live as they are.
We threaten the prosperity and health of our future if we continue to live as if we
are leaving no detrimental footprint. All in all, the Green Party focuses on the
importance of taking care of the Earth we live on, and making life equally enjoyable
and peaceful for every human being.

Join the Constitution

Party!

Do you
believe we have the constitutional right to bear arms? The Constitution Party will
fight for you. We believe that gun control infringes upon our 2nd amendment rights.
A right that our founding fathers gave to us should not be taken away at any time.
Do you have strong feelings about common core? Education as a whole
should not be subsidized or have any government involvement. The Constitution
Party supports the right for parents to educate their children the way they want.

This means putting their children in charter schools, online schools, religious-based
schools, and home-schooling. The federal government should not have any control
over a childs education.
If you believe that the US should be run according to the Constitution, and
how the founding fathers established it to be, then the Constitution Party is where
you want to be. We will fight for your beliefs and the America we have all believed
in for so long.

Professor Kourtneys
History Page
Era of Democrats 1800-1860
The beginning of this era was with Thomas Jeffersons election in 1800.
Jefferson supported small landowners and believed in decentralization. The
Democrats opposed the Federalists and their rule. Then, in 1828, Andrew
Jackson was elected president. The Democratic rule lasted until the Civil War.
The Democratic party consisted of small farmers, debtors, frontier
pioneers, and slaveholders. Jackson brought forth the Jacksonian Democracy
which had three major changes within politics: right to vote for all white
males, increase in the number of elected officials, and spread of the spoils
system.
The Era of Democrats is also known as the Jackson Era because of how
much change he made within the political landscape. The Whig party, which
consisted of bankers, merchants, and industrialists opposed the Jacksonian
Democracy. Jackson created and implemented policies that had a profound
effect on the territorial, political, and economic development of the United
States. He democratized American politics by reaching out directly to the
American voters.

Era of Republicans 1860-1932

This party came to the surface in 1854 to combat the Kansas-Nebraska
Act. This act was going to extend slavery into other territories. The
Republican Party is also called the GOP(Grand Old Party). When Abe Lincoln
was elected in 1860, after it had made the Union abolish slavery, the party
was prominent within politics until about 1932.
The Republican Party consisted mostly of northern white protestants,
businessmen, small business owners, factory workers, and African
Americans. Under presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, the
Republican Party focused mostly on foreign policy. The GOP lost its lead
during the Great Depression. The GOP expanded again throughout the South
in 1968, which was do to the partys popularity among socially conservative
white Evangelical Protestants and traditionalist Roman Catholics.
Ronald Reagan became the Partys leader in 1980, who believed in
reduced spending, lower taxes, and anti-soviet foreign policy. He was iconic
among the party and almost all GOP leaders acknowledge his stature.

Return of the Democrats 1932-1968

The Democratic party was prominent for about four decades, and had
two brief periods of time where they werent. Those periods were during the
Great Depression and the Second World War eras. The Democrats were the
majority in the lower house of the United States Congress in the House of
Reps. from 1930 to 1994.
The election of 1932 brought Franklin Roosevelt into presidency and
placed the Democrats back in power. Roosevelt created revolutionary
economic and social welfare programs, and those created the center of the
New Deal of the 1930s. Roosevelt was re-elected in 1936 and a third time in
1940. When Roosevelt died in 1945, Harry S. Truman was elected for a full
term in 1948.
Republicans did get the White House back in 1952. Then, John F.
Kennedy took it back in 1960. When Kennedy was assassinated in 1963,
Lyndon Johnson took presidency, and won a full term in 1964.

The Start of a New Era

In 1968, Republicans got the White House back with Richard Nixons
win over the Democratic Hubert Humphrey. In 1972, Nixon won a second
term. His part in the Watergate scandal however saw him removed from
office, and VP Gerald Ford then became president. Ford was defeated by
issues in the economy and the ongoing Watergate scandal and lost his
presidency in 1976.
With that, Democrats won back the White House with the win of Jimmy
Carter as president. Unable to be an effective president, he was replaced in
the white house by Republican Ronald Reagan. After that came Democratic
president Bill Clinton. Since Richard Nixons election in 1968, Republicans
had mostly ruled the white house and the Democrats controlled congress.
Currently, we have a democratic president Barack Obama. He is the
first African-American president in US history. President Obama has stood up
for policies relating to gun control after the Sandy Hook Elementary
shootings. Obama has also called for greater LGBT inclusion. In his first few
days in office, he gave orders to to develop plans to get troops out of Iraq.
Obama appointed two women to the Supreme Court. Obama also wanted to
reform health care, so he passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act to give health care to give all Americans affordable healthcare.

Political Parties have

Brought the State Capitol
to a Standstill!
Congress is almost at a point where they will not be able to efficiently
function. Over the last two years, Republicans have caused trouble on Capitol Hill.

Feel the Bern!

The 2016 election has people both excited and concerned. We are facing
many controversial things in this country at the moment, and the next president will
have a lot of decisions to make. We need someone in the white house whos best
interest is for the people, someone who will be progressive and fair. Democrat
Bernie Sanders is the best pick for the 45th president of the United States of
America.
He believes in the people and wants life to be fair and equal for everyone. He
will focus on making the path to US citizenship easier for people who want to reunite with their families and find a better life. With gun control being a large issue,
Bernie will aim to make the purchasing of guns come with a thorough background
check, and ban the sale of military type weapons to civilians.
Bernie is a peaceful man, and believes that a great nation is measured by
how it can resolve conflicts peacefully, not how many wars it can engage in. He
wants war to be a last result. Overall, Bernie sanders will make life equal and
enjoyable for everyone. He will maintain the peace which will in turn make life
fruitful for Americans, and people in other nations as well.