Abstract The author discusses the negative effect of the Shays-Meehan Campaign Finance Reform Bill on the DemocraticParty. He evaluates areas of finance, organization, public perception of victory, freedom of speech and the potential court challenge. The DemocraticParty is urged to consider changes that would invalidate this legislation.
From the Paper "In theory, the bill sounds like a promising idea as well as a noble political cause. This bill would abolish ?soft money,? the unlimited monetary contributions usually made by unions, corporations, interest groups and wealthy individuals to national, state and local political parties ("Key Provisions of Shays-Meehan"). This money, according to critics, is used to influence elections, buy politicians, and is said to have caused much of the campaign finance scandals of 1996. Many believe that ending this flood of special interest money will restore integrity to decision making in congress (Americans for Reform)."
Abstract This paper is a major memorandum on the German Christian democraticparty's future strategy for consolidating and increasing its political support and chances for governing. A leader for a long time, the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is all geared up for further success. With brilliant plans for action combined with moral integrity, it wants to remain one of the most powerful political parties of Germany. Pleased with its heritage, the CDU would like to retain its reputation for helping Germany through thick and thin.
Abstract The paper explains that the primary reasons people joined the DemocraticParty during the middle decades of the 19th century were economic, the welcoming of immigrants, and the Populist movement. The author points out that the idea that the DemocraticParty would create a more egalitarian country in which talent and ambition and energy mattered more than family background and connection was very appealing. The paper reports that the Granger Movement, which had strong allegiances to the DemocraticParty, had broad goals, seeking to improve not only the economic conditions of farmers, but also their social status and political power.
Table of Contents
Introduction
A President of the People
The Grangers as Archetypal Democrats Conclusion
From the Paper "It was because the Democratic Party suggested that simply because a person wasn"t from a good family and well educated didn"t mean that he or she wasn?t just as good as anyone else that it gained in popularity. It was because it supported populist ideals that it dominated American politics during the middle decades of the 19th-century, until it began to splinter under the pressures brought about by the Civil War and Manifest Destiny. These decades saw the elections of Martin Van Buren, James K. Polk, Franklin Pierce, and James Buchanan as the Democrats won every presidential election, saving 1840 and 1848."
Abstract This paper explores the history of the two main political groups in the United States and then compares them to interest groups. The paper examines the history and make-up of the DemocraticParty and the Republican Party. It then looks at the ways that interest groups help to support them. It concludes by analyzing the differences between interest groups and political parties.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
DemocraticParty Republican Party Interest Groups
Interest Groups versus Political Parties
From the Paper "The Republican Party did not come into existence until 1850. It was formed by activists working against the institution of slavery. The first meeting of the Republican Party took place in Wisconsin and the members believed that the government should give land grants to those settling in the west (Republican Party http://www.mcgop.net/History.htm)."
"Once the party became official a formal meeting was help in 1854 in Michigan at which time the name Republican was adopted. The name was chosen because the members believed that it mean equality (Republican Party http://www.mcgop.net/History.htm)."
Abstract This paper discusses the book "The Emerging Democratic Majority," by John Judis and Ruy Teixeira. The book's authors argue that the DemocraticParty is destined to be the majority due to minority groups' rise in demographic terms. The paper's author argues against this belief, stating that political belief crosses many spectra, rather than solely through minorities.
From the Paper There can be little doubt that today's political landscape is buffeted by many cross-currents, but increasingly it does seem to be the case that the Republican Party speaks in the name of universal causes, while the Democrats raise minority rights or self-interest. This reverses the relation between the parties from just forty years ago when a provincial Republican Party proclaiming the virtue of diversity faced off against a nationalist Democratic Party; however, it also represents a return to the parties' respective positions through much of their histories.
Abstract This paper describes the evolution of how women have shaped the DemocraticParty and the contributions they have made from the 105-107th congress. It also discusses gender gap among politicians and shows that even though great contribution has been made in the political arena, much work towards equality is still needed.
From the Paper "Twenty years of House Work?and the place is still a mess!? These immortal words were first spoken by former Representative Patricia Schroeder in her 1998 memoirs, reflecting her perspective on her time in the House of Representatives (Schroeder, 1998, 1). Twenty-six years earlier, Pat Schroeder made history in Denver, Colorado, beating her well known male opponent for a House seat of which she would be only one of 14 women in the entire congressional body. In the twenty four years Schroeder was in the House of Representatives, she saw female legislators come and go, and when she retired in 1996, she retired to 50 female colleagues in the House and nine female colleagues in the Senate (Lewis 2001). Of those 50 House women, 32 were Democrats and in the Senate, 5 were Democrats (Lewis 2001). These women, most of which were elected in their own right to their seats, came from diverse backgrounds to come together in government and make a difference for not just women, but the country as a whole. Female democrats in the House and Senate have helped to shape the Democratic Party to its current state with legislation and agenda setting from the 103rd Congress to the 105th Congress."
A political science essay outlining the expansion of suffrage among the U.S. population throughout American history and the effects of a larger and more diverse electorate on voting trends and party control.
1,315 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 2 sources, 2002, $ 44.95
Abstract This paper discusses the history of suffrage in the United States and it's affect upon the distribution of power between the Republican and Democraticparties at different points in American History. It discusses the three most central suffrage movements in the United States: universal white male suffrage, universal black male suffrage, and universal female suffrage and the expansion of voting rights that coincided with each of these three movements.
From the paper:
"While the universal white male suffrage progressions in the first period had more to do with the influential ideas of the French Revolution and democracy in general, an incentive to settle the western frontier, and increasing trust of the non-upper classes, the suffrage progressions of blacks and women came about from more deliberate effort. Two main reasons for the attainment of the vote by blacks and women is the weakening of the political parties and the increased activist role of the federal government that occurred in the twentieth century."
Abstract The authors argues that while social democracy is rarely spoken of as a dominant, united voice in Canadian politics, social democrats, both officially and as grassroots activists, have played key roles in shaping Canadian social policy; their crown jewel being nationalized healthcare. The authors goes on to discuss that while social democrats in this country have generally found themselves on the outside of the power structure looking in, the official party's job is now more or less to find ways to affect change with limited access to the power structure. Finally, the author states that the past, present, and future of the New DemocraticParty (NDP) seems to be based on the party's ability to act as more activist than government.
From the Paper "So, despite its power outage, while the NDP is a legitimate mainstream party, except in the province of Quebec where it has never elected a New Democrat during a general election, it would appear that there will be limits on that legitimacy. Where the party can continue to be a useful official voice, however, is its persistence to criticize of the effects of free trade and globalization, and the ensuing rate of American ownership of Canadian resources. Historically, the NDP essentially forced a 1970s Trudeau Liberal minority government to form the Foreign Investment Review Agency to act as watch dog (Whitehorn n.p.) of sorts."
Tags: NDP politics, social policy, government power
Abstract This paper states that, while both the U.S. and U.K. political party systems are democratic in nature, the American system of candidate selection is more democratic because major parties in the American system allow any individual to be a candidate but major parties in the U.K.'s system pre-select candidates in central committees. The author points out that the U.S. selection process has been soundly criticized for letting money, special interests and political interests create strong favoritism for some candidates. The paper relates that the American and U.K. political system are about equal in government accountability; however, the U.K. system tends to present voters with clearer choices and candidates that are more qualified.
From the Paper "In the United States, candidate selection is less centrally managed. In addition, the use of primaries creates more uncertainty in the process. In the U.S. system, competent and qualified candidates may be overlooked early on in favor of those with more money to spend on their campaigns, or better public personas. In addition, these individuals are not screened for qualifications or competence. The U.K.'s candidate selection system is better able to provide clear choices for voters in the general election."
Abstract The paper identifies the two major political parties in the US: Democrats and Republicans. The paper states that the two-party system gives a sense of control and stability to the nation during times of change and that it is a natural result of the United State's election process, a result of parties consolidating to prevent vote splitting. The paper also explains that in this system helps keep a single party from gaining too much power and overwhelming the government. The paper concludes that the two-party system is good for the United States, despite objections to its weaknesses, as it provides stability, a proper medium for a majority's ideas, and an avenue for stable change.
From the Paper "The Federalists stood for a stronger central government, and supported removing the rights from the states and returning it to the federal government. Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans supported states' rights. However, though Jefferson believed in the power of the people to lead themselves he still understood the need for a Constitution, so his Democratic-Republican Party did share some traits with the Federalists. These two parties, different in some ways and similar in others, were the original two "major" parties, and offer up the first example of a two-party system in American politics. The important fact was that this happened in a time when the people of the United States were concerned about whether to have a strong, central government like the British they had just won their independence from, or to remain a confederacy of states, relying on each other only because of geographical convenience. This was such a strong issue because many people did not want to have anything to do with the British, and thus the thought of a strong federal government scared them."
Examines the shift of the black vote to the Democrats beginning in 1928. Discusses economics, organization, abandonment of the Republican Party, Presidential elections, civil rights and the 1960s and the future.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 4 sources, 1999, $ 55.95
Abstract Historically, African Americans were strong supporters of the Republican Party after the Civil War. Throughout the nineteenth century, The Republican Party were perceived as the champions of Emancipation while the Democrats were associated with white supremacy.
From the Paper "Historically, African Americans were strong supporters of the Republican Party after the Civil War. Throughout the nineteenth century, The Republican Party were perceived as the champions of Emancipation while the Democrats were associated with white supremacy. However, by the Great Depression and Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1936 presidential campaign, African Americans had made a dramatic shift toward supporting the Democratic Party. African American support for the Democratic Party has remained steadfast in the sixty years since the New Deal. To a great extent, the change in African American perceptions of the two parties has changed because of the remarkable transformation these parties underwent from the beginning of the twentieth century through FDR's 1936 election. This paper will focus on the three presidential elections ..."
Abstract The paper analyzes two systems of government; those of the United Kingdom and Russia, in order to determine the extent to which the political parties and the electoral system shape the democratic environment in a country. The paper shows how democracy can be interpreted, but, the political party system is essential for ensuring the basic elements of a democratic political construction. Therefore, the paper concludes that the power sharing system and the representative system that is present in Russia and the UK are important for the guarantee of democracy. The paper points out that in Russia there is need for a strong and tough reform of the electoral and political system in order to reach the status of the United Kingdom.
From the Paper "The political party framework in any modern country represents the guarantee for the democratic nature of that system. During the Cold War era, the political parties and political plurality was considered to be a true luxury in countries from the Communist bloc. On the other side, western democracies enjoyed a vivid political life which ensured that the basic human and civil rights are respected and taken into consideration. After the end of the Cold War, the freedom of expression and the rapid increase in the democratic tendencies determined a massive reorientation of the political spectrum towards a more opened society and political spectrum. However, the recent elections from the Russian Federation have stirred up controversy over the validity of the democratic mechanism and discussions have been raised as to the extent in which the elected president, Dimitri Medvedev is in fact the most democratically legitimized future Russian leader."
Abstract The author of the paper examines how newspapers in the United States reported the DemocraticParty's presidential candidacy race in relation to gender and race. The writer states that for the first time ever, DemocraticParty members not only had to choose between male and female candidates, but also between white and black candidates. The author examines how this phenomenon was reported by journalists in the New York Times and the Washington Post.
From the Paper "The 2008 presidential campaign in the United States is unique in that never before have voters in the Democratic primaries been offered a choice between a woman candidate and an African American male candidate. It can be safely stated that never before have race and gender played such a major role in American presidential politics. While the Republican candidates are all white males, the major Democratic candidates are males (African American Barack Obama and Caucasian John Edwards) and female (former first lady and New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton)"
Tags: presidential candidacy politics clinton obama edwards campaign, african american, civil rights
Abstract This paper looks into the practice of politics in the United States. The writer discusses the polarity in conservative/liberal political views, as represented by the two major political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans. The writer demonstrates that the significance of this study is to foster an understanding of how the pluralistic dimension of political discourse affects politics in the United States.
From the Paper "The prevalent political culture of the United States has shaped the way politics are practiced. Political culture is the inherited set of beliefs, attitudes and opinions Americans have about how their government ought to operate. We know that there is an overall shared culture through information derived from voting, polls, books, speeches and what we see on the media. The foundation of political culture is based on certain common values including the freedoms in the Bill of Rights, liberty, equality, individual responsibility, democracy ... "
Tags: ideologies, political parties, democrat, republican, pluralistic society, rights, political culture
Abstract This paper starts with an overview of the United State's Green Party's history, including the influence of the European Green Parties, environmentalism, student protests, etc. It then analyzes the rise in popularity of this party since the first election when it ran a presidential candidate, looking at percentage increases in members and elected officials and public opinion of the party. The paper credits this rise to the merging of the Democratic and Republican parties platforms into vague and empty promises and also attributes its popularity to selected environmental issues found in the party's platform.
From the Paper "After years of development, nonpartisan actions, and progressive policies, the Green Party of the United States has emerged as a persuasive political party whose popularity increases every year. The Green Party was formed to defend such key issues as the environment, human equality, and other forms of global justice. By employing actions and policies that differentiate itself from the Democratic and Republican Parties, the Green Party is able to expand its membership and influence on politics."
