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Democracy in the U.S.:
Political Parties
Standards

Meaning of citizenship...

What is meant by "the public agenda"...

OVERVIEW
The American political system is often referred to as a two-party system and the two parties that dominate politics today are Democrats and Republicans. When candidates appeal to party members or party issues, they are aligning themselves to a large voting bloc. There are many "third parties" in United States history and some have garnered electoral votes in national presidential campaigns. And today, for example, members of the Green Party hold elective office in several states. Candidates may also choose to campaign as Independents, without any party association or support.
VIDEO CLIPS>>
Watch clips showing candidates' making party appeals. Use the worksheet to note answers to questions #1-#3. 1. What are some of the positions pursued by the Democratic candidates? 2. What are some of the positions pursued by the Republican candidates? 3. What are the positions pursued by 3rd party candidates? 4. What types of voters does each party seek to attract? 5. What are some adjectives that could be used to describe each party?
APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Review the newspapers and television newscasts to identify more information about the different party positions. What are the differences? What are the similarities?

C-SPAN in the Classroom
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Curriculum Advisory Team

Road to the White House
C-SPAN's weekly look at the candidates, issues and events that shape the 2004 Presidential race.

2004 Vote
Information about presidential and congressional candidates running in the 2004 election.

3 Branches of Government
Learn about the legislative, judicial and executive branches of the U.S. government.

Vocabulary & Definitions
Check back for more terms as the campaign progresses.

Standard-Based Topics
Review standard-based topics with
C-SPAN in the Classroom's 2004 Vote web resources.

Campaigns & Elections Home
Link from here to all of our Vote 2004 Resources for the classroom.

Classroom Resources
Search our teaching resources by curriculum topic.

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Find Out about C-SPAN's Community. Enter Discussion Central & discuss with community members.

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