american presidency 2

8/13/2019 american presidency 2

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MA American Studies

2ndYear

Course: American Presidency

Course Instructor: Associate Professor Octavian Roske

Group members: Cristina Ae!andru

Andreea "atarus #aura Piciorus

$ovember 22nd% 2&'(

Presidentia #eaders)ip and Poitica Parties: Repubican A*enda

")e $e+ American ,emocracy - Morris P. /iorina

"e!t - Part I - Cristina Ae!andru

In the summer of 2008, the Democrats and the Republicans organized national

conventions in order to choose their presidential nominees.

During these conventions, the candidates among whom we can mention 0arack Obama

for the Democratic Part ! and Sara) Pain, the vice"president nominee for the

Republicans, gave speeches which attracted the public#s attention, over $0 million people

watching each convention on %&.

'owever, the three television networ(s gave the conventions onl one hour per night

during a four da span because the public was not interested in watching the evolution of

these conventions since the results were alread (nown. %herefore, the conventions were

lac(ing an element of surprise and were viewed as long info"commercials.

In contrast with the 2008 conventions were those from )*+2, when the rivalr between

the candidates on the Democratic side ! senator 1stes efauver and governor Adai

Stevensonattracted the public#s attention.

n the Republican side, the battle was given between senator Robert "aftand -eneral

,+i*)t 1isen)o+erwho won before a second balloting was necessar %herefore, the

conventions of )*+2 were popular because the candidates were not (nown in advance and

the campaigns too( shape more slowl.

Poitica Parties

Political parties are considered /the central institutions of democratic governments and

also /the wor(ing mechanisms of liberal democrac.

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Political parties are created in order to organize political life through their activities.

%he presiding officer is in charge with establishing the political agenda of the part who

won the ma1orit of seats in the most recent election, namel the ma1orit part.

Part of the ma1orit part are the committee chairs who establish committee agendas and

hire the committee staff.

Political parties are responsible with verifing if the government#s branches are well

organized.

In order to maintain their reputation and gain public support, part members need to sta

united and to achieve a stable level of performance.

Political parties struggle to gain the battle for public support b analzing the problems

that occur and b providing solutions for resolving them.

Parties are responsible with providing strong candidates for elections, candidates who

will maintain and even improve the part#s reputation.

Political parties don#t alwas perform the activities that would simplif the electoral

sstem or benefit the public because the are concerned onl with gaining power.

hen a political part is strong enough to control the elected officials, it ma abuse its

power and force the officials to follow the part#s desires and ignore the voters# needs and

re3uests.

In case of a divided *overnment, the parties that are in opposition are concerned with

3uestioning the solutions and propositions of the governing part.

4ven though most of the times parties intend to promote candidates able to win the

elections because of their integrit and intelligence, there are times when popularit

comes first so, in these cases, potential candidates are chosen not for their political s(ills,

but for the fact that the are alread (nown b the public.

5cholars believe that political parties cannot be replaced b alternative institutions since

there are no other institutions that can perform the specific functions of political parties.

%hroughout the 6merican histor, the political parties have been in charge with

organizing the elections.

%he political sstem is characterized b changes groups of people are li(el to support

the Democrats for a certain period of time and then change their beliefs and switch their

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support from the Democrats to the Republicans.

5cholars have identified several election eras or part sstems in the 6merican political

histor these part sstems have four characteristics that remain stable7

). %he two ma1or contestants for national power are the same, in spite of the eistence of minor

parties.

2. In a part sstem, there is one part that is bound to win most elections, namel the ma1orit

part.

$. 4ach part sstem is focused on one or two ma1or issues that are debated during the elections

and after them.

9. 4ach part is supported b groups of people from specific geographic areas.

%he changes that ma occur in a part sstem are called reai*nments.

:ritical elections happen when a part sstem ends and another one begins.

Sources:

http7;;en.wi(ipedia.org;wi(i;Republican


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%he first group came to be (nown under the name of /Gederalists, while the second

group was referred to as the /Democratic"Republicans. F the ear of )8)H, the Gederalist Part

was no longer a significant force in the national government. 'istorians claim the Gederalists

were on the wrong side of the issues, supporting commercial and manufacturing interests at a

time when most voters identified with agriculture. 6dditionall, the part suffered from wea(

leadership after 6leander 'amilton was (illed in a duel in )809. %herefore, the >nited 5tates

became at that time a one"part nation and ever important politician considered himself a

Democratic"Republican.

2. ")e Second Party System 78acksonian ,emocracy9

Parties are generall held together b the fear of the opposition and with the Gederalist

Part out of concern the Democratic"Republicans were suffering a division with the )829 and

)828 election and the opposing policies gave rise to the second part sstem. %hus, the officialssupporting Andre+ 8acksonwere called the /Democrats and the ones opposing them were

called the /higs.

%he dividing line between these two groups was the use of the federal government to

promote national economic development b financing /internal improvements roads, bridges,

canalsE and b using tariffs to protect industries form foreign competition7 the higs favored

such policies while the Democrats disagreed and pleaded for a more active role of the

presidential power.

'owever, the issue of slaver was out of the congressional agenda and did not separate

the parties, although the both contained active opponents and supporters. %hose officials who

publicl opposed slaver turned to third parties7 the #iberty Party)890 and )899E and the /ree

Soi Party)898 and )8+2E.

Foth the Democrats and the higs were built on mass participation and developed

national nominating conventions and established national committees that coordinated

presidential campaigns ! these institutions are still used toda. %he Democrats were the dominant

part of the second part sstem.

(. ")e ")ird Party System 7Civi ar and Reconstruction9

In spite of their attempts, the Democrats and the higs could not (eep slaver out of the

congressional agenda for too long. In )8+9, the ansas5$ebraska Actwas passed and the

political stage divided between those in favor the DemocratsE and those against it now

coalesced under the name of /RepublicansE.

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%here are two sub"periods in this third part sstem7 the first one when the Republicans

dominated the presidenc and the :ongress and the second one when economic issues too(

central stage with the Civi arand the Reconstruction of the 5outh when Democrats started to

dominate the 6ouse of Representatives.

F the ear )8BH, parties reached such a high level of organization that the werereferred to as mac)ines.

%he end of the third part sstem was brought b the depression that hit the countr in

the earl )8*0s and the voters blamed the Democrats controlling presidenc and both houses of

:ongress at that momentE for the economic crisis. %he Democratic Part ceased to be

competitive and Republicans too( the lead, especiall in orthern states.

;. ")e /ourt) Party System 7Industria Repubican9

hile the >nited 5tates was emerging as an industrialized nation, the agricultural protest

gave rise to the Popuist Partythat managed to seriousl challenge the ma1or parties of the time.

6dditionall, another significant political force was shaped b the Pro*ressives, a loose

aggregation of politicians, political activists and intellectuals who promoted political reforms in

an effort to clean up elections and government.

%he fourth part sstem was brought to an end b the Great ,epressionof the )*$0s.


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hat changed in the contemporar part sstem is the issue agenda. 6fter the ew Deal

that focused more on economic issues, other matters or cultural issues have ta(en central stage

healthcare, crime, abortion, ga rights, affirmative action to name but a fewE.

%he two ma1or parties put together patforms, as statements of their positions on the

ma1or issues of the da and the have increasingl unified ideologies.

%here is a balance of strength between parties on account of the realignments and of the

ticket5spittin*, since voters select candidates from different parties at the same election for

instance, a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic candidate for the 'ouse of

RepresentativesE.

Sources:

http7;;www.histor.com;topics;american"civil"war

http7;;www.britannica.com;4Fchec(ed;topic;2)8$H+;Gree"5oil"Part

http7;;www.britannica.com;4Fchec(ed;topic;$$*$82;Jibert"Part

http7;;www.princeton.edu;Kachane;tmve;wi(i)00(;docs;?ansas"ebras(a


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Lulti"part sstems are characteristic to the ma1orit of democracies around the world. In these

cases, the votes are spread and no single part wins control of the government, which means that

other minorit parties form coalitions and the government is based on combined parliamentarma1orit.

hat ma(es a difference in understanding this two"part ! multi"part problem is the electoralsstem, which is the wa in which a countrCs constitution or its laws translate popular votes into

control of public affairs. %he electoral sstem in the >5 is the 5L5P sstem ! single member,

simple pluralit. %his sstem is characteristic of the 6nglo"6merican democracies, whichincludes former colonies of the Fritish 4mpire. %he structure is as follows7 elections ta(e place

within geographic units and the candidate who wins the most votes wins the election. %he sstem

is also called /first past the post, which means that there is onl one winner in the contest.

ther world democracies are based on PR" proportional representation sstem, in which the

parties receive a share of seats in parliament that is proportional to the popular vote the receive.

In a 5L5P sstem, ordinar citizens realize that there is virtuall no use in wasting a vote onsmall part representatives, because such a part rarel has a chance to come first in electoral

votes. 6 proof of this is the fact that independent or third"part candidates face a decline inpopular votes as 4lection Da approaches.

In PR sstems, there is no single winner in the elections, as parties win seats in proportion to itsvotes, so part leaders maintain their organizations separate. &oters do not abandon smaller

parties, because onl the parties with the smallest amount of votes are left behind .

%hird parties in 5L5P sstems might persist if the votes are geographicall concentrated, ormore specificall, regionall concentrated, if the number of votes received in the area places

them first or second in the electoral run. ther factors that come to the disadvantage of third

parties are7 automatic ballot access if the have not won in the previous elections, the must goto some lengths to secure their presence in the ballotEM less media coverage, both in television

and newspapersM televised debates, that are usuall reserved for the ma1or"part candidates.

%he strength of modern political parties in 6merica is a matter closel investigated b scholars.

People have changed their conceptions of what a part is. >suall, political parties are well"

defined organizations. In the >5, their eistence is /nebulous. %here are three distinct notions

b which 6mericans understand parties7). %he part is the electorate ! there is a pschological affiliation between voters and their

partCs candidates.

2. %he part is government ! the winning candidates who bear inscribed the label of their

part and the other candidates for public office, state, local and national officeholders.

$. %he part organization ! formal machiner of the part7 leaders, committees, staff,ward,

precinct wor(ers.

%he percentage of 6mericans who had a part identification declined between )*H9 to )*B9.

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Lost people identif themselves as independents who ma or ma not lean towards a part.

Recent studies have shown that there is evidence that parties have recuperated their losses in

recent ears, as a decline in tic(et"splitting and part defection has been noted.

%here is no final conclusion on the issue of part organizations decline or growth. ational

organizations were not true part organizations, but temporar alliances of state parties and localmachines that 1oined their forces to wor( for the election of a president.

5tate and local part organizations were at their pea( around )*00s, when the Progressivemovement arose. %he decline of 6merican part organizations came as a result of some public

policies instituted b the Progressives.

%wo principal resources part organizations depended upon were control of patronage andcontrol of nominations for the office. %he control of patronage was eliminated graduall b the

regular epansions of the public sectors of civil service protection and unionization of the public

sector. 6lso, the >5 5upreme :ourt ruled most forms of patronage as unconstitutional, because

the penalized public emploees for their beliefs and associations. %he control of nominationswas destabilized b the Progressive reform of direct primar. %he >nited 5tates is the onl world

democrac that relies on open, popular elections to decide nominations.

Political reforms do not eplain entirel wh the 6merican parties have wea(ened. 5ome other

factors are the communication revolution and the increase in mobilit. Internet based fund"raisers, emails, advertising, informative websites eplain that traditional parties have lost ground.

In the case of social, economic, residential mobilit, better educated voters needed less guidance

from parties to ma(e sense of politics and choose their affiliation. 6lso, as the econom was

booming in the aftermath of II, less people needed parties to help them get 1obs.

ational committees were the wea(est level of part organization, throughout the larger part of

their )+0 ears histor, up until the moment when Republican illiam Froc(, chairman of theRepublican ational :ommittee from )*BH to )*82 revolutionized the sstem and opened the

wa to modern part politics. 'is model strateg included the hiring of political operatives,

eperts on polling, fund"raising, campaigning and media. %his model was later adopted bDemocrats also, and b 20)0 these national committees were closel involved in candidate

recruitment and all other necessar elements of the campaign. owadas, these national

committees are active and receive considerable funds. :ompetition between parties has become

less civil, since these powerful structures wor( ver hard to assure their candidateCs success,often disregarding common sense and fair pla.

Part organizations have become large campaign"consulting firms. Despite their efforts, thecontribute onl a fraction of the resources devoted to electioneering, as candidates create

personal organizations.

In the case of interest groups, political theorists have developed the theor that the balance of

power between interest groups and parties is negativel correlated. Parties tr to snthesize

narrow interests to ma(e the broad appeals necessar to win elections, and can also provide

resources and deliver the vote, as a result freeing the candidates from dependence on interest

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groups and their resources or reprisals. 6nother competitor for the parties is the media, which

places under debate the merit of parties or interest groups in conveing voter preference to

elected officials.

%o sum up, modern 6merican political life is rather unsstematic, due to the change in the

influence political parties have and the competition between them, interest groups and the mediain determining who is the best e3uipped to manage the development and outcome of electoral

campaigns. %he parties have been democratized, but the do not fail to dominate the structure of

governance and elections. %he Democratic and Republican parties must adapt to the ew6merican Democrac in order to survive.

5ources7

http7;;www.princeton.edu;Kachane;tmve;wi(i)00(;docs;%wo"part


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output had fallen to +9 percent of its )*2* level, and unemploment had risen to between )2 and

)+ million wor(ers, or 2+"$0 percent of the wor( force.

Green Party7 a national 6mericanpoliticalpartfounded in )*89 as a voluntar association ofstate green parties. ith its founding, the -reen Part of the >nited 5tates became the primar

national -reen organization in the >nited 5tates, eclipsing the -reens;-reen Part >56, which

emphasized non"electoral movement building. %he -reen Part of the >nited 5tates of 6mericais founded on the Gour Pillars of the -reen Part74cological isdom, 5ocial and 4conomic

ustice, -rassroots Democrac, and onviolence and Peace. It emphasizes environmentalism,

non"hierarchical participator democrac, social 1ustice, respect for diversit, peace, andnonviolence.

6amiton% Ae!ander - was a Gounding Gather of the >nited 5tates,Q)chief of staff to -eneral

ashington, one of the most influential interpreters and promoters of the :onstitution, the

founder of the nation#s financial sstem, and the founder of the first 6merican political part. 6s5ecretar of the %reasur, 'amilton was the primar author of the economic policies of the

-eorge ashington administration, especiall the funding of the state debts b the Gederal

government, theestablishment of a national ban(, a sstem of tariffs, and friendl trade relations

with Fritain. 'e became the leader of the Gederalist Part, created largel in support of hisviews, and was opposed b the Democratic"Republican Part, led b %homas efferson and

ames Ladison.

6ouse of Representatives 5 forms one of the two branches of the >.5. :ongress. %he 'ouse

comprises 9$+ members who are elected to two"ear terms. %he >.5. :onstitution vests the

'ouse with the sole power of introducing bills for raising revenue, ma(ing it one of the mostinfluential components of the >.5. government.

Interest *roups7 refers to virtuall an voluntar association that see(s to publicl promote and

create advantages for its cause. It applies to a vast ara of diverse organizations. %his includes

corporations, charitable organizations, civil rights groups, neighborhood associations,professional and trade associations

8ackson% Andre+ - was the seventh President of the >nited 5tates )82*!)8$BE. Fased in

frontier %ennessee, ac(son was a politician and arm general who defeated the :ree(Indians atthe Fattle of 'orseshoe Fend)8)9E, and the Fritish at the Fattle of ew rleans)8)+E. 6

polarizing figure who dominated the 5econd Part 5stemin the )820s and )8$0s, as president

he dismantled the 5econd Fan( of the >nited 5tates and initiated forced relocation andresettlement ofative 6mericantribes from the 5outheast to west of the Lississippi River. 'is

enthusiastic followers created the modern Democratic Part. %he )8$0!)8+0 period later became

(nown as the era of ac(sonian democrac.

8efferson% ")omas 5 was an 6merican Gounding Gather, the principal author of the Declarationof Independence )BBHE and the third President of the >nited 5tates )80)!)80*E. 'e was a

spo(esman for democrac and the rights of man with worldwide influence. 6t the beginning of

the 6merican Revolution, he served in the :ontinental :ongress, representing &irginia and thenserved as a wartime -overnor of &irginia)BB*!)B8)E. ust after the war ended, from mid")B89

efferson served as a diplomat, stationed in Paris. In La )B8+, he became the >nited 5tates

Linister to Grance. efferson was the first >nited 5tates 5ecretar of 5tate)B*0!)B*$E servingunder President -eorge ashington. ith his close friend ames Ladison he organized the

Democratic"Republican Part, and subse3uentl resigned from ashington#s cabinet.

ansas5$ebraska Act 7'>


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determine if the would allow slaver within their boundaries. %he initial purpose of the ?ansas!

ebras(a 6ct was to create opportunities for a Lideastern %ranscontinental Railroad. It became

problematic when popular sovereigntwas written into the proposal. %he act was designed bDemocratic5en. 5tephen 6. Douglasof Illinois.%he act established that settlers could vote to

decide whether to allow slaver, in the name of popular sovereignt or rule of the people.

Douglas hoped that would ease relations between the orth and the 5outh, because the 5outhcould epand slaver to new territories but the orth still had the right to abolish slaver in its

states. Instead, opponents denounced the law as a concession to the slave powerof the 5outh.

%he new Republican Part, which was created in opposition to the act, aimed to stop theepansion of slaver and soon emerged as the dominant force throughout the orth.

efauver% 1stes 5 was an 6merican politician from %ennessee. 6 member of the Democratic

Part, he served in the >.5. 'ouse of Representatives from )*$* to )*9* and in the 5enate from

)*9* to his death in )*H$.

#iberty Party 5 >.5. political part )890!98E created b abolitionistswho believed in political

action to further antislaver goals. In opposition to illiam Jlod -arrisonand his followers

who scorned political activit as both futile and sinful in the battle to end slaverE, a group of

abolitionists met in arsaw, ew Nor(, to organize the Jibert Part.Mac)ine ! a highl organized part under the control of a boss and based on patronage adn

control of government activities. Lachines were common in man cities in the late )* th and earl20th centuries.

Missouri Compromise 7'>2&9" between thepro"slaverand anti"slaverfactions in the >nited

5tates :ongress, involving primaril the regulation of slaver in the western territories. Itprohibited slaver in the former Jouisiana %erritor north of the parallel $HS$0T north ecept

within the boundaries of the proposed state ofLissouri.

$e+ ,ea" the domestic program of the administration of >.5. President Gran(lin D. Roosevelt

between )*$$ and )*$*, which too( action to bring about immediate economic relief as well asreforms in industr, agriculture, finance, waterpower, labour, and housing, vastl increasing the

scope of the federal governmentCs activities. %he term was ta(en from RooseveltCs speech

accepting the Democratic nomination for the presidenc on ul 2, )*$2. Reacting to theineffectiveness of the administration of President 'erbert 'oover in meeting the ravages of the

-reat Depression,6merican voters the following ovember overwhelmingl voted in favour of

the Democratic promise of a /new deal for the /forgotten man. pposed to the traditional6merican political philosoph of laissez"faire, the ew Deal generall embraced the concept of

a government"regulated econom aimed at achieving a balance between conflicting economic

interests.

Obama% 0arack " is the 99th and current President of the >nited 5tates, the first 6frican6merican to hold the office. Forn in 'onolulu, 'awaii, bama is a graduate of :olumbia

>niversit and 'arvard Jaw 5chool, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review. 'e

was a communit organizer in :hicago before earning his law degree. 'e wor(ed as a civil rightsattorne in :hicago and taught constitutional law at the >niversit of :hicago Jaw 5chool from

)**2 to 2009. 'e served three terms representing the )$th District in the Illinois 5enate from

)**B to 2009, running unsuccessfull for the >nited 5tates 'ouse of Representatives in 2000.

Pain% Sara) " is an 6merican politician, commentator and author who served as the ninth

-overnor of 6las(a, from 200H to 200*. 6s the Republican Part nominee for &ice President in

the 2008 presidential election alongside 6rizona 5enator ohn Lc:ain, she was the first 6las(an

on the national tic(et of a ma1or part and first Republican woman nominated for the vice

)2
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcontinental_Railroadhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_sovereigntyhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_Democratic_Partyhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_A._Douglashttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_A._Douglashttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinoishttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinoishttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_sovereigntyhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_powerhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_powerhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_United_Stateshttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_Republican_Partyhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_Republican_Partyhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1448/abolitionismhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/226208/William-Lloyd-Garrisonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_state_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_regions_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Territoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_36%C2%B030%E2%80%B2_northhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missourihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missourihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missourihttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/509263/Franklin-D-Roosevelthttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/243118/Great-Depressionhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/243118/Great-Depressionhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcontinental_Railroadhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_sovereigntyhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_Democratic_Partyhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_A._Douglashttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinoishttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_sovereigntyhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_powerhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_United_Stateshttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_Republican_Partyhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1448/abolitionismhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/226208/William-Lloyd-Garrisonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_state_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_regions_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Territoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_36%C2%B030%E2%80%B2_northhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missourihttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/509263/Franklin-D-Roosevelthttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/243118/Great-Depression


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presidenc.

Party defection7 the act of giving up allegiance to one state in echange for another, in a wa

which is considered illegitimate b the first state. It involves abandoning a cause or doctrine towhich one is bound b some tie, as of allegiance or dut.

Patforms! 5tatements of political parties highlighting their positions on ma1or issues of the

da.Poitica parties! -roups of li(e"minded people who band together in an attempt to ta(e control

of government. Parties represent the primar connection between ordinar citizens and the public

officials the elect.

Popuist Party ! sought to represent the interests of farmers and laborers in the )8*0s,

advocating increased currenc issue, free coinage of gold and silver, public ownership of

railroads, and a graduated federal income ta.

PR5 proportiona representation system7 a class of voting sstems that attempt to ma(e thepercentage of offices awarded to candidates reflect as closel as possible the percentage of votes

that the received in the election. It is the most widel used set of electoral sstems in the world,

and its variants can be found at some level of government in almost ever countr including the

>nited 5tates, where some cit councils are elected using forms of PRE.Pro*ressive movement7 Progressivism is the term applied to a variet of responses to the

economic and social problems rapid industrialization introduced to 6merica. Progressivismbegan as a social movement and grew into a political movement. %he earl progressives re1ected

5ocial Darwinism. In other words, the were people who believed that the problems societ

faced povert, violence, greed, racism, class warfareE could best be addressed b providing goodeducation, a safe environment, and an efficient wor(place.

Pro*ressive Party! faded 3uic(l after the elections of )*)2, but over the course the ensuing

centur, the progressivesC vision of a new democrac, one released from the constraints of the

past and reorganized to pursue great national purposes, transformed the scope, structure, andoperations of 6merican government. %oda, progressivism is as controversial as ever. Lan of

the progressivesC prescriptions turned out to have conse3uences that were unintended and

counterproductive, and even in their decades of greatest achievement, their reforms tended tofinesse obstacles the could not completel overcome.

Reai*nment! 5hift occurring when the pattern of group support for political parties changes in

a significant and lasting wa.

Reconstruction! the period )8H+!BBE that followed the 6merican :ivil arand during which

attempts were made to redress the ine3uities of slaver and its political, social, and economic

legac and to solve the problems arising from the readmission to the >nion of the )) states that

had seceded at or before the outbrea( of war. Jong portraed b man historians as a time whenvindictive Radical Republicans fastened blac( supremac upon the defeated :onfederac,

Reconstruction has since the late 20th centur been viewed more smpatheticall as a laudable

eperiment in interracial democrac. Reconstruction witnessed far"reaching changes in6mericaCs political life. 6t the national level, new laws and constitutional amendments

permanentl altered the federal sstem and the definition of 6merican citizenship. In the 5outh, a

politicall mobilized blac( communit 1oined with white allies to bring the Republican Parttopower, and with it a redefinition of the responsibilities of government.

Repubican $ationa Committee7 is a >.5.political committeethat provides national leadership

for theRepublican Part of the >nited 5tates. It is responsible for developing and promoting the

Republicanpolitical platform, as well as coordinating fundraisingand election strateg. It is also

)$
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responsible for organizing and running the Republican ational :onvention. 5imilar committees

eist in ever >.5. stateand most >.5. counties, although in some states part organization is

structured b congressional district, allied campaign organizations being governed b a nationalcommittee. Reince Priebusis the current R: :hairman.

Roosevet% /rankin ,.! commonl (nown b his initials, /,R, $2ndPresident of the >nited

5tates)*$$!)*9+E, served for )2 ears and four terms until his death in )*9+, the onl presidentever to do so, and a central figure in world events during the mid"20th centur, leading the

>nited 5tates during a time of worldwide economic depression and total war. 6 dominant leader

of the Democratic Partand the onl 6merican president elected to more than two terms, he builta ew Deal :oalition that realigned 6merican politics after )*$2, as his domestic policies

defined 6merican liberalismfor the middle third of the 20th centur. In his first hundred das in

office, which began Larch 9, )*$$, Roosevelt spearheaded ma1or legislation and issued a

profusion of eecutive orders that instituted the ew DealOa variet of programs designed toproduce relief government 1obs for the unemploedE, recover economic growthE, and reform

through regulation of all 5treet, ban(s and transportationE. %he econom improved rapidl

from )*$$ to )*$B, but then relapsed into a deep recession.

Senate" is a legislative chamber in the bicameral legislatureof the >nited 5tates of 6merica,and together with the >.5. 'ouse of Representatives ma(es up the >.5. :ongress. %he

composition and powers of the 5enate are established in 6rticle neof the >.5. :onstitution.4ach >.5. stateis represented b two senators, regardless of population, who serve staggered si"

ear terms. %he chamber of the >nited 5tates 5enate is located in the north wing of the :apitol,

inashington, D.:., the national capital. %he 'ouse of Representatives convenes in the southwing of the same building.

SMSP system - sin*e member% simpe5puraity7 voting sstemin which the single winner is

the person with the most votesM there is no re3uirement that the winner gain an absolute majority

of votes.

Stevenson% Adai " was an 6merican politician, noted for his intellectual demeanor, elo3uent

orator, and promotion of liberal causes in the Democratic Part. 'e served as the $)st -overnor

of Illinois, and received the Democratic Part#s nomination for president in )*+2 and )*+HM bothtimes he was defeated b Republican Dwight D. 4isenhower. 'e sought the Democratic

presidential nomination for a third time in the election of )*H0, but was defeated b 5enator ohn

G. ?enned of Lassachusetts. 6fter his election, President ?enned appointed 5tevenson as the6mbassador to the >nited ationsM he served from )*H) to )*H+.

"aft% Robert" was an 6merican politician, conservative statesman and presidential hopeful who

served as a Republican 5enator from hio from )*$* until his death in )*+$. 6 member of the

%aft political famil, he was the eldest son of illiam 'oward %aft, the 2Bth President of the>nited 5tates and tenth :hief ustice of the >nited 5tates.

")e ,emocratic Party is one of the two ma1or contemporar political parties in the >nited

5tates along with the ounger Republican Part. %racing its origins bac( to the Democratic"Republican Part, the modern Democratic Part was founded around )828. It is the oldest

political part in the world.It has elected )+ presidents. %he first was 6ndrew ac(son, serving

from )82* to )8$BM the most recent is the current president, Farac( bama, who has served since200*. 5ince the )*$0s, the part has promoted a sociall liberal and progressive platform.

")e Repubican Party% also commonl called the -P for U-rand ld PartUE, is one of the

two ma1or contemporar political parties in the >nited 5tates, the other being the Democratic

Part. Gounded b anti"slaver activists in )8+9, it dominated politics nationall for most of the

)9
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american presidency 2

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