Political Party Systems Presentation: Create A PowerPoint ✓ Solved

Political Party Systems Presentation: Create a PowerPoint pr

Political Party Systems Presentation: Create a PowerPoint presentation explaining the two-party political system in the United States and describing each party's actions and functions during a presidential election. Discuss each party's process to select a nominee for president, identifying each step of the process. You may choose a particular presidential election and follow the candidates from announcing candidacy to selection as the party nominee. The presentation must consist of 10 to 14 slides, not counting title and reference slides. Include a title slide with your name, date, course, and assignment. Provide objectives, a table of contents, or an introductory slide. Provide information about each political party's structure and composition. Include a definition of superdelegates and an example of their impact on an election. Identify and summarize political machines at play and their impact. Explain how media acts as a political socializing agent during an election and how each party uses the media. Provide three to four pictures, maps, or graphs to illustrate important points. Include a few bullets assessing whether the two-party system remains a fair and viable process. Do not create more than 14 slides. Use APA formatting for paraphrased and quoted material.

Paper For Above Instructions

Executive Summary

This paper outlines a 10–14 slide PowerPoint presentation designed to explain the U.S. two-party system, describe party actions and functions during a presidential election, and map the full nominee-selection process. It identifies party structure and composition, defines superdelegates with an illustrative example, summarizes political machines and their impacts, explains how media functions as a political socialization agent and how both major parties use media, lists recommended images and graphs, and provides brief evaluative bullets on the fairness and viability of the two-party system (Aldrich, 2011; Hershey, 2017).

Slide Structure and Suggested Content

  • Title slide: student name, date, course, assignment.
  • Intro/Objective slide: presentation goals, table of contents.
  • Context slide: overview of the two-party system in the U.S. (history and functions).
  • Party Structure slides (two slides): organization, membership, national committees, state parties, grassroots, and coalitions for the Democratic and Republican parties (Hershey, 2017).
  • Nomination Process slides (two to three slides): step-by-step walkthrough of declaring candidacy, primaries and caucuses, delegate allocation, national conventions, and transition to the general election (NCSL, 2020).
  • Superdelegates slide: definition and example (e.g., Democratic 2016 primary and 2008 contest dynamics), including their historical role and recent reforms (Brookings, 2016).
  • Political Machines slide: historical example (Tammany Hall) and modern equivalents (party organizations, patronage networks, local party infrastructure) with impact analysis (Britannica, 2020).
  • Media slide(s): media as a political socializing agent; differences in how parties use earned media, paid advertising, and social media (Pew Research Center, 2016).
  • Assessment slide: 3–4 bullet points evaluating the fairness and viability of the two-party system.
  • Visuals slide: 3–4 recommended pictures/graphs/maps (electoral map by state, delegate allocation chart, historical timeline of Tammany Hall, social media engagement graph).
  • Conclusion slide: summary and takeaways.
  • Reference slide: APA-formatted sources.

Detailed Content: Party Structure and Composition

The U.S. two-party system is dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties, each with a national committee (DNC, RNC), state-level organizations, campaign arms, and affiliated interest groups. Party coalitions are built from demographic, geographic, and ideological blocs: labor, minorities, urban voters typically align more with Democrats, while business interests, rural and religious conservative constituencies generally align with Republicans (Aldrich, 2011; Hershey, 2017). Party structure also includes local party organizations that mobilize voters and coordinate get-out-the-vote efforts (Hershey, 2017).

Nomination Process: Step-by-Step

The nominee-selection process includes the following stages (NCSL, 2020):

  1. Exploratory work and formal announcement: candidates declare and begin fundraising and organization.
  2. Primary and caucus phase: states hold primaries (open, closed, or semi-closed) or caucuses to select delegates; rules vary by state and party.
  3. Delegate allocation: delegates are apportioned based on votes (proportional or winner-take-all mechanisms depending on party and state rules).
  4. Role of superdelegates: unpledged delegates (Democratic context) with autonomy to support a candidate at the convention; their potential influence has prompted reform and public debate (Brookings, 2016).
  5. National convention: delegates formally nominate the party's presidential ticket and adopt a platform.
  6. General election campaign: nominees campaign nationwide, culminating in the Electoral College vote.

Superdelegates: Definition and Example

Superdelegates are party officials and leaders who serve as unpledged delegates to the Democratic National Convention and may cast their vote independently of state primary/caucus results. In 2016, superdelegates provided early advantages in delegate counts that reinforced perceptions of establishment support for Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders; this sparked criticism about insider influence and led to reforms limiting superdelegate voting on the first ballot in later cycles (Brookings, 2016).

Political Machines: Historical and Modern Impact

Political machines like New York's Tammany Hall historically controlled votes through patronage and local services in exchange for political loyalty; they shaped candidate selection and governance in the 19th and early 20th centuries (Britannica, 2020). Modern analogues include well-funded party organizations and local political networks that still exert influence through endorsements, fundraising, and mobilization. While less overtly corrupt, these organizations can shape candidate viability and access to resources (Keyssar, 2000).

Media as a Political Socializing Agent

Media shapes public opinion, informs voters, and socializes political identities. Traditional news media frames issues and sets agendas, while social media amplifies messages, micro-targets voters, and enables direct candidate-to-voter communication (Pew Research Center, 2016). Parties use media strategically: Democrats often emphasize narrative framing and coalition messaging; Republicans invest in targeted messaging to conservative outlets and digital platforms. Both parties deploy paid advertising, earned media events, and rapid-response communications to shape perceptions (McCarty, Poole, & Rosenthal, 2016).

Visuals and Data Suggestions

  • Electoral map by state showing recent presidential results (choropleth map).
  • Delegate allocation flowchart showing primaries → delegates → convention.
  • Timeline graphic of Tammany Hall and machine politics.
  • Social media engagement graph comparing party reach and ad spending (OpenSecrets data).

Is the Two-Party System Fair and Viable?

  • Pro: Two-party dominance provides governability, electoral clarity, and coalition-building incentives (Aldrich, 2011).
  • Con: It limits third-party viability, can entrench polarization, and may reduce representation for minority viewpoints (Levitsky & Ziblatt, 2018).
  • Reform possibilities: ranked-choice voting, primary process reforms, and campaign finance transparency could improve fairness and representation (Keyssar, 2000; OpenSecrets, 2020).

Conclusion and Presentation Notes

The recommended 10–14 slide presentation will balance descriptive material, process diagrams, and visual data to explain how parties function and how nominees are selected. Use clear slide headings, concise bullet points, and the suggested images to make complex processes accessible. All paraphrased and quoted material should be cited in APA format on the reference slide and through in-text citations on content slides (Hershey, 2017; NCSL, 2020).

References

  • Aldrich, J. H. (2011). Why Parties? The Origin and Transformation of Political Parties in America. University of Chicago Press.
  • Hershey, M. R. (2017). Party Politics in America (17th ed.). Routledge.
  • National Conference of State Legislatures. (2020). Primary types and timing. https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/primary-types-and-timing.aspx
  • Brookings Institution. (2016). Superdelegates and the Democratic nomination: History and reform. https://www.brookings.edu
  • Pew Research Center. (2016). The role of news media in politics. https://www.pewresearch.org
  • OpenSecrets (Center for Responsive Politics). (2020). Political party fundraising and spending. https://www.opensecrets.org
  • Britannica. (2020). Tammany Hall. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tammany-Hall
  • Levitsky, S., & Ziblatt, D. (2018). How Democracies Die. Crown.
  • McCarty, N., Poole, K. T., & Rosenthal, H. (2016). Polarized America: The Dance of Ideology and Unequal Riches (3rd ed.). MIT Press.
  • Keyssar, A. (2000). The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States. Basic Books.

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