How Registered Political Parties There Are In The Usa

Political parties

The U.s. has ii major national political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Political party. Although the parties contest presidential elections every four years and have national party organizations, betwixt elections they are often petty more than loose alliances of state and local political party organizations. Other parties have occasionally challenged the Democrats and Republicans. Since the Republican Party's ascent to major political party condition in the 1850s, however, minor parties have had only limited electoral success, generally restricted either to influencing the platforms of the major parties or to siphoning off enough votes from a major political party to deprive that party of victory in a presidential election. In the 1912 ballot, for example, former Republican president Theodore Roosevelt challenged Republican President William Howard Taft, splitting the votes of Republicans and allowing Democrat Woodrow Wilson to win the presidency with only 42 percent of the vote, and the 2.seven percentage of the vote won by Greenish Political party nominee Ralph Nader in 2000 may have tipped the presidency toward Republican George Westward. Bush by attracting votes that otherwise would have been cast for Democrat Al Gore.

Nixon, Richard M.
Richard G. Nixon during a campaign stop in 1968, saluting the crowd with his iconic "V-is-for-Victory" gesture.
Oliver F. Atkins—White Business firm Photo/Nixon Presidential Library and Museum/NARA

There are several reasons for the failure of minor parties and the resilience of America'southward two-political party arrangement. In order to win a national ballot, a party must appeal to a broad base of operations of voters and a broad spectrum of interests. The two major parties have tended to adopt centrist political programs, and sometimes there are only minor differences between them on major issues, particularly those related to foreign affairs. Each party has both conservative and liberal wings, and on some issues (eastward.g., affirmative action) bourgeois Democrats have more than in common with bourgeois Republicans than with liberal Democrats. The country's "winner-take-all" plurality arrangement, in contrast to the proportional representation used in many other countries (whereby a party, for case, that won 5 percent of the vote would be entitled to roughly 5 pct of the seats in the legislature), has penalized pocket-size parties by requiring them to win a plurality of the vote in individual districts in order to gain representation. The Democratic and Republican Party candidates are automatically placed on the general ballot election, while minor parties often have to expend considerable resource collecting enough signatures from registered voters to secure a position on the ballot. Finally, the cost of campaigns, particularly presidential campaigns, often discourages pocket-size parties. Since the 1970s, presidential campaigns (primaries and caucuses, national conventions, and general elections) take been publicly funded through a tax checkoff arrangement, whereby taxpayers tin can designate whether a portion of their federal taxes (in the early 21st century, $3 for an private and $6 for a married couple) should exist allocated to the presidential campaign fund. Whereas the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates receive total federal financing (nearly $75 million in 2004) for the full general ballot, a small-scale party is eligible for a portion of the federal funds only if its candidate surpassed 5 percentage in the prior presidential election (all parties with at least 25 percent of the national vote in the prior presidential election are entitled to equal funds). A new party contesting the presidential election is entitled to federal funds subsequently the election if it received at least 5 percent of the national vote.

Both the Democratic and Republican parties have undergone significant ideological transformations throughout their histories. The mod Democratic Political party traditionally supports organized labour, minorities, and progressive reforms. Nationally, information technology generally espouses a liberal political philosophy, supporting greater governmental intervention in the economy and less governmental regulation of the private lives of citizens. It also generally supports higher taxes (particularly on the wealthy) to finance social welfare benefits that provide assistance to the elderly, the poor, the unemployed, and children. Past contrast, the national Republican Party supports limited authorities regulation of the economic system, lower taxes, and more conservative (traditional) social policies. In 2009 the Tea Party movement, a conservative populist social and political motility, emerged and attracted generally disaffected Republicans.

At the state level, political parties reflect the multifariousness of the population. Democrats in the Southern states are mostly more conservative than Democrats in New England or the Pacific Coast states; likewise, Republicans in New England or the mid-Atlantic states as well generally adopt more liberal positions than Republicans in the S or the mountain states of the West. Large urban centres are more likely to back up the Democratic Party, whereas rural areas, small cities, and suburban areas tend more often to vote Republican. Some states have traditionally given majorities to ane item party. For case, considering of the legacy of the Civil War and its aftermath, the Democratic Political party dominated the eleven Southern states of the onetime Confederacy until the mid-20th century. Since the 1960s, however, the S and the mountain states of the Due west take heavily favoured the Republican Party; in other areas, such as New England, the mid-Atlantic, and the Pacific Declension, back up for the Democratic Party is strong. Compare, for example, the 1960 and presidential elections.

American presidential election, 1960
Results of the American presidential election, 1960. Sources: Electoral and popular vote totals based on data from the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and *Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections*, 4th ed. (2001).
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

By the early on 21st century, political pundits were routinely dividing the United States into red and blueish states, whose assigned colours not only indicated which party was locally dominant just also signified the supposed prevalence of a set of social and cultural values. According to the received wisdom, the ruddy states—generally located in the Southward, West, and Lower Midwest—were Republican, conservative, God-fearing, "pro-life" (on the issue of abortion), small-scale-boondocks and suburban, opposed to big government and same-sex matrimony, and enamoured of NASCAR. The blueish states—constitute by and large on the coasts, in the Northeast, and in the Upper Midwest—were similarly reductively characterized as Democratic, liberal, secular, politically correct, "pro-pick" (on ballgame), urban, and connoisseurs of wine, cheese, and latte.

Both the Autonomous and Republican parties select their candidates for office through primary elections. Traditionally, individuals worked their way up through the party organisation, belonging to a neighbourhood party club, helping to enhance funds, getting out the vote, watching the polls, and gradually rising to become a candidate for local, state, and—depending on chance, talent, political expediency, and a host of other factors—college office. Considering American elections are now more than heavily candidate-centred rather than party-centred and are less susceptible to control by party bosses, wealthy candidates have often been able to circumvent the traditional party organization to win their political party's nomination.

Bill Clinton and Al Gore
Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton (right) and his running mate, Al Gore, raising their arms at the end of the Autonomous National Convention in New York City, July 16, 1992.
Marcy Nighswaner—AP/Shutterstock.com

Security

National security

The September 11 attacks of 2001 precipitated the cosmos of the Department of Homeland Security, which is charged with protecting the The states confronting terrorist attacks. The legislation establishing the department—the largest government reorganization in 50 years—consolidated much of the country'due south security infrastructure, integrating the functions of more than than 20 agencies under Homeland Security. The department'due south noun responsibilities are divided into four directorates: border and transportation security, emergency preparedness, information analysis and infrastructure protection, and scientific discipline and applied science. The Secret Service, which protects the president, vice president, and other designated individuals, is likewise under the department's jurisdiction.

The country'south military forces consist of the U.S. Ground forces, Navy (including the Marine Corps), and Air Forcefulness, under the umbrella of the Section of Defense, which is headquartered in the Pentagon building in Arlington county, Virginia. (A related force, the Coast Baby-sit, is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security.) Conscription was ended in 1973, and since that fourth dimension the United States has maintained a wholly volunteer armed services forcefulness; since 1980, however, all male citizens (also as immigrant alien males) between 18 and 25 years of age have been required to annals for selective service in case a typhoon is necessary during a crunch. The armed services as well maintain reserve forces that may be chosen upon in fourth dimension of war. Each state has a National Guard consisting of reserve groups field of study to phone call at any time by the governor of the land.

Because a big portion of the military budget, which generally constitutes almost fifteen to 20 percent of government expenditures, is spent on matériel and research and development, military machine programs have considerable economic and political bear upon. The influence of the military likewise extends to other countries through a diverseness of multilateral and bilateral treaties and organizations (e.m., the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) for mutual defence force and military assistance. The U.s.a. has military bases in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

The National Security Act of 1947 created a coordinated command for security and intelligence-gathering activities. The human action established the National Security Council (NSC) and the Key Intelligence Agency (CIA), the latter under the authority of the NSC and responsible for foreign intelligence. The National Security Agency, an agency of the Department of Defense force, is responsible for cryptographic and communications intelligence. The Department of Homeland Security analyzes data gathered by the CIA and its domestic counterpart, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to assess threat levels against the United States.

Domestic law enforcement

Traditionally, police force enforcement in the United States has been concentrated in the easily of local constabulary officials, though the number of federal police-enforcement officers began to increase in the late 20th century. The majority of the work is performed by police and detectives in the cities and past sheriffs and constables in rural areas. Many state governments likewise have law-enforcement agencies, and all of them have highway-patrol systems for enforcing traffic constabulary.

The investigation of crimes that come under federal jurisdiction (due east.g., those committed in more than one state) is the responsibility of the FBI, which besides provides assistance with fingerprint identification and technical laboratory services to state and local law-enforcement agencies. In add-on, certain federal agencies—such equally the Drug Enforcement Administration of the Section of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms of the Department of the Treasury—are empowered to enforce specific federal laws.

Health and welfare

Despite the state'south enormous wealth, poverty remains a reality for many people in the United States, though programs such as Social Security and Medicare accept significantly reduced the poverty rate among senior citizens. In the early 21st century, more than 1-tenth of the general population—and about i-sixth of children nether xviii years of age—lived in poverty. About one-half the poor live in homes in which the caput of the household is a total- or part-time wage earner. Of the others living in poverty, many are too former to piece of work or are disabled, and a large percentage are mothers of immature children. The states provide help to the poor in varying amounts, and the United States Department of Agronomics subsidizes the distribution of depression-cost food and food stamps to the poor through the state and local governments. Unemployment aid, provided for past the 1935 Social Security Act, is funded through worker and employer contributions.

Lyndon B. Johnson: Medicare
Former U.Due south. president Harry Due south. Truman (correct) looking on equally U.South. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Medicare bill at the Harry Southward. Truman Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri, July thirty, 1965.
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum/NARA

Increasing public concern with poverty and welfare led to new federal legislation offset in the 1960s, peculiarly the Great Society programs of the presidential administration of Lyndon B. Johnson. Piece of work, training, and rehabilitation programs were established in 1964 for welfare recipients. Betwixt 1964 and 1969 the Role of Economic Opportunity began a number of programs, including the Head Outset plan for preschool children, the Neighborhood Youth Corps, and the Teacher Corps. Responding to allegations of abuse in the state's welfare system and charges that information technology encouraged dependency, the federal authorities introduced reforms in 1996, including limiting long-term benefits, requiring recipients to find work, and devolving much of the conclusion making to united states.

Head Start
Lady Bird Johnson, wife of U.S. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson, visiting a classroom at the Kemper School in Washington, D.C., for Head Outset, March 19, 1968.
LBJ Library photo by Robert Knudsen

Persons who accept been employed are eligible for retirement pensions under the Social Security program, and their surviving spouses and dependent children are generally eligible for survivor benefits. Many employers provide boosted retirement benefits, usually funded by worker and employer contributions. In addition, millions of Americans maintain private retirement accounts, such every bit the popular 401(k) plan, which is organized by employers and allows workers (sometimes with matching funds from their employer) to contribute part of their earnings on a revenue enhancement-deferred basis to individual investment accounts.

With total health intendance spending significantly exceeding $1 trillion annually, the provision of medical and health care is 1 of the largest industries in the U.s.. At that place are, nevertheless, many inadequacies in medical services, particularly in rural and poor areas. At the kickoff of the 21st century, some two-thirds of the population was covered by employer-based health insurance plans, and about ane-sixth of the population, including members of the armed services and their families, received medical care paid for or subsidized by the federal government, with that for the poor provided by Medicaid. Approximately one-6th of the population was not covered by any form of health insurance.

The situation changed markedly with the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Deed (PPACA), ofttimes referred to just as Obamacare because of its advocacy by Pres. Barack Obama, who signed it into law in March 2010. Considered the well-nigh far-reaching wellness care reform deed since the passage of Medicare—only vehemently opposed by most Republicans every bit an human activity of government overreach—the PPACA included provisions that required most individuals to secure health insurance or pay fines, made coverage easier and less plush to obtain, cracked down on abusive insurance practices, and attempted to rein in ascent costs of wellness care.

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Human activity
Pres. Barack Obama (center left) and Vice Pres. Joe Biden (centre correct) reacting after the U.Southward. House of Representatives passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, March 21, 2010.
Pete Souza—Official White House Photo

The federal Section of Wellness and Human Services, through its National Institutes of Health, supports much of the biomedical research in the United States. Grants are also made to researchers in clinics and medical schools.

Housing

Well-nigh three-fifths of the housing units in the United states of america are discrete single-family unit homes, and about two-thirds are possessor-occupied. Most houses are synthetic of wood, and many are covered with shingles or brick veneer. The housing stock is relatively modernistic; near one-third of all units accept been constructed since 1980, while about one-fifth of units were built prior to 1940. The average habitation is relatively large, with more than than ii-thirds of homes consisting of five or more rooms.

Alexandria, Virginia
Nineteenth-century town houses in Alexandria, Virginia.
Milt and Joan Isle of man/CameraMann International

Housing has long been considered a private rather than a public concern. The growth of urban slums, nevertheless, led many municipal governments to enact stricter building codes and sanitary regulations. In 1934 the Federal Housing Assistants was established to make loans to institutions that would build depression-rent dwellings. However, efforts to reduce slums in large cities by developing low-cost housing in other areas were oft resisted by local residents who feared a subsequent decline in property values. For many years the restrictive covenant, by which property owners pledged not to sell to certain racial or religious groups, served to bar those groups from many communities. In 1948 the Supreme Court declared such covenants unenforceable, and in 1962 Pres. John F. Kennedy issued an executive club prohibiting discrimination in housing built with federal aid. Since that time many states and cities take adopted fair-housing laws and prepare fair-housing commissions. Notwithstanding, there are considerable racial disparities in dwelling house ownership; almost three-fourths of whites but only near half of Hispanics and African Americans own their housing units.

During the 1950s and '60s big loftier-rise public housing units were built for low-income families in many large U.South. cities, but these oft became centres of crime and unemployment, and minority groups and the poor continued to live in segregated urban ghettos. During the 1990s and the early 21st century, efforts were made to demolish many of the housing projects and to replace them with articulation public-private housing communities that would include varying income levels.

Education

The interplay of local, state, and national programs and policies is particularly axiomatic in didactics. Historically, teaching has been considered the province of the state and local governments. Of the approximately 4,000 colleges and universities (including branch campuses), the academies of the military are amidst the few federal institutions. (The federal regime also administers, amongst others, the Academy of the Virgin Islands.) However, since 1862—when public lands were granted to the states to sell to fund the establishment of colleges of agricultural and mechanical arts, chosen land-grant colleges—the federal government has been involved in education at all levels. Additionally, the federal regime supports schoolhouse luncheon programs, administers American Indian education, makes research grants to universities, underwrites loans to higher students, and finances education for veterans. It has been widely debated whether the government should also give assistance to private and parochial (religious) schools or tax deductions to parents choosing to send their children to such schools. Although the Supreme Courtroom has ruled that direct assist to parochial schools is barred by the Constitution's Outset Amendment—which states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"—it has allowed the provision of textbooks and so-called supplementary educational centres on the grounds that their primary purpose is educative rather than religious.

Public secondary and elementary education is costless and provided primarily by local government. Education is compulsory, generally from historic period vii through 16, though the historic period requirements vary somewhat amongst the states. The literacy rate exceeds 95 percentage. In order to address the educational needs of a complex society, governments at all levels take pursued diverse strategies, including preschool programs, classes in the community, summertime and nighttime schools, additional facilities for exceptional children, and programs aimed at culturally deprived and disaffected students.

Although master responsibility for elementary educational activity rests with local government, it is increasingly affected by state and national policies. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, for case, required federal agencies to discontinue financial assistance to school districts that were non racially integrated, and in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg County (North Carolina) Lath of Education (1971) the Supreme Court mandated busing to accomplish racially integrated schools, a remedy that often required long commutes for African American children living in largely segregated enclaves. In the tardily 20th and the early 21st century, busing remained a controversial political issue, and many localities (including Charlotte) ended their busing programs or had them terminated past federal judges. In improver, the No Child Left Behind Act, enacted in 2002, increased the federal role in elementary and secondary teaching by requiring states to implement standards of accountability for public uncomplicated and secondary schools.

James T. Harris The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica