Political Parties
Vocabulary
Liberalism
Government action to achieve opportunity
and equity for all
 Duty of state to protect civil liberties and
individual rights
 Need for government to solve problems

Conservatism
Personal responsibility
 Free markets
 Individual liberty
 Empowerment to individual to solve
problems

Progressivism

Advocating change and reform
Libertarianism
Maximization of individual liberty
 Personal right to life and liberty

Mass Media

Communicating to a large audience
through television, radio, newspaper and
internet
Two Party System
Political system dominated by two major
political parties
 Republicans and Democrats

Grass Roots Movement
Driven by the politics of a community
 Average voters

Demographic

Characteristics of a population
Right to Work Laws

Prohibit agreements between trade unions
and employers making membership or
payment of union duties or “fee” a
condition of employment
Interest Groups

Organization that seeks to influence
political decisions

NRA, PETA, AARP
PAC’s – Political Action
Committees
Non-party group political arms of special
interest
 Can contribute to candidates: gave 600
million to Presidential and Congress
campaigns in 2004
