Lesson 4: The Impact of Political Parties on the Political Process
Duration of Days: 1
Lesson Objective
Students will be able to analyze how political parties influence elections, policy-making, and the legislative process in the United States.
How do political parties shape what happens in American government?
Party platform, caucus, party discipline, gridlock, bipartisan
Civics and Government standards related to the functions and impact of political parties.
Understanding the roles and influence of political parties is crucial for interpreting passages about U.S. government and politics on the SAT.
This lesson delves into the practical effects of political parties on the functioning of the U.S. government. The purpose is to analyze the impact of parties. (DOK Level 3: Analyze)
Analyze recent legislative debates or policy changes and identify the roles played by different political parties. Discuss the concept of "party line" voting.
Students might view political parties as solely negative or solely positive forces, without recognizing their complex influence.
Support: Provide sentence starters or a structured outline for analyzing the impact of parties on a specific political process (e.g., passing a law).
Challenge: Have students research a specific instance of bipartisan cooperation or partisan conflict and analyze the role of political parties.
Students will complete a graphic organizer outlining the influence of political parties on elections, policy-making, and the legislative process, providing specific examples.
Whiteboard or projector, markers, examples of party platforms, news articles or excerpts about legislative processes.