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Lesson 4: Political Parties

Lesson 4: Political Parties. What is a political ideology? A political ideology is a set of shared ideas or beliefs about how politics and government

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Lesson 4: Political Parties

What is a political ideology?• A political ideology is a set of shared ideas or beliefs

about how politics and government should work.• Common ideologies include liberalism,

conservatism, and socialism. Others include communism and fascism.

What is the political spectrum?• The political spectrum characterizes beliefs, values

and priorities, and provides a framework in which to view and evaluate political parties and policies.

• A linear spectrum is represented as a horizontal line, with parties on the left embracing change, bigger government and more services, and parties on the right usually favouring tradition, small government and lower taxes.

Political Spectrum QuestionsDo you agree or disagree with the following?

• Should the minimum wage be increased or decreased?

• Should the government spend more or less on our armed forces?

• Should wealthier people pay more or less taxes?

What is a political party?• A political party is a group of like-minded individuals

with a shared vision and political ideology.• Anyone above the required age can be a member of

a political party — for most parties the age is 14. • Party members work together to achieve power

through an election and create meaningful political change.

• Each party also selects a leader, usually through a leadership contest or vote.

Alberta Political Parties• There are 9 political parties Alberta.

– Alberta First Party– Alberta Liberal Party – Alberta New Democratic Party – Alberta Party – Alberta Social Credit Party – Communist Party - Alberta – Green Party of Alberta – Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta – Wildrose Party

Alberta Political Parties

What is a party platform?• A series of declared principles and policies on

jurisdictional issues concerning government and the public.

• While all the political parties may agree that education is a priority, they may have different ideas about how to improve the system or which aspects to focus on.

• Political parties announce their platform through announcements, advertising and events, and share their ideas to attract support from voters.

How does a party form government?• The party that elects the most number of

representatives or wins the most seats usually forms government.

• At the provincial level, the leader of the party that forms government becomes the premier.

• After the 2012 provincial election, the Progressive Conservatives formed government because they had 61 out of 87 legislative seats.

2012 Provincial Election ResultsPolitical Party Candidates

ElectedPopular Vote

Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta

61 43.95%

Wildrose Party 17 34.29%

Alberta Liberal Party 5 9.89%

Alberta New Democratic Party 4 9.82%

Alberta Party 0 1.33%

Evergreen Party of Alberta 0 0.39%

Alberta Social Credit Party 0 0.02%

Communist Party – Alberta 0 0.01%

The Separation Party of Alberta 0 0.01%

Independent candidates 0 0.27%

2012 Provincial Student Vote ResultsPolitical Party Candidates

ElectedPopular Vote

Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta

54 34.60%

Wildrose Party 23 28.19%

Alberta Liberal Party 5 18.06%

Alberta New Democratic Party 4 12.97%

Alberta Party 1 2.78%

Evergreen Party of Alberta 0 2.28%

Alberta Social Credit Party 0 0.05%

Communist Party – Alberta 0 0.14%

The Separation Party of Alberta 0 0.05%

Independent candidates 0 0.89%

Final Thoughts• Why are political parties important?

• What advantages and disadvantages are there to running for a party compared to running as an independent?

• Would you ever join a political party? Why or why not?