TX Module 10 Assignment
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Module 10 Assignment
Political Parties in Texas
Using the links to the party platforms on Blackboard, in
1-2 sentences describe what the
parties
stand for.
Choose
3 issues
from the list below and provide each party’s positions on each issue you
choose.
You can complete a
fourth for .5 extra credit.
DO NOT CUT AND PASTE from the platforms- take a few seconds to paraphrase.
Bullet
points are fine.
See sample below.
The ‘labels’ in the platforms may be different, so look for similar/related headings when
searching for the positions.
Be mindful that the Libertarian and Green Party platforms are not quite as thorough as
the Democratic and Republican platforms, so do the best you can with what you have. You
can also infer their positions based on their overall statements of principle.
You may also
be able to use the national party platforms.
For the Libertarian and Green Party, tell me whether their position is more closely aligned
with the Democrats or Republicans
Please use my template and follow the sample.
Thoughtfully complete the
essay questions.
Properly cite all sources.
SAMPLE
Party
Issue: Income inequality
Republican
Emphasize personal responsibility and
reject any notion to redistribute wealth
using taxpayer money.
Democrat
Promotes programs/spending to promote
equal opportunity in education and work
to help lift people out of poverty.
Libertarian
Strong supporters of the free market and
oppose any efforts by the government to
redistribute wealth
Does this position
fall in line more
with Dems or
Reps?
REPUBLICANS
Green
They support restructuring of our
government and economy away from a
system that only benefits the powerful
Does this position
fall in line more
with Dems or
Reps?
DEMOCRATS
ISSUES
Abortion/Reproductive Rights
2
nd
Amendment/Gun rights/restrictions
Gay marriage
Coal/petroleum/fossil fuel reliance
Minimum wage/living wage
Legalization of marijuana
War on Drugs/drug policy
Toll roads
Capital punishment/death penalty
Immigration
Party
Issue 1:
Republican
Human life is sacred and abortion
should not be allowed as soon as the
baby is conceived or “fertilized.”
Organizations like Planned Parenthood
should be defunded for providing access
to an abortion, and the Texas Legislature
should be assisting in educating the
public on alternatives to abortion.
Democrat
Access to the full range of reproductive
services, such as access to an abortion,
should be guided by evidence-based
medical science, however the pregnant
person’s decision is supreme.
Places
that provide access to abortion like
Planned Parenthood should be funded.
Libertarian
Government should not be allowed to
restrict access to reproductive services
like abortion, however tax dollars
should not be spent on services such as
this.
Does this position fall in line more
with Dems or Reps?
DEMOCRATS
Green
Women should be able to make their
own decisions regarding reproduction,
and these choices should not be
restricted by the government. Health
Does this position fall in line more
with Dems or Reps?
DEMOCRATS
care services like this are a human right,
however they emphasize preventative
care from publicly funded sex education
programs, so that the need for abortion
is reduced. However, marijuana should
not be fully legalized.
Party
Issue 2: marijuana legalization
Republican
Marijuana should be moved from being a
schedule 1 drug, a drug with no currently
accepted medical use and high potential
for abuse, to a schedule 2 drug where
doctors should make the decision on
whether their patients can use cannabis.
Democrat
Marijuana should be legalized, but also
regulated, and all prisoners charged with
solely marijuana possession should be
released. Grants should be given to
cannabis-related businesses and warning
labels created to educate users on the
potential dangers of the substance.
Libertarian
Marijuana, like most drugs, should be
legalized, and individuals should have the
freedom to partake in even recreational
use of the substance, as it does not harm
anyone else and is a matter of personal
choice that the government should have no
say in.
Does this position
fall in line more
with Dems or
Reps?
DEMOCRATS
Green
Marijuana should be decriminalized and
those serving jail time under nonviolent
charges related to the substance should be
released. Drug war funds should be
redirected to education, prevention and
treatment.
Does this position
fall in line more
with Dems or
Reps?
DEMOCRATS
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Party
Issue 3: gay marriage
Republican
The Republican party affirms the biblical
definition of marriage: one man and one
woman and opposes homosexual marriage.
The party also opposes changes to the legal
definition of marriage and believes that
religious institutions should be allowed to
recognize only marriages that align with
their beliefs.
Democrat
The supreme court decision for marriage
equality to all couples should be protected.
Libertarian
Government should not be able to define
what a marriage is as it is a private matter.
Does this position
fall in line more
with Dems or
Reps?
DEMOCRATS
Green
Homosexuals should not be discriminated
against in any aspect of life, and should
have the same rights as heterosexuals and
heterosexual couples.
Does this position
fall in line more
with Dems or
Reps?
DEMOCRATS
Extra Credit
Party
Issue4:
Republican
Democrat
Libertarian
Does this position
fall in line more
with Dems or
Reps?
Green
Does this position
fall in line more
with Dems or
Reps?
ESSAY QUESTIONS:
1)
What are political parties? What are the major functions of political parties in democracy?
Political parties are any group that seek to elect government officials based on their
political beliefs under a label. They help ensure that the individuals that we elect to the
government are elected fairly and are responsive and responsible to the needs of the
masses.
They do this by recruiting and nominating candidates, contesting elections and
mobilizing voters, organizing and managing the government, mediating the effects of
separation of powers, providing accountability, managing conflict and finding common
interests, and setting the policy agenda (Gibson).
2)
Why has it been challenging for third parties to be successful in Texas elections?
Many things have restricted the third parties from being successful in Texas elections. The
previously dominating Democratic party would
co-opt movements made by third parties
by making minor public policy concessions to them or by getting restrictive legislation.
For example, the poll tax enacted by the conservative wing of the Texas Democrats was
used to reduce the third parties electoral base. “
In some instances, economic
recriminations were the price individuals paid for participating in these third-party
movements.” Also, the Democratic and Republican parties are automatically included on
the ballot, however third parties need at least 5 percent of the vote to be included on the
ballot in the next election cycle (Gibson).
3)
Explain the evolution of Texas from a one-party Democratic state to a two-party state that
has come to be dominated by Republicans.
In the late '70s and early '80s, people from other states who had a tendency to be
Republican, moved to Texas in large numbers. That in-migration changed the dynamics of
the politics in Texas. There was beginning to be the loss of conservative Democrats around
the country, especially in the South and in the West (PBS). “
Chandler Davidson has argued
that “the Republican Party’s hard-line racial policy” attracted large numbers of
conservative Democrats” (Gibson).
It became harder for conservative Democratic
candidates to win Democratic primaries. And when more liberal candidates won, it
became harder for them to win general elections because of the influx of more
Republicans in the state. The civil rights movement was also a big contributor in
transforming the party system. “
the creation of more political districts from which African
Americans and Hispanics could win election also resulted in the creation of more districts
from which Republicans could win public office” (Gibson).
4)
What trend is occurring in Texas party politics? Are parties realigning or slowly
disappearing? Provide examples to justify your argument.
Parties seem to be realigning. Texans have chosen in larger numbers to participate in split
ticket voting, a practice that “
was common during the years when Republicans were
beginning to loosen the one-party Democratic grip on the state.” Secondly, “At the heart of
predictions that Texas will once again become a predominantly Democratic state is the
fact that Hispanics will soon become a majority of the state’s population.” Historically,
Hispanics tend to more likely be Democrats due to the Republicans constant campaigning
against immigration, among other things.
Works cited
“Texas - How Texas Became A 'Red' State | Karl Rove -- The Architect | FRONTLINE.” PBS. Public
Broadcasting Service. Accessed July 16, 2021.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/architect/texas/realignment.html.
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