Political Parties

Political Parties

By: Susan LaBella (ReadWorks)

https://www.readworks.org/article/Political-Parties/ff041660-3fe2-4daa-bccc-69c6562729be#!articleTab:content/

Do you know what a political party is? It has nothing to do with birthdays. A political party is a group of people who have similar ideas about what the government should do. They work together to elect people of their party into government office.

Multiple Choice

What is a political party?

• a group of people who work together to celebrate politics

• a group of people who have similar ideas about what the government should do

• a group of people who work together to stop others from voting

The United States has two big political parties. One is the Democratic Party. The other is the Republican Party. Many other, smaller parties also exist.

Multiple Choice

The article describes some examples of political parties in the United States. What is one example from the text of a political party in the United States?

• The American Party

• The Republican Party

• The Birthday Party

Political parties in the United States nominate, or choose, the people they want to elect. Once those people are chosen, party members work to win votes for their candidates. Party members want their candidates to be the ones making laws and the ones carrying out those laws.

Multiple Choice

The people of a political party work together to elect people of their party into government office. Political parties in the United States nominate, or choose, the people they want to elect.

Based on this information, who do political parties nominate for a government office?

• people from another country

• people of a different political party

• people of their own political party

The Democratic Party is the United States’ oldest political party. It began nearly two hundred years ago. Democrats who became president include Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

The Republican Party began in the 1850s. It was nicknamed the “Grand Old Party," or GOP. Republican presidents have included Donald Trump, George W. Bush, and his father, George H.W. Bush.

Multiple Choice

Based on the text, how are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party different?

• The Democratic Party and the Republican party have different ideas about what the government should do.

• The Democratic Party and the Republican party have different ideas about how to elect people into office.

• The Democratic Party and the Republican party have different ideas about how to throw parties.

Many Americans are members of a political party. No one has to be a member of any party to vote in an election, however. In the end, the voters decide which candidates get elected.

Multiple Choice

What is the main idea of this article?

• The Republican Party and the Democratic Party both have had their candidates become president.

• The United States has two main political parties that work to get their candidates elected.

• The United States has many small political parties that work to help American voters.