Political Parties 8th grade

Why did political parties first begin to form in the United States?

• People wanted more holidays

• George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had different ideas about how the government should work

• The country needed more jobs

• States wanted to change their names

Which issue caused early leaders to disagree and form different groups?

• What color the flag should be

• How much power the federal government should have

• How many states should join the country

• Whether people should learn math in school

What is a political party?

• A group of people who seek to control government by winning elections and holding office

• A club for writing laws

• A meeting for celebrating new states

• A group that throws parties for the president

Which two leaders disagreed and helped for the first political parties?

• Benjamin Franklin and John Smith

• Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton

• Abraham Lincoln and George Washington

• James Monroe and Andre Jackson

What was one of the first political parties called?

• The Explorers

• The Federalists

• The Patriots

• The Inventors

George Washington warned that political parties might...

• Make the country too crowded

• Cause arguments and divide the nation

• Stop people from going to school

• Make elections illegal

Which of the following is a main reason political parties still exist today?

• To help people organize their ideas and choose leaders

• To make new holidays

• To decide who gets free land

• To run the post office

Select three functions of political parties

• To select and present candidates for public office.

• To fight against citizens rights.

• Define and take stances on important issues.

• Campaign for candidates and vouch that a candidate is worthy of office.

What is one advantage of a Multi-Party System?

• Possibly more influence of extremists

• Parties form coalitions which can dissolve easily.

• Provides broader representation of the people

• Failure of coalitions can cause government instability

Choose the name of one minor party

• The Libertarian Party

• The Crocodile Party

• The Unicorn Rainbow Party

• The American Party