Broadcast Outage: We're investigating a broadcast transmission failure affecting the San Luis Valley from Antonito in the south to Salida in the north. We're working to resolve this issue. You can stream our live broadcast HERE or via the RMPBS+ App.

Stream live and on-demand content now on our new app:

RMPBS+

Donate

Help tell more stories in 2026 - make a year-end gift!

Crash Course Government and Politics show's poster

News and Public Affairs

Crash Course Government and Politics

Political Parties: Crash Course Government #40

Welcome to school without the classroom! Host Craig Benzine takes you through a tour of US government and politics.

Political Parties: Crash Course Government #40

Season 1 Episode 40 | 9m 22s

Today, Craig is going to talk about political parties and their role in American politics. When most people think about political parties they associate them with the common ideologies of the voters and representatives within that party, but the goal of a party is NOT to influence policies. The role of political parties is much simpler: to win control of the government.

share

Crash Course Government and Politics

Watch more episodes

Crash Course Government and Politics

Foreign Policy: Crash Course Government and Politics #50

Today Craig finishes up our series on U.S. Government and Politics with Foreign Policy

Crash Course Government and Politics

Freedom of the Press: Crash Course Government #26

Finish up our discussion of the First Amendment with freedom of the press.

Crash Course Government and Politics

Search and Seizure: Crash Course Government #27

You're protected against unreasonable searches and seizures, but what does this mean?

Subscribe to Our Newsletters

Get trusted Colorado stories, programs, and events from Rocky Mountain PBS straight to your inbox.

Set Your Preferences >