Major Political Parties in American History

Major Political Parties in American History

1787--1854

Parties play an important role in American society beyond supporting candidates for office. They make life simpler for many voters by narrowing the number of choices they have to make on election day and they promote ideas and issues (such as war, the role of government, and economic inequality) that many people would not think about were it not for political campaigns. The authors of the Constitution did not like the idea of political parties. As James Madison wrote inThe Federalist, No. 10, " . . . The public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival factions, and measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority." Even as the future president penned these words, however, a party system was developing in the United States.

Federalists v. Jeffersonian Republicans (1788-1820)

The writers of the Constitution thought that political parties divided Americans into conflicting factions. Instead of a unified people and governing striving to work for the good of all citizens, parties meant that no such thing as the "national interest," some thing or policy that worked for the benefit of all, did not exist. Plus, political parties meant that Americans would lose their freedom to think for themselves; instead they would vote for a group that may or not not have supported everything that the voter satisfied his welfare. Yet, parties did emerge because it was discovered that more than one way existed to provide for the welfare of all citizens. There need not be only one idea or policy that fulfilled the national interest; there could be alternate ways of meeting that goal, and a different way of doing things and criticism of the people did not mean disloyalty. Once it was shown that it would be possible to transfer power from one group (or party) to another without a violent revolt or bloodshed (as happened first in 1800), party government became possible. As long as the losers accepted their loss in the election and instead of shooting their way back into power (or canceling the election due to "voter fraud" or something like that) realized that losing control of the government this time would not destroy the nation. Instead, the way to regain power was to win the next election. In the United States, from the very beginning two parties have fought to win that next election. One party has usually supported more power for the national (federal) government, while the other party called for giving more power to the states.

The Federalist Party emerged during the debate over ratification of the Constitution. It would be the party of national power. In the first two elections it did not face any opposition since everyone knew that George Washington would and should be the first president., Two Federalists served as president, George Washington (1789-1797) and John Adams (1797-1801). Federalists believed firmly in two key principles: government should be in the hands of a educated, wealthy elite (because average people could not be trusted to run a government; they were ignorant and uninterested in politics). The party's economic program, as expressed by Alexander Hamilton, the first Treasury Secretary, seemed quite modern. It called for an important role for the national government in developing the economy: government subsidies to help businesses get started and expand (to create more jobs), the creation of a national debt, aid in expanding international trade and public education, and the supremacy of the national government and Constitution over that of the states. A national debt, he argued, would help tie wealthy investors who would own most of the debt (in the form of government bonds) to the success of their country. If the nation prospered, so would they and the money they made would be reinvested in expanding their businesses and creating even more jobs.

The Antifederalists, soon to be the Democratic-Republicans (also known as the Jeffersonian Republicans), hadopposed ratification of the Constitution. Patrick Henry represented the views of this party when he spoke against ratification in the Virginia Convention. He argued (unsuccessfully) that the proposed Constitution should be rejected because it would destroy a state's control over its own affairs, increase the power of the wealthy banking and business class, and endanger individual freedom. Only the addition of the Bill of Rights in 1791 satisfied the Antifederalist's call for protection from the power of a strong central government. After 1795, they became identified with the the newly organized Democratic Republicans founded and headed by Thomas Jefferson.

Federalists v. Democratic Republicans (1795--1820)

In 1796, the United States held its first contested election as Federalists faced Democratic Republican opposition. The new party's ideas reflected those held by the author of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson had not been at the Constitutional Convention because he served as the Confederation's ambassador to France. Washington appointed as his his first Secretary of State in 1789 though he resigned from that position after his first term.. He fought with Hamilton over almost every issue discussed by the cabinet. Washington tended to take his Treasury Secretary's advice on most issues so a frustrated Jefferson decided to go home to Virginia.

In his political philosophy, Jefferson called for limits on the power of the national government and staunchly opposed Hamilton's economic program-- because it favored the rich and neglected the needs of small farmers. Jefferson did not fear the "common man," believing that with some education and good newspapers the people could rule themselves, though their elected representatives, and even create a perfect society based on agriculture. If every person owned his own farm, he or she could become totally self-sufficient, relying on no one for his or her existence, Though he lost the 1796 election to Federalist John Adams, Jefferson's party dominated the political scene for more than twenty years beginning with Adams defeat in 1800. Three presidents, Jefferson (1801-1809), James Madison (1809-1817), and James Monroe (1817-1825) served in the White House under the party label.

The Jeffersonian victory in 1800 made it the first time in American history that power changed hands peacefully between two opposing political parties as the Federalists accepted their loss. The Federalists did not disappear quickly although they never did won a presidential election after 1796. By 1820, however, the party label was gone principally