Political Parties

Chapter 5

THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM IN AMERICAN HISTORY

Section 2

The First Party System: 1776 – 1818The Federalists v. The Jeffersonian Republicans

The Federalist Party• Commercial Republic

that encouraged financial and industrial growth

• Broad Construction of the Constitution

• Creation of a standing army and imperial conquest

The Republican Party• Agrarian Republic that

fostered the growth of yeoman farmers and agrarian outlook

• Strict Construction of the Constitution and States’ rights

• Reliance on militia for defensive purpose only

The Election of 1800

• Jefferson narrowly defeats Adams in the election.

• First time in American history that power shifts from one party to another (Federalists to the Jeffersonian Republicans

• The tie between Jefferson and Burr demonstrates the defects with the electoral system.

• The passage of the 12th Amendment.

Vs.

1818 - 1828The National Republican Consensus

• In the aftermath of the War of 1812 a wave of nationalism creates a short-lived era of political cooperation and compromise that combines the ideas of the Jeffersonian Republicans and the Federalists.

• James Madison and John Quincy Adams create political coalitions that include members of different political backgrounds and seek to govern through consensus.

• By the 1830s the nation becomes increasingly divided along regional lines over the issues of slavery and imperialism.

The Second Party System: 1828 – 1860The Jacksonian Democrats v. The Whigs

Jacksonian Democrats• Oppose tariffs• Oppose federal support

of internal improvements “The American System”

• Oppose Bank of the United States

• Favor Indian Removal• Favor States’ rights

The Whigs• Favor tariffs• Favor federal support for

internal improvements “The American System”

• Support the Bank of the United States

• Oppose Indian Removal• Support a strong central

government

The Civil War and its Impact on American Politics

• In the second two-party system, the democratic party was largely a regional party based predominantly in the South.

• The loss experienced by the Southern states and the era of Reconstruction ushered in a new political era characterized by the political domination of the Republicans.

The Third Party System:1860 – 1896The Republicans v. The Democrats

The Republican Party• Embraced modernization:

national bank, high tariffs, imperialism and western settlement, railroads, land-grant colleges, social issues (prohibition and ending slavery), and social spending

• Supported by business and financial interests, commercial farmers, laborers, and the freed African Americans.

The Democratic Party• Supported agrarianism, low

tariffs, strict construction, states rights, and coinage of silver.

• Opposed big businesses, high tariffs, imperialism, and prohibition.

• Supported by copperheads, southern redeemers, catholic immigrants, unskilled laborers, and poor farmers.

The Progressive Era and Republican Realignment

• Economic depression and the rise of western states challenged Republican domination in national politics.

• The Republican party split over the issues of party machines and the relationship between politicians and big business.

• The progressive wing of the Republicans split off into the “Bull Moose” Progressive Party, precipitating a political realignment.

The Fourth Party System: 1896-1932The Republicans v. The Democrats

The Republicans• Favored overseas imperialism

and intervention in foreign affairs.

• Attacked political corruption (party bosses and corporate finance of elections) and sought consumer protections

• Initially opposed to trusts and monopolies; after progressive split became the party of big business.

• Support from business interests, commercial farmers, and African Americans

The Democrats• Generally opposed overseas

imperialism and intervention in foreign affairs.

• Gained support from rural farmers because of the support for free coinage of silver.

• Embrace of some elements of progressivism began to attract support from laborers.

• Gained most of their political support from southern redeemers, lower-class farmers, western farmers, and urban immigrants

The Great Depression and the Collapse of the Republican Era

• The economic collapse in 1929 led many former supporters of the Republican party to turn their support to the Democrats, leading to the formation of the New Deal coalition and an era of Democratic domination.

• Republican support for business interests led to a new coalition of less-affluent members of society in both urban and rural areas.

The Fifth Party System: 1932-1968?The Democrats v. The Republicans

The Democrats• Increased power of the federal

government and increased its size, advocated loose-construction, bottom-up (Keynesian) economic policies, social welfare and infrastructure investment, and civil rights for minorities.

• Supported by union workers, immigrants, southerners, Catholics, Jews, intellectuals, urbanites, and (eventually) African Americans.

The Republicans• Opposed new deal programs

and large-scale government spending, opposed increased power of the federal government, and opposed civil rights movement.

• Advocated smaller government and capitalist values.

• Supported mainly by business interests, the wealthy, and western and mid-western farmers.

The Collapse of the New Deal Coalition and the Regan Era

• The New Deal coalition collapses at the end of the 1960’s as a result of Vietnam War and social liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s.

• Ronald Regan is able to form a new conservative coalition as southern whites and other social conservatives join Republicans after the civil rights movement.– Regan Republicans advocated top-down economic theory

(Reganomics), social conservatism (“moral majority”), and more aggressive foreign policy.

– Coalition has been unable to gain a decisive grip on the governing system, however.

The Sixth Party System Or Political Consensus?: 1968 – Present, an era of Divided Government

• Both Republicans and Democrats have come to the center, ideologically.– Fiscally Responsible Liberalism of Clinton or the Compassionate

Conservatism of Bush

• Political Scientists call it an era of Divided Government– Increasing number of independents– Usually Congress is controlled by one party and the Presidency

controlled by the other or the chambers of Congress are divided.– Both political parties align near the center of the political

spectrum with neither gaining an upper hand.

• 2008: (D) 38%, (R) 28%, (I) 34%• 2009: (D) 36%, (R) 26%, (I) 37%• 2010: (D) 34%, (R) 29%, (I) 37%