the two major political parties: republican party and democratic party

The two major political parties: Republican Party and Democratic Party

What is a political party?

A political party is a group of people with similar political views that want to promote their ideas, get their candidates elected to office, and control government.

The United States government has been controlled by two political parties for 150 years.

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are the two major political parties.

Why a Two-Party System?

The two-party system is rooted in the beginning of thenation itself.

The ratification of the Constitution brought about thebirth of the nation’s first two political parties: theFederalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, and the Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson.

In short, the American political party system began as atwo-party system.

Why a Two-Party System?

The Federalist Party – believed in a strong nationalgovernment. They were supported by wealthy peoplewho controlled the nation’s banks and manufacturingindustry.

The Anti-Federalist Party – opposed a strong nationalgovernment. They were supported by shopkeepers,laborers, farmers and planters.

Why a Two-Party System?

The framers of the Constitution believed politicalparties were “factions,” and therefore they woulddivide the nation. George Washington warned of thisin his Farewell Address in 1796.

Little did the framers of the Constitution know that thetwo major political parties would tend to choose“middle-of-the-road” positions on issues, which help tounify rather than divide the nation.

Why a Two-Party System?

Once established, human institutions are likely tobecome self-perpetuating. So it has been with thetwo-party system.

Today, most Americans accept a two-party systembecause there has always been one.

Their support for this system is a principal reason whychallenges to the system – by minor political parties,for example – have made so little headway.

Why a Two-Party System?

The United States is a pluralistic society – a societyconsisting of several distinct cultures and groups.

The members of various ethnic, racial, religious, andother social groups compete for and share in theexercise of political power. Still, there is a broadconsensus – a general agreement among variousgroups on fundamental issues.

Why a Two-Party System?

That is not to say that Americans have always agreedwith one another. Far from it. The nation has beendeeply divided at times: during the Civil War and GreatDepression, for example.

Still, the nation has not been regularly harmed by sharpand uncompromising political divisions. The UnitedStates has been free of long-lasting, bitter disputesbased on economic class, social status, religious beliefsand national origin.

Why a Two-Party System?

Those conditions that could result in several strong rivalpolitical parties do not exist in the United States. Inshort, the realities of American society and politicsdo not cause a need for more than the two majorpolitical parties.

The need for reaching broad consensus on issuesrequires the two major parties to be moderate – totake positions “in the middle of the road.”

Era of the Democrats: 1800-1860

Thomas Jefferson’s election in 1800 marked the beginning of a period of Democratic Party dominationthat was to last until the Civil War.

Thomas Jefferson 1801-1809James Madison 1809-1817James Monroe 1817-1825Andrew Jackson 1829-1837Martin Van Buren 1837-1841James Polk 1845-1849Franklin Pierce 1853-1857James Buchanan 1857-1861

Era of the Republicans: 1860-1932

The Civil War marked the beginning of Republican Partydomination for the next 72 years. They were supportedby financial and business interests, farmers, laborersand newly freed African Americans.

Abraham Lincoln 1861-1865 (Assassinated)Andrew Johnson 1865-1869Ulysses Grant 1869-1877Rutherford Hayes 1877-1881James Garfield 1881-1881 (Assassinated)Chester Arthur 1881-1885

Era of the Republicans: 1860-1932

Grover Cleveland 1885-1889Benjamin Harrison 1889-1893Grover Cleveland 1893-1897William McKinley 1897-1901 (Assassinated)Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1909William Taft 1909-1913Woodrow Wilson 1913-1921Warren Harding 1921-1923 (Died in office)Calvin Coolidge 1923-1929Hebert Hoover 1929-1933

Return of the Democrats: 1932-1968

The Great Depression, which began in 1929, resulted inthe 1932 election of Franklin Roosevelt and the DemocraticParty’s return to power. Their new electoral base was made upof small farmers, southerners, organized labor, big-city politicalorganizations and African Americans.

Franklin Roosevelt 1933-1945 (Died in office)Harry Truman 1945-1953Dwight Eisenhower 1953-1961John Kennedy 1961-1963 (Assassinated)Lyndon Johnson 1963-1969

Era of Divided Government: 1968 to Now

Richard Nixon’s election in 1968 began an era of dividedgovernment in which neither of the two major political partiesdominated the political landscape.

Richard Nixon 1969-1974 (Resigned)Gerald Ford 1974-1977Jimmy Carter 1977-1981Ronald Reagan 1981-1989George H.W. Bush 1989-1993Bill Clinton 1993-2001George W. Bush 2001-2009Barack Obama 2009- ?

The Republican Party

The Republican Party was formed in 1854 by Abraham Lincoln and stemmed from the debate on whether or not to expand slavery into the new Western territories.

With Lincoln’s election in 1860, the Republican Party became the only political party in the history of American politics to go from third-party to major-party status.

Abraham Lincoln

The Democratic Party

The Democratic Party was formed in 1792 by Thomas Jefferson as a way to promote the Bill of Rights and oppose the Federalist Party’s belief in a strong, central government. Its original name was the Anti-Federalist Party but six years later was changed to Democratic-Republican Party.

Andrew Jackson’s election in 1828 was the first time it was called The Democratic Party. His supporters were a coalition of small farmers, frontier pioneers and slaveholders.

Thomas Jefferson

What do the two major parties believe?

Each political party believes that their ways of governing are the best way to lead the country to health and prosperity. The Democrats believe in liberalism and the Republicans believe in conservatism.

Party allegiance or “The Base”

Republican Party• White males• Protestants• Business people• Rural and suburban

voters• 2/3rds have allegiance

to the party of their parents

Democratic Party• African Americans and

Latinos• Catholics and Jews• Union members• Big city voters• 2/3rds have allegiance

to the party of their parents

What are the differences?

Republicans…Believe people should take care ofthemselves without government help.

Support employers on economic, tax andworkplace issues.

Believe in government restrictions onabortion and gay marriage.

Support the de-regulation of business,such as allowing off-shore oil drilling.

Democrats…Believe some people can’t take care ofthemselves and need government help.

Support employees on economic, tax andworkplace issues.

Believe in personal choice on abortionand gay marriage.

Support the regulation of business, suchas restrictions on off-shore oil drilling.

What are the differences?

Republicans…Want to lower taxes on everyone, notjust poor people.

Support more spending on the militarybut less spending on social programs.

Believe in allowing parents to sendchildren to the school of their choice andpaying for that with vouchers.

Believe affordable health care is aprivilege that people should pay for ontheir own.

Democrats…Want to lower taxes on poor people andraise taxes on the wealthy.

Support less spending on the military butmore spending on social programs.

Believe in more spending for publicschools and oppose parental choice andthe use of vouchers to pay for it.

Believe affordable health care is a rightthat people should pay for with helpfrom the government.

The National Convention

The Republican and Democratic national conventionsmeet in the summer of every presidential election yearto nominate their Presidential and Vice-Presidentialcandidates.

They also adopt the party rules and platform.

Reince Priebus Debbie Wasserman SchultzRepublican Chairman Democratic Chairwoman

Rush Limbaugh

Glen Beck

Ann Coulter

Newt Gingrich

Bill O’Reilly

Sean Hannity

Michelle Bachmann Rick Perry Mitt Romney

Lawrence O’Donnell

Rev. Al Sharpton

James Carville

Howard Dean

Rachel Maddow

Bill Clinton

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden