American Political Party History
Two parties have dominated American politics for 170 years. Neither is what it was. This is the full story of how they got here.
The Founders Didn't Want Parties. They Got Them Anyway.
Washington warned against parties in his Farewell Address. Within a decade of his presidency, the country had two of them and the argument that created them, strong federal government versus states' rights, has never really ended.
The Six Party Systems
Political scientists divide American party history into six distinct eras, each defined by a different set of issues and coalitions:
Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans
Federal power, national bank, foreign policy
Democrats vs. Whigs
Jacksonian democracy, states' rights, internal improvements
Democrats vs. Republicans
Slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, industrialization
Republicans dominant
Gold standard, tariffs, progressive reform, World War I
Democrats dominant
New Deal, the welfare state, World War II, civil rights
Competitive polarization
Culture wars, ideology, realignment, populism
Sources & Further Reading
- Library of Congress, Formation of Political Parties
- U.S. Senate, About Parties and Leadership
- National Archives, Indian Removal Act and Party History
- HISTORY.com, Republican Party
- HISTORY.com, Republican Party Founded
- Britannica, Political Parties in the United States
- American Battlefield Trust, The Kansas-Nebraska Act
Party founding dates and histories are drawn from the Library of Congress, U.S. Senate historical records, HISTORY.com, and Britannica. Realignment history is drawn from academic political science literature and the National Archives. Contemporary party positions are drawn from official party platforms, Pew Research Center polling, and voting records.