American Politics
Lecture Outline Chapter 9 - Political Parties
A. A Short History of American Political Parties
1. The founders reacted negatively to the idea of strong political parties because they thought
the power struggles that would occur would eventually topple the balanced democracy they
wanted to create. Nonetheless, two major political factions-the Federalists and Anti-Federalists-
were formed even before the Constitution was ratified.
2. After ratification, these two factions continued, in somewhat altered form. The Federalists
(led by Alexander Hamilton) supported a strong central government that would encourage the
development of commerce and manufacturing. Opponents of the Federalists, the Democratic
Republicans, were more sympathetic to the "common man" and favored a more limited role for
government. Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe were elected president
under the Democratic Republican banner.
3. The Democratic Republicans dominated American politics in the early 1800s; in the mid-
1820s, however, the Democratic Republicans split into two groups. Andrew Jackson, who was
elected president in 1828, aligned himself with the group that called themselves the Democrats
(mostly small farmers and debtors). The other group, the National Republicans (later the Whig
Party), was led by John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay. It was a coalition of bankers,
businesspersons, and southern planters.
4. As the Whigs and the Democrats competed for the White House throughout the 1840s and
1850s, the two-party system as we know it today emerged. Both parties were large, with well-
known leaders, and had grassroots organizations of party workers.
5. Both the Whigs and the Democrats remained vague on the issue of slavery. The Democrats
divided into northern and southern camps. By the mid-1850s, the Whig coalition fell apart, and
Fall 2021
, American Politics
most Whigs were absorbed into the new Republican Party, which opposed the extension of
slavery into new territories. Abraham Lincoln was elected as the first Republican president in
1860.
6. By the end of the Civil War, the Republicans and the Democrats were the most prominent
political parties. The Republican Party remained the majority party in national politics from
1860 until 1932; the economic and social impact of the Great Depression destroyed that majority
support. In a realigning election in 1932, Franklin Roosevelt was elected to the presidency and
the Democrats came back to power at the national level. In a realigning election, the popular
support for and relative strength of the parties shift. Realigning elections also occurred in 1860,
1896, and arguably, 1968.
7. In Congress, the Democrats were the dominant party from the Great Depression until 1994,
when the Republicans gained control of both chambers. They held control of Congress from
then until 2006, except for two years when the Democrats controlled the Senate by one
vote. Following the elections of 2006, the Democrats again had a majority in Congress.
B. America's Political Parties Today
1. A political party can be defined as a group of individuals who organize to win elections,
operate the government, and determine policy.
2. The United States has a two-party system-two major parties (the Democrats and
Republicans) dominate national politics.
3. Reasons for the perpetuation of the American two-party system:
Fall 2021
Lecture Outline Chapter 9 - Political Parties
A. A Short History of American Political Parties
1. The founders reacted negatively to the idea of strong political parties because they thought
the power struggles that would occur would eventually topple the balanced democracy they
wanted to create. Nonetheless, two major political factions-the Federalists and Anti-Federalists-
were formed even before the Constitution was ratified.
2. After ratification, these two factions continued, in somewhat altered form. The Federalists
(led by Alexander Hamilton) supported a strong central government that would encourage the
development of commerce and manufacturing. Opponents of the Federalists, the Democratic
Republicans, were more sympathetic to the "common man" and favored a more limited role for
government. Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe were elected president
under the Democratic Republican banner.
3. The Democratic Republicans dominated American politics in the early 1800s; in the mid-
1820s, however, the Democratic Republicans split into two groups. Andrew Jackson, who was
elected president in 1828, aligned himself with the group that called themselves the Democrats
(mostly small farmers and debtors). The other group, the National Republicans (later the Whig
Party), was led by John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay. It was a coalition of bankers,
businesspersons, and southern planters.
4. As the Whigs and the Democrats competed for the White House throughout the 1840s and
1850s, the two-party system as we know it today emerged. Both parties were large, with well-
known leaders, and had grassroots organizations of party workers.
5. Both the Whigs and the Democrats remained vague on the issue of slavery. The Democrats
divided into northern and southern camps. By the mid-1850s, the Whig coalition fell apart, and
Fall 2021
, American Politics
most Whigs were absorbed into the new Republican Party, which opposed the extension of
slavery into new territories. Abraham Lincoln was elected as the first Republican president in
1860.
6. By the end of the Civil War, the Republicans and the Democrats were the most prominent
political parties. The Republican Party remained the majority party in national politics from
1860 until 1932; the economic and social impact of the Great Depression destroyed that majority
support. In a realigning election in 1932, Franklin Roosevelt was elected to the presidency and
the Democrats came back to power at the national level. In a realigning election, the popular
support for and relative strength of the parties shift. Realigning elections also occurred in 1860,
1896, and arguably, 1968.
7. In Congress, the Democrats were the dominant party from the Great Depression until 1994,
when the Republicans gained control of both chambers. They held control of Congress from
then until 2006, except for two years when the Democrats controlled the Senate by one
vote. Following the elections of 2006, the Democrats again had a majority in Congress.
B. America's Political Parties Today
1. A political party can be defined as a group of individuals who organize to win elections,
operate the government, and determine policy.
2. The United States has a two-party system-two major parties (the Democrats and
Republicans) dominate national politics.
3. Reasons for the perpetuation of the American two-party system:
Fall 2021
