political system? Our tradition of having two major political parties began with the fight for ratification of the US Constitution Federalist - Supported ratification of the new constitution Anti-Federalist - Opposed ratification of the new constitution political system? (cont) The main point of contention between Federalists & AntiFederalists: The size and amount of power the National government should have in relation to the States After Washington s first term the Anti-Federalists rename themselves the DemocraticRepublicans and officially begin to organize under the leadership of Thomas Jefferson & James Madison political system? (cont) To this day the tradition of having two major political parties has been maintained. Although a number of minor or Third parties have had an impact on American history, our two party system has provided enough flexibility for voters to feel represented, yet still provide the stability that allows our democracy to thrive.
Democratic Party? The Democratic Party finds its beginnings with Thomas Jefferson s Democratic- Republicans Democrats dominate national politics from 1800 to 1860 There main base of support was from southern and western states Supporters - the common man, farmers, pioneers, and slave owners Leaders of the early Democratic Party included - Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, & Stephen Douglas With the Federalist Party ending in 1816, the early Democrats main rival was the Whig Party Of the two main parties the Democratic Party was the more conservative party With the onset of the Civil War the Democratic Party split into two factions: North (mostly urban immigrants) & South (mostly slave owners and white voters) The Civil War crippled the party ending its sixty year run of dominance in national politics The Democratic Party survival following the war was due to the Solid South
The Democratic Party begins to slowly change its identity from conservative to liberal in the Progressive Era with the election of reformer Woodrow Wilson This transformation would be accelerated with the sweeping election of Franklin Roosevelt in 1932. From 1932 to 1968 Democrats enjoyed national prominence During this second Democratic Era, the party held on to support from southern whites (Solid South) and also began to gain the support of laborers, women, and African Americans By the end of this era, the Democratic Party had fully transformed into the liberal political party which solidified their support in the African American community but would cost them support amongst southern whites Today s Democratic Party finds support amongst Liberals, Union Members, College Grads, Environmentalists, Women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and a variety of socio-economic groups Areas of support - Urban Areas, the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific Coast
By 1860 Republicans were poised to consolidate support in the northern and western states that would lead to a period of 75 years of dominance Abraham Lincoln s was the first Republican elected to the Presidency Early Republican success led to factions within the party relating to Reconstruction and Corruption Main beliefs for the early GOP include - Supporting Business, the Gold Standard, and Territorial Expansion With the Election of William McKinley, the GOP begins to become a more conservative party Theodore Roosevelt s more progressive beliefs, drive a wedge within the Party highlighting the Party s more conservative bend
Republican dominance continues through the 1920 s under Presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover. The Republican Era ended in 1932 with massive defeats due to their response to the Great Depression By 1968 the Republican party had fully convert to becoming the conservative political party that it is today This led to electoral break throughs in the South marking the end of the Solid South for the Democratic Party Republican Party? (cont) Today s Republican Party finds support amongst Conservatives, Men, Whites, Evangelical Christians, and people from a higher socioeconomic group Areas of support - Rural Areas, the South and Plains states GOP - Grand Old Party