Life of the Parties:

1. Life of the Parties: A Very Brief Overview of Partisanship in the United States H. B. Stobbs, MFA

2. Intention of the Founders • “In government of a monarchical cast, Patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of the party. But in those of popular character, in Governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged … A fire not to be quenched; it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest instead of warming it should consume.” – George Washington.

3. Why Parties? • Parties provide channels through which ordinary citizens can effect the course of government. • Parties give political leaders reliable bases on which to build support for their programs in the legislature and among the general electorate. • Parties offer a means for organizing dissent against the policies of an incumbent administration

4. Why Parties? • Parties, to protect their own rights to free expression, are natural guardians of civil liberties. • Parties “keep each other honest,” since each party has a political interest in exposing corruption, deception and abuses of authority by its opposition. • Parties perform the work of democracy – getting voters registered and to the polls, disseminating information, organizing public meetings, etc.

5. Why Parties? • Parties recruit and screen candidates for public office. • Parties spur the development of new ideas.

6. Parties Are Bad, Okay? • Hamilton: “… ambition, avarice, personal animosity.” • Madison: “… the mischiefs of faction.” • John Adams: “… dread toward “division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other.”

7. 1800: My, How Times Have Changed! • “If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all.” – Thomas Jefferson • (His election in 1800 is identified by most scholars as the first major “Realignment” in American partisan history).

8. Five Eras of American Partisanship • Federalist Party versus the Democratic-Republican Party (Anti-Federalist). • Federalists: Alexander Hamilton – • strong, united central government • Close ties to Britain • Effective banking and finance system • Close ties between men of wealth and men of wealth.

9. Era One: 1797 - 1816 • Federalist Party versus the Democratic-Republican Party (Anti-Federalist). • Supported G. Washington’s policies • Supported strong nationalist government to check the states • The Democratic-Republican Party – James Madison and Thomas Jefferson (as Washington’s Secretary of State) • Given the name “democratic” by the Republicans • Strongly opposed to Hamilton’s ideas and ambitions

10. Interim:1816 - 1824 • Era of Good Feelings – President James Monroe • Federalist elitism unpopular with many • Federalists had vehemently opposed the war of 1812, but it went well so they “took a big hit”. • Rare period of relative non-partisanship led to the “era of internal improvements”

11. Era Two:1828 - 1854 • Democratic-Republican Party splits in two: • Jacksonian Democrats led by Andrew Jackson (Realignment of 1828) • Primacy of President over other branches of government • Opposed to the Bank of the United States • Opposed to modernization and expansion at taxpayer expense • Whigs • Primacy of Congress • Modernization • Protectionism • 1850s: Whig party collapses over slavery (Compromise of 1850), death of key leaders, and lack of issues around which to rally..

12. Era Three: 1854 – 1890s • Anti-slavery Republican party emerges (Realignment of 1860) • Adopted many Whig economic policies • Businessmen • Shop owners • Professional classes • craftsmen • Anti-Reconstruction “Redeemers” in the Democrat party • Pro-business “Bourbon Democrats” • Copperheads • Catholics

13. Era Four:1896 - 1932 • Major shifts in core issues – corresponded to Progressive Era • Republicans blame Democrats for Panic of 1893, which would lead to McKinley’s victory over Bryan (Realignment of 1896) • government regulation of railroads and trusts • The tariff • role of labor unions • child labor • need for a new banking system • corruption in party politics • primary elections • direct election of senators • Segregation • Government efficiency • women's suffrage • immigration.

14. Era Five:1933 - ? • New Deal Coalition (Realignment of 1932) • Great Depression erodes Republican support • Democrats promote American Liberalism • Coalition: Catholics, Jews, African Americans, White Southerners, Unions, Urban political machines, intellectuals, populist farm organization • Republicans split • Conservatives under Robert Taft • Northeastern Moderates under Nelson Rockefeller, Jacob Javits, Henry Cabot Lodge

15. End of An Era? • End of the New Deal Coalition in 1960s? (1968 election of Richard Nixon and creation of new Republican majority may have marked a major realignment, but not marked by change in control of Congress or most of the major states) • Reagan and the Moral Majority in 1980s? • Republican Revolution in 1990s? • Still on-going?

16. What We Know Is… • Democrats have grown more progressive / liberal • Republicans have grown more conservative • Political debate has become more rancorous • Voter dissatisfaction with both major parties has inspired growth of independents (Bernie Sanders, Joe Lieberman), alternative parties (Libertarian, Tea, Green, Constitutional, etc.) and alternative candidates like H. Ross Perot • Partisanship strengthening, but parties losing significance

17. Why Parties, Part Two • Parties channel and parse the debate between two competing traditions in American Democracy: • The Republican tradition – freedom, public order, economic growth • The Liberal / Progressive tradition – freedom, economic justice, social

18. Three Good Books • Hofstadter, Richard. The Idea of a Party System: The Rise of Legitimate Opposition in the United States, 1780 – 1840. Berkely: University of California Press, 1969. • Milkis, Sidney M. Political Parties and Constitutional Government: Remaking American Democracy. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1999. • Reichley, James A. The Life of the Parties: A History of American Political Parties. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 1992.