Political Parties

-no country has ever been able to maintain, over considerable

period of time, any form of democratic government without the aid of
political parties, And it is safe to prophesy that no country ever will
- W B Munro
-provide leadership and direction without which the power of the
people would remain ineffective
Time
Period
17871792

Major Parties

Position Issue

Third Party

Federalist vs AntiFederalist

None

17921824

Federalist vs
Democrat-Republican

18241854

National Republic
(Whigs) vs Democrat

Power of the
Central Govt vs
Local
Government
-Supporting
Great Britain vs
France in the
War of 1812
-power of the
central govt vs
states
-Whigssupporteda
modernizingeconomy,
highprotectivetariffs
almostanythingJackson
favored.Itopposedthe
expansionofslavery.

None

AntiMasonic,Liberty,
FreeSoil,KnowNothing

-Democrats (led
by Jackson)
favored the
expansionoftheU.S.
Opposedtariffs.

18541896

Republican vs
Democrat

-Republicans
favored high
protective tariffs
and
opposed the
expansion of
slavery
-Democratssupported

WhigAmerican,
SouthernDemocrat,
ConstitutionalUnion,
Prohibition

popularsovereignty,
lowtariffs

18961932

Republican vs
Democrat

-Republicansopposed
freesilverandsupported

Populist,Progressive,
Prohibition

alaissezfaireapproach
tobusiness,theSpanish
AmericanWarand
expansionism
Democratssupported
freesilver,regulationof
industry,particularly
railroads,and
Progressiveissues,
includingchildlabor,
womensrights,and
incometax

1933Today

Republic vs Democrat

Democratssupportedan
activistgovernment
approachinaddressing
economicproblems,
increasedtaxes,labor
unions,expanded
federalgovernment,
regulationofindustry,
andcivilrights
legislation.Republicans
opposedtheexpansion
ofthefederal
government,welfare,
andindustryregulation.
Theysupported
regulationoflabor
unions,limitationson
thepowerofthefederal
government

Union,StatesRights,
AmericanIndependent,
Independent,Reform,
Green

Source: http://faculty.polytechnic.org/gfeldmeth/polpartieschart.pdf
Party Organization:

Direct Primary
A preliminary election in which a party's candidates for public office are nominated by direct vote
of the people.

a way for people to have a nominating device to enable party

members to participate in the process of choosing party
candidates without contact with or frustration by corrupt bosses
Direct vs indirect
A direct primary, which is now used in some form in all U.S. states,
functions as a preliminary election whereby voters decide their partys
candidates. In an indirect primary, voters elect delegates who choose the partys
candidates at a nominating convention.

Party Finances
- small percentage comes from contributions of party members and party
officials
-

largepercentagescomesfromthoseindividuals,groupsandspecialinteresrwhohaveastakein
thefortunesofaparty
coporationsareforbiddenbyfederaltomakecampaigncontribution.

PartyPrograms\
thelineofdistinctionbetweenboththeDemocratsandtheRepublichasslowlyblurred

Bothpartiesupholdcapitalismandareagainstsocialism
areanticommunistandwanttochecktheinflitrationofcommunistinAsia
bothareinfavortheassertionoftheUSinfluenceintermsofMilitaryandeconomy
Difference