Dixiecrats, Know-Nothings, Free-Soil, Prohibition: These are but a few of the
many political parties that have played a role in American presidential
elections. The diverse conditions of historical eras, and differing ideologies of
America's people, gave rise to various political parties, founded to advance
specific ideals and the candidates who represented them.
Today, America is a multi-party system. The Democratic Party and the
Republican Party are the most powerful. Yet other parties, such as the
Reform, Libertarian, Socialist, Natural Law, Constitution, and Green Parties
can promote candidates in a presidential election. It is likely that political
parties will continue to play a major role in presidential elections. Do you
think our party system has strengthened or weakened our election process?
Do you think the American people will seriously look outside the Republican
and Democratic Parties to elect a president some day? What might cause
this?
No Parties Here
Benjamin Franklin
The founders had seen vicious fighting among political interests in Europe,
and wanted to avoid this in the new nation. As the framers of the
Constitution, they were very concerned about not creating crippling
dissension within our political system. On Saturday, June 2, 1787, Ben
Franklin took the floor at the Constitutional Convention as a skeptic. Franklin
feared that greed-driven competition for the presidency would divide the
new American government into factions. He warned,
There are two passions which have a powerful influence on the affairs of
men. These are ambition and avarice; the love of power, and the love of
money. ...Place before the eyes of such men a post of honor, that shall be at
the same time a place of profit, and they will move heaven and earth to
obtain it. The vast number of such places ...renders the British government
so tempestuous...[and is the true source] of all those factions which are
perpetually dividing the nation [and] distracting its councils.
On Wednesday, June 6, 1787, just a few days later, James Madison weighed in
by saying that if unregulated,
All civilized societies would be divided into different sects, factions, and
interests, ...of rich and poor, debtors and creditors, ... the inhabitants of this
district or that district, the followers of this political leader or that political
leader, the disciples of this religious sect or that religious sect. In all cases
where a majority are united by a common interest or passion, the rights of
the minority are in danger.
James Madison
Ironically, political factions sprang up right away to support the Constitution
and to oppose it. By the presidential election of 1796, political parties were
firmly in place in America. The Federalists followed Secretary of the Treasury
Alexander Hamilton. The Democratic-Republicans (also called the
Jeffersonians) followed Thomas Jefferson and James Madison -- the very
James Madison who had earlier warned against factions.
Political parties, and policies espoused by the parties, changed over the
decades. By the twentieth century, the two dominant parties were the
Democrats and the Republicans. Corinne Roosevelt Robinson, sister of
Theodore, cited notable differences that she saw between the two parties in
a speech titled "Safeguard America!":
I am one who believes that the Republican party and the Democratic party
have different ideas. And I believe that the issues of the two parties are not
as blurred and as indistinguishable as is sometimes said to be the case.
Today the party system seems firmly entrenched. Some Americans might
argue that there is no real difference between the ideals and political stances
of today's parties. Other Americans routinely vote a party ticket in their belief
that a particular political party will best represent their wishes for governing
the nation. In light of the role played by today's political parties, do you think
the founders' concerns about creating factions was warranted?
