4 Eras of Political Parties

1. Era of Democrats (1800-1860)

- starts with TJ

- unopposed until split into factions

democratic-republicans: democrats

- support andrew jackson

- from south and west

- voting rights for all white men

democratic-republicans: democrats - spoils system

spoils system/patronage:

- reward supporters w/ gov't job s

increases # of elected offices

split in 1850s

northern democrats

oppose slavery

- popular sovereignty

Southern Democrats

favor slavery

- pro slavery

Whigs

- oppose Andrew Jackson

- from eat coast

- increase tariff

- party dies out

Republicans 1854

only party in history to jump from minor to major party

- Whigs and democrats split into republicans (kind of)

2. Era of Republicans (1860-1932)

civil war - great depression

- begins w/ Lincoln (civil war)

- broader electorate: people eligible to vote - all men (15), women (19)

- focus on economics, not sectionalism

- mostly business, farmers, laborers, former slaves

3. Return of the Democrats (1932-1968)

great depression - Vietnam

- begins w/FDR (great depression)

- marks shift in attitude towards tole of gov't

- Americans look to U.S. gov't to do more for them

4. Era of Divided Government (1968-Present)

- one party controls congress, one party control white house

- begins w/ Nixon (Vietnam)

- R have dominated W.H. and D have dominated congress

- reversed from 1995-01