Positions and Changes of US Political Parties

First Party System: Hamiltonian Federalists vs. Jeffersonian Republicans (1790s - 1810s)

  • Formed during and after Washington's presidency.

  • Key figures: Alexander Hamilton (Treasury Secretary) and Thomas Jefferson (Secretary of State).

Hamiltonian Federalists:

  • Favored a strong central government.

  • Loose interpretation of the Constitution.

  • Government actively encourages commerce and manufacturing.

  • Close ties with the British.

  • Emphasized order and stability.

Jeffersonian Republicans (Democratic-Republicans):

  • Emphasized states' rights and limited government.

  • Strict interpretation of the Constitution.

  • Preference for an agricultural-based economy (yeoman farmer republic).

  • Favored the French, viewed the French Revolution as an extension of the American Revolution.

  • Stressed civil liberties and trust in the common people.

Demise of the Federalists and Era of One Party (1816-1820s)

  • Hamiltonians suffered a huge electoral defeat in 1800.

  • By 1816, the Federalists had faded away.

  • The Democratic-Republicans were the sole major party for two decades but had powerful factions.

Factions within the Democratic-Republican Party (1820s)

Henry Clay Faction

  • Held significant influence in Congress.

  • Pushed for the American System: a national bank, tariffs, and infrastructure projects funded by the revenue.

  • Unhappy with Jackson's use of the veto against the American System ideas.

Andrew Jackson

  • Two-term president.

  • Against the National Bank; ensured the Second National Bank's charter was not renewed.

  • Not a fan of tariffs but opposed states challenging federal power.

  • Took action against South Carolina's nullification of a tariff.

  • Disliked federal spending on infrastructure.

  • Opposed Clay and Calhoun.

John C. Calhoun

  • Prominent Southern Senator and Vice President.

  • Pro-slavery, arguing it was a positive good.

  • Against tariffs and federal spending on infrastructure.

  • Opposed to Jackson regarding federal tariffs.

Second Party System: Jacksonian Democrats vs. Whigs (1830s-1850s)

  • Jackson's stance against Clay's American System spurred this system.

Whigs

  • Advocated for Clay's American System.

  • Federal and state governments should promote business and subsidize infrastructure.

  • Wanted to re-establish a national bank.

  • Favored free labor over slavery (though not always for moral reasons).

  • Some Whigs, known as Conscience Whigs, opposed expansion, particularly through the Mexican-American War.

  • Supported reform movements from the Second Great Awakening.

Democrats

  • Attempted to follow Andrew Jackson's course (e.g., Martin Van Buren, James K. Polk).

  • Opposed Clay's American System.

  • Advocated for Jeffersonian Yeoman Farmer Republic ideal.

  • Favored a balanced budget and were against deficit spending for infrastructure.

  • Against the re-establishment of a national bank.

  • Increasingly defended slavery and pushed for its expansion into the West.

Decline of the Whigs and Rise of New Parties (1850s)

  • The 1850s were politically turbulent. The Whigs faded away, and the Democrats became a regional party (South).

  • Several minor parties emerged.

Minor Parties

  • Free Soil Party: Opposed the expansion of slavery in the territories, advocated for free wage labor.

  • American Party (Know-Nothings): Nativist party, against immigration (due to failed European revolutions and the Irish potato famine); worried about Catholic immigrants.

Realignment

  • Whigs split along regional lines.

  • Southern Whigs migrated to the Democratic Party.

  • Northern Whigs formed Free Soil and Republican parties.

  • The Democratic Party in the South advocated for greater protection of slavery and its expansion.

  • The Republican Party: Made up of Free Soilers, Conscience Whigs, and some Know-Nothings; favored free wage labor and opposed extending slavery.

Election of 1860

  • Stephen Douglas (Democrat): Advocated for popular sovereignty.

  • John C. Breckinridge (Southern Democrat): Carried most of the South, advocating for greater protections for slavery.

  • John Bell (Constitutional Union Party): A mix of Know-Nothings and former Whigs; platform was vague on major issues and only wanted to follow the constitution.

  • Abraham Lincoln (Republican): Swept the North and West Coast, securing electoral victory despite not being on the ballot in 10 Southern states.

Civil War and Reconstruction Era (1860s-1877)

  • Republicans controlled Congress during and after the Civil War.

  • Republicans split between moderates and radicals.

Republican Achievements:

  • Homestead Act.

  • Subsidies for the Transcontinental Railroad.

  • National Banking Act.

  • 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.

  • Civil Rights Acts.

  • Freedmen's Bureau.

End of Reconstruction

  • Compromise of 1877.

Gilded Age (1870s-1900)

  • Characterized by closely fought elections between Republicans and Democrats.

  • Little difference between the two parties.

Similarities between Republicans and Democrats in Gilded Age

  • Both were against growing workers' unions.

  • Few attempts at regulating corporations.

  • Supported subsidies for railroads and settlement of the West.

  • Supported the gold standard.

  • Reforms like the Sherman Antitrust Act and Pendleton Civil Service Reform had limited immediate impact.

Populist Party

  • Made up of Granger and Farmers Alliance movements.

  • Frustrated with government laissez-faire attitude.

  • Wanted more regulation of the economy, especially railroads.

Populist Goals

  • Reduction of Tariffs

  • Graduated income tax.

  • Public ownership of railroads.

  • Popular election of senators.

  • End to the gold standard.

Progressive Era (1900-1920)

  • Presidents: Teddy Roosevelt, Taft, and Woodrow Wilson.

  • Reversed the Gilded Age laissez-faire stance.

Progressives

  • Viewed government as a key player in creating an orderly and stable society.

  • Believed reform could fix corruption, increase opportunity, and grow the economy.

  • Saw regulating businesses or breaking up monopolies as reinvigorating capitalism.

Progressive Era Amendments

  • Income tax.

  • Direct election of senators.

  • Prohibition.

  • Women's right to vote.

Competing Progressive Visions

  • Teddy Roosevelt's New Nationalism vs. Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom.

1920s: Return to Conservatism

  • Presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover reversed the course of the Progressive Era.

  • Return to big business-friendly policies.

  • Somewhat of a return to laissez-faire capitalism.

  • Cultural tensions dominated, including anti-immigrant fervor.

  • Difficulties with prohibition led to illegal alcohol and organized crime.

Great Depression and the New Deal (1930s)

  • Progressive Democrats swept back into power under FDR.

  • The New Deal aimed to provide relief, reform the economy, and help the country recover.

  • Republicans had little national power and voiced dissent against government expansion.

Post-World War II Era: Realignment of Parties (1940s-1960s)

  • Hotly contested elections and realignment of positions and geographical support.

  • Key figures: Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson.

Democrats

  • Continued supporting New Deal reforms.

  • Johnson expanded government with Great Society programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.

  • Johnson aligned Democrats with the civil rights movement (Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965).

Republicans

  • Moderates (Eisenhower): Did not dismantle New Deal reforms but wanted a more business-friendly government.

  • Conservatives (Goldwater): Wanted a drastic reduction in the size of government and taxes and a return to state power.

Realignment

  • Migration of Southern Democrats (Dixiecrats) to the Republican party due to civil rights.

Foreign Policy

  • Both parties were anti-communist.

  • Republicans accused Democrats of being soft on communism.

1970s: Further Separation of Parties

  • Democrats became fragmented after Johnson's decision not to run in 1968 (Vietnam War split).

  • Democrats took a permanent liberal turn on social issues.

  • Carter's presidency seen as ineffective.

  • Nixon carved out a spot between moderates and conservatives in the Republican Party, appealing to the "silent majority."

  • Nixon appealed to Southern conservatives by dog whistling opposition to integration.

  • The Watergate scandal brought Nixon down.

  • Reagan's conservative revolution began.

Period Nine: Reagan Revolution and Depolarization (1980s-Present)

  • Reagan's popularity shifted the Democratic Party to the center.

  • Clinton worked with Republicans to reform welfare and continue the government's tough-on-crime stance.

  • Democrats became more opposed to Bush and the Iraq War.

  • Democrats shifted leftward again, pushing for a more active progressive government.

  • Obama attempted to push a progressive agenda.

Republicans

  • Reagan's coalition of social conservatives, economic conservatives, and neoconservatives.

  • Increase military spending.

  • Tried to rinse and repeat the success of Reagan coalition.

  • Culture wars increased.

  • The Tea Party opposed Obama's attempts at reform.