History of American Political Parties
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This research addresses the question of why, despite George WashingtonÆs warnings, political parties emerged in the United States so soon after the nationÆs establishment. Political parties are among the most researched yet elusive political institutions in the United States. Parties are not sanctioned in the U.S. Constitution as legitimate institutions of government, yet they have become a centerpiece of political life. In Western Europe, parties perform rather obvious functions in government. European parties are most distinctive as cadre organizations in which dues-paying members, staff, candidates and officeholders often interact in a face-to-face setting. The party-in-organization can be a powerful institution in promoting candidacies and disciplining its member and officeholders. American parties are very different. With few exceptions, no more than two parties have dominated the political landscape throughout most of American history. AmericaÆs two-party system is relatively unusual in the universe of democratic societies. The constancy of two-party dominance in the United States has been attributed to a number of factors. Foremost among these are structural constraints. The absence of proportional representation in legislative bodies discourages the existence of minority parties. The winner-take-all rule and single-member districts codify proportional representation out of existence. A second set of factors may be cultural constraints. American political culture te
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ring philosophy of Alexander Hamilton from New York alarmed the Virginian. Hamilton and Jefferson had distinctly different visions of the new American government, representing a major factional division in the social fabric that had been present prior to the Revolution but overlooked in the course of their common struggle. However, independence soon changed the focus of the Revolution to the task of building a new nation.
Casual observers could not see these factions in battle in the early years of America under the new Constitution. In 1788, George Washington was virtually the unanimous choice for president. Washington was elected to office as the unity candidate, and he quickly incorporated the opposing spokespersons of the two major philosophical factions into the same administration. Alexander Hamilton was appointed Secretary of Treasury and Thomas Jefferson Secretary of State; James Madison became Speaker of the House after his bid for a Senate seat from Virginia was undermined by the stateÆs antifederalist governor, Patrick Henry.
Despite the agreement among George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and others that parties represented divisive factions dangerous to the operations of a free soci
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Hamilton Jefferson, Western Europe, Jefferson WashingtonÆs, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, Identification American, Jefferson Hamilton, White House, political parties, alexander hamilton, hamilton jefferson, george washington, american government, polakoff 1981, american history, american parties, thomas jefferson, james madison, polakoff 1981 34,
Approximate Word count = 1204
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)
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