ed in the Constitution and were seen as undesirable by the Founding Fathers, but parties did develop. Both the Federalists and the Republicans worked to build elaborate party mechanisms in the various states, but the Federalists were less successful, and the party could not sustain itself as a national party. The Federalists and the Republicans constituted the first American party structure, and by the election of 1824 that system had disintegrated. The political environment was different as the second party system started in that same year as states no longer chose electors by the legislature but instead by popular vote. This change gave a popular dimension to the presidential contest and added to the need for state party machinery (McCormick 26-29). The parties that now emerged were the Whigs and the Democrats. The second party system also saw a shift from the caucus to the convention as a way o
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