Politics and
Elections
The Origins of Political Parties
• Madison’s view of
“faction”
• First U.S. political
parties: Federalists
and AntiFederalists
• Battle began over
a strong central
government vs.
states’ and
individual rights
“Congressional Pugilists,” a 1798 political cartoon
2
The Origin of Political Parties:
Hamilton vs. Jefferson
Hamilton
• Strong federal government
• Rule by elite
• Loose interpretation of
Constitution
• Favored national bank
• Favored paying state debts
• Supported merchants,
landowners, investors, wealthy
• Tended to support Britain in
foreign affairs
• Followers formed the Federalist
Party, which eventually became
the Republican Party
Jefferson
• Limited national authority
• Believed in ability of farmers
and common people to rule
themselves
• Strict interpretation of
Constitution
• Opposed national bank
• Favored payment of national
debt, not state debts
• Tended to support France in
foreign affairs
• Followers formed the
Democratic-Republican Party,
which eventually became the
3
Democratic Party
The Evolution of Political Parties
• Federalist Party: first
U.S. political party
• Democratic-Republicans
formed in opposition to
the Federalists
• Democratic Party
developed from the
Democratic-Republicans
• Whig Party arose to
counter the Democratic
Party
Henry Clay
Andrew Jackson
Daniel Webster
4
The Evolution of Political Parties
(continued)
An 1860 campaign poster for
Abraham Lincoln
• The Republican Party rose from
the ashes of the Whig Party
• The Democratic Party lost
influence from its association
with the Southern states during
the Civil War
• The Republican Party became the
dominant party in the second half
of the 19th century
• The Democratic Party regained
support via the reform movement
of the late 19th and early 20th 5
centuries
The Role of Political Parties
• Parties organize individuals
with similar ideas who work
to effect political change
• Citizens may freely choose
their party affiliation, or opt
to have none at all
• Parties can represent a wide
variety of interests
• Parties aim to elect people to
government who will help
pass laws in their favor
6
Third Parties in a
Two-Party System
Third-party poster from the 1912
presidential campaign
• Usually form in opposition to one
or both major parties
• Have had great influence without
ever winning the presidency
• Bring attention to important public
issues ignored by the major parties
• Complaints about third parties:
– They take votes away from
major candidates with similar
positions
– Supporting a third-party
7
candidate “wastes” one’s vote
Discussion Questions
1. What are factions, and why did James Madison and many of
the other Founders distrust them?
2. Trace the development of the first political parties in the
United States. What were these parties, when did they arise,
who led them, and who were their major supporters?
3. What is the role of a political party? How do third parties
usually form? Do you think they are good for the American
political system? Why or why not?
8
The Constitutional Basis for
Presidential Elections
Verifying the Electoral College vote in the House of
Representatives, 1913
• The Constitution’s
Framers doubted the
public’s ability to
directly elect its
leaders
• Article II: Electors
from each state vote
directly for president
• 1804: The 12th
Amendment changed
the electoral process to
a presidential/vicepresidential ticket
9
The Presidential Election Process
November 2008
• The public votes for
president in November every
four years
• The members of the Electoral
College cast the official votes
for president the next month,
in December
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