The Question:
Why do we have a two party system?
The Quote:
“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” – George Washington
The Two Party System
In a political sense, the country has changed a lot since its founding. One of the most notable changes is the rise and fall of many political parties over that time and how those led to our current system of Republicans and Democrats.
Our first President, George Washington, was not affiliated with any party. In fact, until his death the parties were not notable. Disputes over the strength of the federal government and what they saw as the future of the country led to Hamilton forming the Federalist Party and Jefferson and Madison forming the anti-federalist, Democratic Republican party.
The Federalists believed in a strong central government, complete with a National Bank and unified set of laws. They viewed the nation as becoming an urban one. The Democratic Republicans believed in a less centralized government with states having supremacy over the federal government. They viewed the nation as becoming an agrarian one. These were the first two major political parties in the United States.
The 1800s
After the War of 1812, America entered the “Era of Good Feelings” where the Federalist Party collapsed and the Democratic Republican Party was the only major one left. There were no party interests at the time and people were united in their goals.
This party would splinter into the Whigs, led by Henry Clay, and the Democrats, led by Andrew Jackson. The Whigs believed in a strong central government with tariffs. The Democrats believed in a weak central government and did not want protective tariffs. However, the issue of slavery and the looming Civil War split them even more.
The Whigs would splinter and become the Republicans, Free Soilers, and Pro-Slavery Whigs. As the Civil War was fought and won by the Union, the Republicans and Democrats emerged as the two major parties, with the smaller ones merging into them.
The Modern Two Party System
Fast forward to the 1920s and the Republicans began to split into the conservative wing and the moderate wing. The conservatives and many Southerners would join the Republican Party (known as the Grand Old Party) and modern liberals and many Northerners would join the Democrat Party.
This is how the two party system developed. As always, I’m Joseph Pool, your Poolitician and thank you for plunging into politics!
