Clash between Federalists and Anti-Federalists

• Morphed into Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans

  
  

  
  

Two party system emerged

• Andrew Jackson father of the Democratic Party

  • Democrats vs. The Whigs

  • More enfranchisement

• Got rid of the caucus in many states

  • Led to the first conventions

Second realignment:

• Jackson came to power

Third realignment:

• The Whig Party collapsed and the Republicans came to power  

Major realignment when the Democratic Republicans beat the Federalists in the election of 1800

Civil War:

• Democrats split over slavery and the Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Bitter crisis over Reconstruction

• Populists Party – William Jennings Bryan (D)

  • North solidly Republican

  • South solidly Democrats

• Political machines at state and local level

• Stalwarts – Republicans who wanted to build up the old traditions

  • Not progressive and for patronage

• Civil Service Reform

• Fourth realignment:

  • William Jennings Bryan was defeated by McKinley

• Fifth realignment:

  • FDR came to power

Party reform:

• Progressives

• 16-19 amendments

• New Deal

• Civil Rights Movement causes a shift toward Republican party in the South

Polarization:

• Democrats start to take their modern positive position on government help toward inefficiencies

• Elections become more about the candidate than the party

  1980 Moral Majority

• Dividen on certain issues:

  • Climate Chang

  • Abortion

  • Health Care Reform

  • Immigration

  • Financial Reform

  • Same Sex Marriage

  • Foreign Aid to warring nations