(Note: these learning modules encompass the
actual class lectures, and are designed for those students who have to miss class
through no fault of their own, and also as a refresher for all students. Bold
print in the notes are what the professor writes on the board.)
Why do we even have
political parties? They’re not mentioned in the Constitution. Many of the
Founding Fathers distrusted them, regarding them as “factions,” which is
defined as citizens united in a common purpose that is opposed to other
citizens. In other words, parties are self-interested and selfish. President
Washington in his Farewell Address warned against the emergence of political
parties. He had viewed himself as so public-spirited that he was above selfish
interests, and he didn’t appreciate having his foreign policy (favored by the Federalists)
blasted by the new Republican Party (not related to the current Republican
Party). Yet can any real democracy survive with no political parties, or with
only one political party? Some Founders might have thought that they were so
public-spirited that they didn’t need any opposition, but they were a higher
socioeconomic status group who were all white men. What about having only one
party? Has that worked anywhere in the world in recent history? Let’s see- the
Communist Soviet Union, Putin’s Russia, the “People’s” Republic of China. The
list goes on.
So, it is good that
we have had two political parties throughout our nation’s history. Why not have
three, or four, or five? Well, look at Italy, Israel, and other multi-party
systems. They have to come up with a majority coalition of enough parties
to be able to select their Prime Minister (their chief executive). Whenever one
of their parties gets upset and leaves the coalition, new elections are held,
sometimes more than one election in a year. Very unstable situation.
Can a two-party
system be harmful to citizens? Sure. Look at what we are living through
right now. Many Democrats hate Trump with a passion. Many Republicans hated
Biden and Obama. Every year it’s something new- Russian collusion, obstruction
of justice, Ukraine aid, Coronavirus, the Capital riots, mass deportations, and
now Iran. When Obama was President, Fox News Sean Hannity would attack anything
that he did, and political newcomer Donald Trump even claimed that Obama wasn’t
even born in the United States and that he was a Muslim (actually, Obama’s
father met those criteria), and one GOP (Republican) Congressman screamed out
“Liar” during one of Obama’s State of the Union Addresses. In Trump’s first
term, only one Democratic congress member (Senator Joe Manchin of West
Virginia) was even willing to shake his hand after a State of the Union
address, and the House Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi even tore up his speech.
Defeated President Trump even refused to show up for President Biden’s
inauguration! So why are things so divisive today? Well, we used to have two
political parties that were very ideologically diverse. As late as the 1960s
the Democrats did have many conservative southerners in their party, and the
Republicans had many liberal and moderate northerners in their party. But then
the two parties realigned themselves along strict ideological lines, as
conservative southern Democrats fled to the Republican Party, and northern
Republicans who weren’t conservative fled to the Democratic Party. Oddly
enough, the political science professors at their national association in 1950
had applauded such a “responsible party system” where the two parties would
stand for very distinct and different ideologies, since the professors liked
this more British Parliamentary system. Well, they got their wish! Thanks for
nothing!!
So what do you all
think about our current political party system, and what we are living through?
Any way to improve the situation?
America has had a
two-party system throughout its history, but only since the Civil War have we
had the current parties- the Democrats and Republicans. Our history can be
divided into six different political eras, and the first two pre-Civil War eras
were so unsettled that the names of the parties were different. The parties
typically differed in terms of economic interests (agriculture versus
business), region (South versus Northeast), and other issues. Since most
Americans were farmers before the Civil War, the more pro-agriculture party,
which was stronger in the South, was the dominant party.
The first party
system was from 1796 thru 1828. The Federalists favored a stronger
central government to promote business expansion, were more elitist, liked
Great Britain, and were based in the northeast. The Republicans (no relation to
current party) were for states’ rights since they favored an agricultural
republic, liked republican France, were strong in the South, and won every
presidential election beginning in 1800. The “elitist” Federalists died out,
after supporting “anti-democratic” Alien, Sedition, and Naturalization Acts
during Federalist John Adams’ administration, and after opposing the War of
1812 against Britain.
The second party
system was from 1828-1860. By 1824 with everyone running as a
Republican, that party split into two factions- the National Republicans and
the Democratic Republicans. The latter faction won in 1828 with Andrew Jackson
as president, and they shortened their name to Democratic. Democrats were like
the old Republican Party, as they were pro-agriculture and strong in the South.
Jackson was a strong president, who vetoed the national bank, removed the
Indians, defied a Supreme Court decision, and opposed South Carolina’s nullification
of a federal tariff, so his opponents unified into the Whig Party (named after
the anti-monarchy party of Britain). Jackson was also a great believer in the
Common Man (common white man), unlike the well-educated elitist Virginia
Dynasty of presidents Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe. So during this era, the
franchise expanded to include all adult white males (even those without money
or property), more public offices became elected instead of appointed
(including presidential electors), and parties began holding national
conventions to select their presidential nominees (instead of just letting the
King Caucus, congress members of that party, pick them). Democrats were the
dominant party. They wisely reached out to new immigrant groups who were
Catholics, and they supported territorial expansion (war with Mexico, gaining
the southwest territory, a popular stance in the South).
Hopefully, someone
has picked the American Lion to report on. Now’s a good time to report on it,
if you’ve had a chance to get it and finish it.
The third-party
system was from 1860-1896. Well, the Whigs were a national party, so the
bitter slavery issue tore them up, and they ceased to exist. The Democrats, who
had had two Presidents in the 1850s who were labeled “northern men of southern
principles”, were dominant in the South. A new political party opposed to
slavery arose in the North and was dominant there; they were the modern
Republican Party. This party was also very pro-business and
pro-industrialization. So we had two very regional parties, and when the
Republican (Lincoln) won, the South seceded from the union. This Third party
system was a simple one- the anti-slavery and pro-business Republican Party
versus the more pro-agriculture Democrats who were sympathetic to the white
Southern way of life. Like the current era, there was no real majority party,
as presidential elections were really close; Republican presidents usually won
and controlled the Senate, but Democrats had so many safe seats in the South (especially
after African Americans were) that they usually controlled the House.
Thought question- do you think that our country
is as divided today as it was in the late 1850s? Look at how many lawsuits more
liberal and Democratic states have filed against the Trump administration and
how Democratic states have resisted ICE anti-immigration raids, and remember how
many Republican-controlled states filed lawsuits against Biden administration
initiatives. Indeed, California will have a ballot initiative in 2028 on
whether it should become an independent nation! If other West Coast and
Northeast states joined them, we could have two nations- the United Red States
of America, and the Disunited Blue States of America. Kind of like colonial
British India after World War 2, divided into Hindu India and Muslim West and
East Pakistan (now Bangladesh, a third country). Crazy talk, but a U.S. News
and World Report article in the 1970s talked about how ethnic diversity in the
Soviet Union could break up that superpower, and we all laughed and said, never
will happen.
Well, now we come
to the last three party eras (including the Progressive Era), which are easy to
ask a question about on the midterm essay exam.
The fourth party system
from 1896-1932 started when the Democrats nominated for President the
Populist William Jennings Bryan, who was so totally pro-farmer (for inflation
to help debtor farmers, for example) that businessmen were terrified and warned
their workers that they wouldn’t have jobs if he won. “We will not be crucified
on a cross of gold,” Bryan screamed, as he opposed the hard money gold
standard, and wanted free coinage of silver. Democrats made the mistake of
nominating him for President three times, so Republicans became the majority
party in America. Republicans were very pro-business and were strong in the
northeast and Midwest. Democrats were pro-agriculture and largely confined to
the South. Republicans won every presidential election during this era except
for 1912 when Democrat Woodrow Wilson won (previous Republican President
Theodore Roosevelt disliked the current Republican President William Howard
Taft, so they both ran in the general election and split the Republican vote)
and in 1916 when Wilson won re-election as a safe choice right before World War
1.
The Progressive Era
during this party era was a middle-class reform movement that opposed powerful
interests, such as big businesses and political bosses, and sought good honest
government. It was so popular that both parties supported it- Republican Teddy
Roosevelt and Democrat Wilson were both progressives. Progressives enacted an
amendment requiring that states let the people vote for their U.S. Senators
(bypassing state legislatures controlled by dominant businesses in the states),
plus an amendment requiring that they permit women (believed to be more civic
minded) to vote. States enacted voter registration laws to combat voter fraud,
and required parties to hold primary elections to select their nominees
(striking at the power of party bosses who dominated the old convention-caucus
nominating system). Progressive policies enacted included trust busting
(breaking up business monopolies), conservation (national parks creation), and
a federal constitutional amendment permitting a federal income tax. This new
tax was very important in starting the expansion of the federal government.
The fifth party system
from 1932-1968 started when the stock market crashed, and our nation was
plunged into the Great Depression. Since this happened on Republican President
Herbert Hoover’s watch and during a Republican-controlled Congress, people
voted for a change and Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) was elected. With
25% unemployment and so many people losing their jobs, their homes, and their
life savings, Roosevelt’s liberal economic programs called the New Deal were
very popular. They included: public jobs for the unemployed; welfare (Aid to
Families with Dependent Children); a federal minimum wage; the Wagner Act
protecting workers’ rights to join labor unions; Social Security; farm crop
price supports. So added to the party’s traditional strength among Catholics
(dating back to Jackson’s era) and white Southerners (due to the Civil War),
Democrats now gained the support of the low income, blue-collar workers, most
African Americans (where they could vote), liberals, Jews (historically liberal
due to their oppression in Europe), intellectuals (fascinated by the
possibilities of an active federal government), and most average Americans. Not
only did FDR win four terms, but Republicans were only able to elect the war
hero Eisenhower as President during this era. Democrats dominated the Congress
for all except four years. Republicans kept getting attacked as the party of
the rich and big business, and Democrats were liberal only on the popular
economic issues.
The sixth party era is
from 1968 to the present time. There is no majority party. So what
happened to the Democrats? Well, they
became a consistently liberal party on all issues, not just economics, and the
non-economic issues were more controversial and divisive. When Democrats became
the majority party they finally had a lot of support in the north, so
northerners looked at the segregated racial system of the South and said,
enough is enough. Their national convention in 1948 adopted a civil rights
plank, and Presidents Kennedy and Johnson vigorously fought to enact the 1964
Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Republicans meanwhile became
more consistently conservative, nominating conservative Barry Goldwater from
Arizona as their presidential candidate in 1964. Those events started the
exodus of white southerners from the Democratic Party. That 1964 election
between Goldwater and Johnson also started African Americans voting 90%
Democratic. Then, the Democrats became viewed as more liberal on cultural and
crime issues, being sympathetic to the protesters and rioters of the 1960s (who
opposed police brutality, the Vietnam War, and our traditional society), so
Republican Nixon got elected president in 1968. The Democrats have also become
pro-choice on the abortion issue which feminists liked, and pro-gay (LGBTQ)
rights which was controversial among many voters. Democrats also became viewed
as soft on national defense with the AFL-CIO refusing to endorse liberal
McGovern in 1972 (so Nixon won re-election) and with Jimmy Carter “losing Iran”
to Islamic extremists (and losing to Reagan in 1980). So Democrats lost a lot
of support, and they lost their majority. But Republicans have not been able to
become the new majority party. Republicans still have the problem of being
perceived as the party of the rich, and of big business. They have also
absorbed the Religious Right, so many view them as intolerant on women’s
issues, gay issues, and even racial issues. Trump’s anti-DEI crusade
(diversity, equity, inclusion) and his mass deportations of undocumented
immigrants are also controversial stances.
American politics today are a real cliff hanger.
In the twenty-five years of this century, Democrats Obama has won twice and
Biden once, and Republicans have won four times, but in both 2000 and 2016 the
Republican (Bush, Trump) lost the national popular vote while winning election
with an electoral college majority. Biden’s three predecessors have had a
Congress where both chambers were controlled by their party for only two years
each! Biden and Trump’s 2nd term did have their parties controlling
both chambers of Congress, but Biden lost the House majority in his midterm
election, and Trump may have a similar problem. Indeed, the current party
lineup is only 53 Republicans (and 3 often defect) and 47 Democrats in the
Senate, and 218 Republicans and 212 Democrats (4 vacancies, 1 Independent) in
the House. So, what an exciting time to live in. Trump is not a typical
Republican, as he won blue-collar workers in critical Midwest states with his
pro-jobs and trade war policies. But his rhetoric is controversial and
divisive. His job approval rating was always below 50%, as it is today (such
ratings predicted his re-election defeat in 2020). But Biden’s ratings were
also not very high, generally below 50%. So, it should be an exciting semester!
Which of these two political parties do you think will win the 2026 midterm
congressional elections and the next presidential election?? Which party do you
prefer to win, and why?