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The Roles and Future of Political Parties in America
Summary: Since their formation as the result of differing views between members of George Washington's Cabinet over the level of power to be appropriated to the Federal Government, political parties have played an integral role in American politics. The role of political parties has changed greatly during the past two centuries, and parties have endured many changes that have weakened their influence. However, political parties in America can continue to be prominent if they can successfully adapt to the changing times.
When George Washington left office, he warned the nation about political parties fearing they were dangerous to the way government should function. Despite his warning, political parties developed and changed American politics forever. By definition, a political party is "a group of office holders, candidates, activists, and voters who identify with a group label and seek to elect to public office individuals who run under that label" (O'Connor and Sabato 437). The creation of political parties can be traced back to the differing views of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton while they served in Washington's cabinet. Jefferson's Democratic-Republican counterpart today is the Democratic Party while Hamilton's Federalists are similar to today's Republican Party. Although the traditional role of political parties was extremely different during this period, such roles have changed greatly.
According to political scientist John H. Aldrich, the "factions" that surrounded Hamilton and Jefferson were "primarily governmental bodies...
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This section contains 663 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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