Political parties in the United States facts for kids
In the United States, there have usually been two main political parties. Since the 1860s, these two main parties have been the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party has the most seats in the House of Representatives while the Republicans hold a majority in the senate.
The three largest parties aside from the two main political parties are the Libertarian Party, Green Party of the United States, and the Constitution Party in respective order.
The United States has only two major political parties: the Democrats and the Republicans. There are also smaller parties that aren’t as well known. These parties have a duopoly, meaning that they share almost all the political power in the country. Most democratic countries have more than two parties.
Democratic Party
Many 20th century United States Presidents such as Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and the most recent past President Barack Obama are Democrats. They have 47 out of 100 seats in the U.S. Senate and 235 out of 435 seats in the House of Representatives. Sixteen out of 50 state governors are also Democrats. The party generally promotes liberalism and is often classed as a center-left party. Currently, the party has 60 million registered voters across America.
The party's philosophy of modern liberalism advocates social and economic equality, along with the welfare state. It seeks to provide government intervention and regulation in the economy. These interventions, such as the introduction of social programs, support for labor unions, affordable college tuitions, moves toward universal health care and equal opportunity, consumer protection and environmental protection form the core of the party's economic policy.
Republican Party
The Republican Party was started in 1854 as an anti-slavery party and its first President was Abraham Lincoln in 1861. Others include Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Donald Trump. Republican Paul Ryan became the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives on October 29, 2015. Thirty-three out of 50 states have a Republican governor. It has around 55 million registered voters across America. Currently, the Republican Party is identified as conservative.
Minor American parties
There are several minor parties in the United States. None of them has ever had any seats in the United States Congress.
- Libertarian Party - A libertarian and liberal party which has around 411,250 registered voters as of March 2016. It is the third party and promotes a non-interventionist foreign policy and civil liberties.
- Green Party - A left-wing environmentalist party that promotes social democracy and respect for diversity, peace and non-violence.
- Constitution Party - A conservative party that promotes American nationalism, Paleoconservatism, Christianity, the anti-abortion movement, and greater attention on the U.S. Constitution. Has around 440,000 registered voters.
