Political parties in the United States facts for kids

American electoral politics have mostly been run by two main political parties since the country started. Since the 1850s, these two big parties have been the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Together, they have won every presidential election since 1852 and have controlled the U.S. Congress for a very long time. Even though they have kept the same names, these parties have changed a lot over the years. They have changed their ideas, what they stand for, and who supports them. The Democratic Party is now seen as the left-of-center party, and the Republican Party is the right-of-center party.

The U.S. Constitution doesn't actually mention political parties. The way the two-party system works is based on laws, party rules, and traditions. There are also several smaller parties in the U.S., sometimes called "third parties." These include the Constitution, Green, Alliance, and Libertarian parties. The Libertarian Party has been the largest third party since the 1980s. Some members of Congress, many political candidates, and a lot of voters (about 35–45%) don't belong to any party. However, most people who say they are "independent" usually vote for one of the two main parties. Also, independent members of Congress often work with either the Democrats or Republicans to achieve their goals.

The idea of political parties that voters belong to started in the 1790s. This happened because leaders needed to win public support in a republic. Americans were very creative in finding new ways to connect what people thought with what the government did, all through these parties.

Political experts and historians have divided the history of America's two-party system into about six different time periods, or "party systems." It all began with the Federalist Party, which supported the Constitution, and the Anti-Federalists, who didn't want a strong central government. The Anti-Federalists later became the Democratic-Republican Party.

Understanding U.S. Political Parties

How Political Parties Started

The U.S. Constitution doesn't talk about political parties. The Founding Fathers, like George Washington, didn't want parties to form. They worried that parties would cause conflict and stop progress. In his Farewell Address, Washington warned against them. However, even the Founders, like Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, who wrote about the dangers of groups that divide people, found that parties were needed once the new government started.

Over time, the two main parties have changed their ideas and who supports them, even though they kept their names. After the Civil War, the Democratic Party was mostly for farmers, states' rights, and against civil rights. It was also against high taxes on imported goods and big banks. Labor unions and Catholic immigrants were a big part of the Democratic Party then. The Republican Party at that time was made up of business owners, skilled workers, and newly freed African Americans, especially in the industrial Northeast.

By the early 2000s, the Democratic Party had become a left-wing party. Many of its supporters are women, LGBT people, union members, and younger, educated, non-white voters from cities. At the same time, the Republican Party became a right-wing party. Its supporters are often family business owners, older people, rural residents, Southerners, religious people, and white working-class voters. These changes have led to more political division and made it harder to pass laws that people disagree on.

First Party System: 1792–1824

The first American two-party system began with George Washington's advisors. Even though Alexander Hamilton and James Madison wrote against political groups, different ideas about the new country's direction led people to form groups to gain support.

Those who followed Hamilton's ideas were called "Federalists." They wanted a strong central government that would help businesses and industry. They also wanted close ties with Britain. People who followed Thomas Jefferson and Madison were first called "Anti-Federalists." They later became known as "Democratic-Republicans." They preferred a country where the federal government had less power and farmers were very important.

The Jeffersonians won power in 1800. The Federalists struggled because they seemed too focused on the elite. They survived in the Northeast, but their refusal to support the War of 1812 hurt them badly when the war ended well. The "Era of Good Feelings" under President James Monroe (1816–1824) was a short time with very little party conflict, marking the end of the First Party System.

Second Party System: 1828–1854

By 1828, the Federalists were gone. Andrew Jackson's presidency split the Democratic-Republican Party. Jackson's followers became the Democratic Party. Those who followed John Quincy Adams formed the National Republican Party (which is not related to today's Republican Party). After the 1832 election, Jackson's opponents, including National Republicans and others, joined to form the Whig Party, led by Henry Clay. This brought back the two-party system, but with new parties.

The early Democratic Party stood for individual and state rights. They supported the president's power over other parts of the government. They were against banks, high taxes on imports, and programs that would help industry at the expense of farmers. They saw themselves as the party of the "common man." Presidents Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, and James K. Polk were all Democrats who won against Whig candidates, though often by small amounts. Jackson's popular appeal made people not just vote for Democrats, but also feel like they were part of the Democratic Party. This showed how political parties were becoming a part of social life.

The Whigs, on the other hand, believed Congress should be stronger than the president. They also supported modernizing the country and protecting the economy. Big political fights during this time included the "Bank War" and the "spoils system" (giving government jobs to supporters). Presidents William Henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor were Whig candidates.

In the 1850s, slavery became the main issue. People disagreed strongly about whether slavery should be allowed in new territories in the West. The Whig Party tried to avoid taking a clear side, but this led to their downfall after a big loss in the 1852 election. Former Whigs joined the Know Nothing party or the new, anti-slavery Republican Party. The Know Nothing party didn't last long, but the Republicans survived the intense politics leading up to the Civil War. The main Republican goal was to stop slavery from spreading into new territories. Just six years later, this new party won the presidency when Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860. This election marked the start of the Democratic and Republican parties as the main parties in America.

Third Party System: 1854–1890s

The anti-slavery Republican Party started in 1854. It adopted many economic ideas from the Whigs, like supporting national banks, railroads, high taxes on imports, and aid to colleges.

After the South lost the Civil War, the Republican Party became the most powerful party in America for many decades. It was linked to saving the Union and was often called the "Grand Old Party" (GOP). The Republican Party was supported by business owners, skilled workers, and newly freed African Americans.

The Democratic Party was usually the opposition during this time. They were seen as "conservative and focused on farming." Like the Republicans, the Democrats had many different types of supporters. Democratic support came from the "Solid South" (states that always voted Democratic), where laws and threats were used to stop African Americans from voting. Democrats also had support from small farmers in the West. Other Democratic voters included conservative business Democrats and Catholic immigrants.

As the party that supported states' rights, Democrats after the Civil War were against civil rights laws. As the party of small farmers, they were against big businesses and high taxes on imported goods. They favored policies that made money cheaper, which helped people with a lot of debt, like small farmers.

Issues from the Civil War and Reconstruction divided the parties until the Compromise of 1877. This agreement led to the last federal troops leaving the South. By 1905, most Black people in the South were effectively stopped from voting.

During this time, parties were very important political groups, and being loyal to a party was a big part of people's lives. Party loyalty was often passed down from fathers to sons. Before movies and radio, party events, like big campaigns with marching groups and torchlight parades, were a fun part of community life.

Fourth Party System: 1896–1932

The year 1896 marked the start of the Progressive Era. The Republican Party was still in charge, and the groups supporting each party hadn't changed much. However, the main issues changed. These included government rules for railroads and big companies, taxes on imports, the role of labor unions, child labor, the need for a new banking system, corruption in politics, and women's right to vote.

Some shifts happened, giving Republicans more power in the industrial Northeast and new strength in states near the border between North and South. This era began after Republicans blamed Democrats for a financial crisis in 1893. This led to William McKinley winning the 1896 presidential election against William Jennings Bryan.

Fifth Party System: 1932–1976

The hard times of the Great Depression (1929–1939) and the New Deal programs (1933–39) by Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt caused a huge political change. The Democrats became the party of "big government" and the main party. They held the presidency until 1952 (except for President Eisenhower) and controlled Congress for most of this time. They became more liberal, while conservatives increasingly took over the Republican Party.

The New Deal created a minimum wage, started Social Security, and added other federal services. Roosevelt brought together many different groups: small farmers, city dwellers, labor unions, European immigrants, Catholics, Jews, African Americans, and reformers.

Republicans who opposed Roosevelt were split. There was a conservative group and a more successful moderate group. The moderate group lost influence in the Republican Party after 1964.

Civil rights laws, pushed by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson, like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965, began to change who supported the Democratic Party. White Southerners, who had traditionally voted Democratic, started moving towards the Republican Party. This shift was also influenced by Barry Goldwater's 1964 campaign and later President Richard Nixon's "Southern strategy." Southern white voters began voting for Republican presidential candidates in the 1950s and for Republican state and local candidates in the 1990s.

Protests against the Vietnam War made some conservative Democrats dislike the protesters. The "religious right" grew as a part of the Republican Party. This group included Catholics and Evangelical Protestants who, despite past differences, now united against things like same-sex marriage. Political division increased. Primary elections, where party members choose their candidates, replaced older ways of picking candidates. This meant that the party's most dedicated supporters could choose candidates who might not appeal to everyone.

Sixth Party System: 1980s–2016

Around 1968, the old Democratic Party coalition began to break apart, and American politics became more divided by ideas. Over the next few decades, the clear differences between the parties became stronger. Before, some Democratic officials (mostly in the South) were more conservative than many Republican senators. Over time, these conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans either retired, switched parties, or lost elections.

Eventually, a large number of rural and working-class white people became the main supporters of the Republican Party. The Democratic Party, on the other hand, was increasingly made up of African Americans, Latinos, and white urban progressives. While college-educated voters used to lean Republican, higher education increasingly became a sign of Democratic support. This formed the political system seen during the Reagan Era of the 1980s and beyond.

In 1980, conservative Republican Ronald Reagan won against Democratic President Jimmy Carter. Reagan promised smaller government and believed that free trade and tax cuts would help the economy grow. He thought these benefits would "trickle down" to everyone. The Republican Party was then said to stand on "three legs:" social conservatism (traditional values), fiscal conservatism (saving money and cutting taxes), and a strong military that was willing to get involved in other countries.

Seventh Party System (2016?–present)

While experts don't all agree that a new "Seventh Party System" has fully begun, many have noticed new features in politics starting with Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

During and after Trump's campaign, the ideas of the "Reagan Revolution" began to change within the Republican Party. There was more focus on cultural conservatism, like opposing gay marriage and transgender rights. Also, support for free trade and open immigration was replaced by opposition to global trade and immigration from non-European countries. Many Republican voters started to distrust big institutions and showed strong loyalty to President Donald Trump.

Even though conservative blue-collar workers moved to the Republican Party, some wealthy business people, who had been Republican for a long time, started to lean left. Today's Republican Party is often seen as the party of "local capitalism," like small businesses and family companies. Meanwhile, many large corporations have become more liberal. This means that the party's supporters often see big companies as cultural enemies.

Smaller Parties and Independent Voters

Even though two parties have mostly run American politics, smaller "third parties" have appeared throughout history. They rarely last more than ten years. Sometimes, they are built around one person, like Theodore Roosevelt's "Bull Moose" party or Ross Perot's Reform Party. Some have been strong in certain areas, like the Socialist Party. Others keep running candidates to share their ideas, even if they rarely win, such as the Libertarian Party.

The oldest third party was the Anti-Masonic Party, formed in New York in 1828. Its members feared the Freemasons, believing they were a secret group trying to control the country. By 1840, the Whig Party had replaced them.

Other important but unsuccessful parties that ran for president include the Know Nothing party (1844–1860), James B. Weaver's People's Party (1892), Robert M. La Follette's Progressive Party (1924), and George Wallace's American Independent Party (1968).

How American Political Parties Are Organized

American political parties are less organized than parties in other countries. The Democratic and Republican parties don't have a strong national group that controls who can be a member. For example, in many states, people choose a party's candidate in a public election called a political primary. Anyone who has signed up with that party when they register to vote can participate.

When someone runs for office as a party member, they usually declare they want to be that party's candidate and enter its primary election. A party committee might support certain candidates, but the final choice is up to the voters in the primary.

Because of this, American political parties have weak central organizations and don't always have one clear set of ideas. Unlike in many countries, party leaders can't stop someone who disagrees with the party's main ideas from claiming to be a member, as long as primary voters elect them. Once in office, elected officials who don't follow the "party line" because their voters disagree with it have little to fear from their party. An elected official can even change parties just by saying they will.

At the national level, each of the two main parties has a national committee (the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee). These committees help with fundraising and campaign activities, especially for presidential elections. These committees are made up of representatives from state parties and other important party members. However, national committees cannot tell party members what to do.

Both parties also have separate committees that work to elect candidates at different levels. The most important of these are the "Hill committees," which work to elect candidates to the House and Senate.

There are also state parties in all fifty states. Their structures vary based on state laws and party rules.

Despite their loose organization, elections are still often seen as national contests between the political parties. In what's called "presidential coattails," presidential candidates become the unofficial leaders of their party. They often bring out supporters who then vote for other candidates from the same party. On the other hand, federal midterm elections (when only Congress is up for election, not the president) are usually seen as a way for voters to show what they think of the sitting president's performance. Voters might elect or remove candidates from the president's party, which then helps or blocks the president's plans in Congress.

Why the U.S. Has a Two-Party System

As mentioned, the United States political system has mostly been run by two parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Here are some reasons why America has a two-party system:

• The traditional American way of voting, where only one person wins in each area and the candidate with the most votes wins (called "first-past-the-post"). This system, according to a rule called Duverger's law, tends to lead to a two-party system. This is different from countries that have many winners in each area or use proportional representation.
• In the 1800s, parties started printing "party tickets" for voters to use. This helped the main parties become stronger.
• Later, states began providing official ballots, replacing the "party tickets." This gave state lawmakers, who were mostly Democrats and Republicans, a way to make it harder for new parties to get on the ballot. They often required many signatures in a short time.

Political scientist Nelson W. Polsby said in 1997 that because American parties don't have strong central control, they are more like "labels" to get voters to act. He suggested that the "American two-party system" actually hides "something more like a hundred-party system" because of the differences in each state. Other political scientists, like Lee Drutman and Daniel J. Hopkins, argued in 2018 that in the 21st century, American politics has become too focused on national issues and too divided by party.

Major Political Parties

Democratic Party

The Democratic Party is one of the two main political parties in the U.S. It was founded in 1828 by Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. It is the oldest political party in the world that is based on voters.

Since 1912, the Democratic Party has been seen as the liberal party on issues within the country. The economic ideas of Franklin D. Roosevelt, which created the New Deal coalition, have greatly influenced the party's goals since 1932. This coalition controlled the White House until 1968, except for President Eisenhower's two terms. Until the mid-1900s, the Democratic Party was strong among white Southerners. After the Great Society programs under Lyndon B. Johnson, the Democratic Party became more progressive on civil rights issues. They slowly lost their power in Southern states until 1996.

Since the mid-20th century, Democrats have generally been in the center-left. They support social justice, social liberalism, a mixed economy (where both private businesses and the government play a role), and a welfare state (where the government helps people with things like healthcare and education). Some Democrats, like Bill Clinton, have also supported free trade.

In the 21st century, Democrats are strongest in the Northeast, the West Coast, and in big American cities. African Americans and Latinos tend to vote Democratic more often, as do trade unions. In 2004, it was the largest political party with 72 million registered voters. Barack Obama became president in 2009 and served until 2017. He was the 15th Democrat to hold the office. From 2006 to 2014, the Democratic Party was also the majority party in the United States Senate. In 2018, the Democratic Party was the largest in the U.S. with about 60 million registered members.

Republican Party

The Republican Party is the other major political party in the United States. Since the 1880s, it has been called the "Grand Old Party," or GOP, by the media, even though it is younger than the Democratic Party. It was founded in 1854 by people in the North who were against slavery and wanted to modernize the country. The Republican Party became very important in 1860 with the election of Abraham Lincoln, who used the party to help win the American Civil War.

The GOP was the main party in national politics during the Third Party System (1854 to 1896) and the Fourth Party System (1896 to 1932). Since the early 1900s, the Republican Party has been more focused on the market. They often support policies that help American businesses. As a party whose power was once based on the votes of Civil War veterans, this party has traditionally supported a strong national defense and better benefits for veterans. Today, the Republican Party supports an American conservative platform. This includes economic liberalism (less government involvement in the economy), fiscal conservatism (careful spending and lower taxes), and social conservatism (traditional values).

The Republican Party tends to be strongest in the Southern United States, outside of big cities, or in less crowded parts of them. Republicans held a majority in the United States House of Representatives from 2010 until 2018. Also, from 2014 to 2020, the Republican Party controlled the Senate. In 2018, the Republican party had about 55 million registered members, making it the second largest party in the United States. After the 2020 United States elections, the GOP lost their Senate majority.

Minor Political Parties

The United States also has many smaller parties. The largest of these (based on voter registrations as of 2020) are the Libertarian, Green, and Constitution parties. There are many other political parties that get very little support and only appear on the ballot in a few states.

Libertarian Party

The Libertarian Party was founded on December 11, 1972. As of March 2021, it is the largest third party in the United States. It has almost 700,000 registered voters across 28 states and Washington D.C. As of August 2022, it has 309 local elected officials and one state representative, Marshall Burt of Wyoming. Former Representative Justin Amash, who was a Republican and then an independent, joined the Libertarian Party in May 2020. He was the first Libertarian Party member of Congress. Amash did not run for reelection in 2020.

The Libertarian Party's main goal is to make government smaller, less powerful, and spend less money at all levels. To do this, the party supports markets with very few rules, a less powerful federal government, strong civil liberties (freedoms), open immigration, and not getting involved in other countries' problems. They also support free trade and free movement to all foreign countries.

Green Party

The Green Party has been active as a third party since the 1980s. The party first became widely known during Ralph Nader's second presidential campaign in 2000. Today, the main national Green Party group in the U.S. is the Green Party of the United States.

The Green Party in the United States has mostly won elections at the local level. Most Green Party members who win public office in the U.S. have won elections where the candidates' party names were not on the ballot. In 2005, the Party had 305,000 registered members in Washington D.C. and 20 states that allow party registration. In 2017, Ralph Chapman, a Representative in the Maine House of Representatives, switched to the Green Independent Party.

The Green Party of the United States generally has left-wing ideas on most important issues. Greens focus on protecting the environment, democracy where everyone participates, social justice, respecting different people, peace, and nonviolence. As of October 2020, it is the fourth largest political party in the United States based on voter registration.

Constitution Party

The Constitution Party is a national conservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers Party in 1992 by Howard Phillips. The party's official name was changed to the "Constitution Party" in 1999. However, some state parties still use different names. As of October 2020, it is the fifth largest political party in the United States based on voter registration.

Alliance Party

The Alliance Party is a centrist American political party. It was formed in 2018 and officially registered in 2019. The Alliance Party joined with several other parties, including the American Party of South Carolina and the Independence Party of Minnesota. During the 2020 presidential elections, Alliance Party Presidential Candidate Roque De La Fuente came in fifth place in terms of total votes. After the presidential election, the American Delta Party and the Independence Party of New York joined the Alliance Party. The Independence Party of New York later left in 2021.

Vermont Progressive Party

The Vermont Progressive Party is a political party active only in Vermont. It is the third largest party in that state, after the Democratic and Republican parties. Even though it only operates in one state, the Vermont Progressives have managed to get more of their candidates elected as state lawmakers than all other third parties in the U.S. combined. This makes them the third largest party in the United States by this measure. As of June 2024, the Libertarians and the Independent Party of Oregon are the only other third parties with state lawmakers, and they only have two combined. The Vermont Progressive Party is known for reliably electing candidates. In some areas, like the Burlington City Council, they are the second largest party, ahead of the Republicans.

Ballot-Qualified Political Parties by State

As of December 2021

Independent Voters

Some political candidates and many voters choose not to belong to any political party. In some states, these Independent voters cannot vote in primary elections. However, in other states, they can choose to vote in any primary election they want. The word "Independent" is often used to describe a politician or voter who has ideas from both liberal and conservative viewpoints. But most people who say they are independent usually vote for one of the two main parties when it's time for an election.

As of late 2023, three independent politicians serve in the U.S. Congress: Senators Angus King, Bernie Sanders, and Kyrsten Sinema. Senator King is considered one of the more moderate members of the Senate. Bernie Sanders calls himself a "democratic socialist" and tried to become the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 2016. His political ideas are said to define the "progressive wing" of the Democratic Party.

According to Ballotpedia, in 2022, there were 24 seats held by independent lawmakers in state legislatures. These were in states like Wyoming, Vermont, and California. There were also 10 seats held by third parties, mostly by the Vermont Progressive Party.

Images for kids

• 

  Popular votes to political parties during U.S. presidential elections

• 

  How U.S. political parties developed (dotted line means "unofficially")