Confronting the Presidents: No Spin Assessments from Washington to Biden

A political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, the Democratic-Republicans supported free trade, the separation of church and state, the interests of small farmers, and the power of the states over the federal government. They sympathized with the principles of the French Revolution and pushed for close ties between the United States and France. During the presidency of Andrew Jackson, the Democratic-Republicans would split and become the Democratic Party.

Forming out of the old Democratic-Republican Party, the Democratic Party was established in 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson. The party’s positions and constituencies have changed radically over the many years of its existence. When it was founded, it supported free trade over high tariffs, was skeptical of industrialization, and opposed federal interventions in the economy and civil rights for African Americans. By the late 20th century, the party had become known for relatively pro-labor policies, progressive cultural and social views, and support for a federal government active in environmental and business regulations and defending civil rights.

Along with the Democratic-Republicans, the Federalist Party was one of the first two political parties to develop in the United States. The Federalist platform included support for a strong federal government and industrialization, protectionist trade policies, and an alliance between the United States and Britain. The party dissolved by the late 1820s.

Currently one of the main two political parties in the United States alongside the Democratic Party, the Republican Party was founded in 1854 in opposition to policies expanding slavery into the Western states. At its founding, the Republican Party supported industrialization and federal interventions in the economy, opposed slavery, and sought at least some rights for African Americans. In recent times, Republican positions include opposition to business regulations and labor unions, states having more independence from the federal government, and social, cultural, and religious conservatism.