Simone Lawson
The US Constitution, written in 1787, does not mention political parties. The founding fathers, including Hamilton and Jefferson, initially believed that political parties were factions, acting only in their own self-interest rather than for the public good. They saw instances in history where factions resorted to extreme measures such as assassination and civil war if their demands were not met. As a result, the writers of the Constitution assumed the absence of political parties and believed that they would play no formal role in the government.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mentions of political parties | None |
| Views of the founding fathers | Political parties were "factions", acting only for their own selfish interests rather than the public good. |
| Role in government | No formal role |
| Formation | Political parties began to emerge with disputes over the ratification of the Constitution. |
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What You'll Learn
- The US Constitution does not mention political parties
- The founders thought of political parties as factions
- Federalists and Anti-Federalists emerged with disputes over the Constitution
- George Washington warned against the baneful effects of the spirit of party
- Political parties became permanent fixtures of American elections
The US Constitution does not mention political parties
The US Constitution, written in 1787, does not mention political parties. The founding fathers, including Hamilton and Jefferson, initially believed that political parties were "factions", acting only in their own selfish interests and posing a threat to the new nation. They saw instances in history where factions resorted to extreme measures such as assassination and civil war when they did not get their way. As a result, the writers of the Constitution assumed the absence of political parties and believed they would play no formal role in the government.
However, political parties began to emerge during disputes over the ratification of the Constitution, with the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists becoming the first recognised political parties in the US. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, wanted a strong central government, while the Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson, advocated for states' rights and decentralised power. The Federalists drew their support from the commercial sector, while the Anti-Federalists found strength in those who favoured an agrarian society.
Despite the emergence of these early political parties, George Washington, in his farewell address in 1796, specifically warned against "the baneful effects of the spirit of party". However, political parties quickly became a permanent fixture of American elections. One of the key areas of competition among political parties is redistricting, where incumbents often draw the boundaries of their congressional districts to maintain their power. This practice, known as "gerrymandering", has led to proposals for non-partisan commissions to create more compact and cohesive districts.
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The founders thought of political parties as factions
The US Constitution does not mention political parties, but they began to emerge with disputes over the ratification of the Constitution. The first political parties, the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists, formed during the struggle over the ratification of the federal Constitution of 1787.
When the Constitution was written in 1787, the founders thought of political parties as "factions", acting only for their own selfish interests rather than the public good. The founders saw instances in history when factions resorted to assassination and civil war if they failed to get their way. The writers of the Constitution believed that political parties would play no formal role in the new government. The framers of the new Constitution wanted to avoid the divisions that had ripped England apart in the bloody civil wars of the 17th century. Many of them saw parties—or “factions,” as they called them—as corrupt relics of the monarchical British system that they wanted to discard in favor of a truly democratic government.
Alexander Hamilton once called political parties “the most fatal disease” of popular governments. James Madison, who worked with Hamilton to defend the new Constitution to the public, wrote in Federalist 10 that one of the functions of a “well-constructed Union” should be “its tendency to break and control the violence of faction.” Thomas Jefferson, who was serving a diplomatic post in France during the Constitutional Convention, believed it was a mistake not to provide for different political parties in the new government. “Men by their constitutions are naturally divided into two parties,’’ he would write in 1824.
In 1791, Madison and Jefferson joined forces in forming what would become the Democratic-Republican Party (forerunner of today’s Democratic Party) largely in response to Hamilton’s programs, including the federal government’s assumption of states’ debt and the establishment of a national banking system. By the mid-1790s, Jefferson and Hamilton had both quit Washington’s Cabinet. Meanwhile, the Democratic-Republicans and Federalists spent much of the first president’s second term bitterly attacking each other in competing newspapers over their opinions of his administration’s policies.
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Federalists and Anti-Federalists emerged with disputes over the Constitution
The US Constitution does not mention political parties, but they began to emerge with disputes over its ratification, with Federalists and Anti-Federalists forming.
The Federalists and Anti-Federalists had vastly different beliefs, which led to disputes over the Constitution. The Federalists were in favour of the new Constitution, which was drafted in 1787, as they believed it would strengthen the national government. They argued that the US government needed the authority to force the states to follow laws, otherwise, the country would remain as disorganized as it had been under the Articles of Confederation.
The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, opposed the ratification of the Constitution. They believed that it would strengthen the national government at the expense of the states and the people. They argued that a supreme federal government would "swallow up all the powers of the state governments", leading to tyranny. They also believed that the Constitution violated individual liberties and lacked a bill of rights. However, the Anti-Federalists were not able to organize efficiently across all thirteen states, and so they had to fight the ratification at every state convention.
Despite their differences, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists reached a compromise that led to the adoption of the Constitution. However, this harmony did not extend to the presidency of George Washington, as political divisions emerged within his cabinet in 1792 over fiscal policy. Those who supported Alexander Hamilton's aggressive policies and expansive constitutional interpretations formed the Federalist Party, while those who supported Thomas Jefferson's view of stricter constitutional construction formed the Jeffersonian Party, also known as the Republican or Democratic-Republican Party, which became the precursor to the modern Democratic Party.
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George Washington warned against the baneful effects of the spirit of party
The US Constitution does not mention political parties. In fact, when the Constitution was written in 1787, the founders thought of political parties as "factions", acting only for their own selfish interests rather than the public good. The writers of the Constitution believed that political parties would play no formal role in the new government.
George Washington, in his farewell address to the nation in 1796, warned against the "baneful effects of the spirit of party". He cautioned against putting political party interests ahead of the interests of the nation. Washington was concerned about the development of competing political parties, which he believed would lead to factionalism and a spirit of revenge. He warned that this could enable the rise of “cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men” who would “usurp for themselves the reins of government; destroying afterward the very engines, which have lifted them to unjust dominion”.
Washington's concerns were well-founded, as political parties had already begun to emerge by the time he stepped down from office. The Federalists, who drew their support largely from New England, advocated for a strong national government and the fiscal programs created by Hamilton, the nation's first secretary of the treasury. On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists opposed them.
Washington's warnings about the dangers of partisanship and the "spirit of party" continue to resonate today. Current survey data reflects the first president’s concerns about partisanship, with Democrats expressing less positive views about elected officials who compromise. The attempt by Democrats to impeach a duly-elected president for “high crimes and misdemeanors” also mirrors the kind of partisan politics Washington warned about.
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Political parties became permanent fixtures of American elections
The US Constitution does not mention political parties, and the founding fathers did not intend for them to play a formal role in the government. When the Constitution was written in 1787, political parties were seen as "factions", acting only in their own selfish interests. The founding fathers, including Hamilton and Jefferson, believed that parties were evil and a threat to the new nation. They assumed the absence of political parties, even in electing the president, as the Constitution established an Electoral College to choose the best person for the role.
However, political parties began to emerge with disputes over the ratification of the Constitution, with the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists becoming the first recognised political parties in the US. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, wanted a strong central government, while the Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson, advocated for states' rights instead of centralised power. The Federalists drew their support from the commercial sector, while the Anti-Federalists drew theirs from those who favoured an agrarian society.
Despite George Washington warning against "the baneful effects of the spirit of the party" in his farewell address in 1796, political parties quickly became a permanent fixture of American elections. The Federalists, now out of power, became the first "loyal opposition", opposing the ruling party while remaining loyal to the Constitution and the nation. This marked a shift in the perception of political parties, as previously, those in power viewed those who organised against them as disloyal.
Thus, political parties became an essential feature of American democracy, providing a legitimate avenue for opposition and a check on the power of the ruling party.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the US Constitution does not mention political parties.
The writers of the Constitution believed that political parties would play no formal role in the new government. They thought of political parties as factions, acting only for their own selfish interests rather than the public good.
Political parties began to emerge with disputes over the ratification of the Constitution in 1787. They became known as the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
George Washington specifically warned against "the baneful effects of the spirit of party" in his farewell address in 1796.
No, political parties became a permanent fixture of American elections soon after Washington retired from office.
