American Political Parties | Democrats vs Republicans | Presidents' Detailed List

American Politics

There is nothing that has a greater impact on our lives, or the lives of our children, grandchildren, families, and relatives than who we choose to be the leaders of our country. Most United States Citizens cannot tell you the difference between the two major political parties: Republicans and Democrats.

The other major political parties in America are Libertarian Party, Green Party etc. Political Party affiliation is a quick way to find out the basic ideas and philosophy for each candidate, both Republicans and Democrats. Political affiliation can be used to understand the core beliefs of each candidate and there are significant differences between them.

This is because we hear people say there is no significant difference between the parties. Their cynicism shows in statements such as Democrats and Republicans are : - both corrupt - both are only interested in power - both pander to their constituencies - both make promises they don’t keep.

In addition, we sometimes also hear people say there is no need to learn about what the political parties stand for because in my family we have always been Democrats or we have always been Republicans. Furthermore, we sometimes also hear people say that the Democrats support the poor people and that the Republicans support the rich people.

Federalists : Political Parties of 18th century

Since late 18th century, there were only two political parties in America viz. Federalists and Republicans. The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816. The party was formed by Alexander Hamilton, who, during George Washington's first term, built a network of supporters, largely urban bankers and businessmen, to support his fiscal policies. Federalists favoured strong central government but loose interpretation of the Constitution. They encouraged commerce and manufacturing. The party was very strong in Northeast. They were in favour of close ties with Britain. They also emphasized the order and stability.

In contrast, Republicans at that time emphasized on states' rights ans strict interpretation of the Constitution. They gave preference to agriculture and rural life. Its strength was in South and West. Foreign policy was sympathized with France and stressed the civil liberties and trust in the people.

List of Political Parties with their Theories :

History of Democrats and Republicans

The Democratic-Republican Party was originally founded by Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, in 1792 to participate in elections against Federalist Party. Till 1831-32, they remained as Democratic-Republican Party but thereafter the Democrat Party came into existence causing a split in the Democratic-Republican Party, by a group known as the Jackson Democrats, named after Andrew Jackson. Shortly after that, the Democratic Party became the pro-slavery party. The Republican Party got its start back in 1854 with anti-slavery members breaking from Democratic Party (the largest party at the time) to form the Republican Party.

After the Civil war, during the time of Reconstruction, Democrats in the South not only intimidated both blacks and Republicans alike, they lynched them both. The void created by driving many Republicans out of the political arena, allowed Democrats to pass laws that restricted voting, and instituted the segregation of blacks, known as Jim Crow Laws in the South. Over theyears, both parties have changed to where today, they no longer reflect the ideals of their earlier roots.

Theory of Republicans

1. Republicans are generally considered conservative or traditionalists in their philosophy. 
2. Republicans believe that each person is responsible for his or her own place in society. Government should enable each person the ability to secure the benefits of society for themselves, their families and for those who are unable to care for themselves. 
3. The Republican philosophy is based on limiting the intervention of government as a catalyst of individual prosperity. Government should only intervene in specific cases where society cannot effectively act at the individual level. With the core belief that individual destiny should be in the individual’s hands, governmental power and resources should be kept close to the people, through their state and community leaders, and not centralized in distant federal government agencies. 
4. They believe that the country was founded by God on enduring principles that have created the opportunity for prosperity and an abundant life for its citizens. 
5. They believe that the United States has been a force for good in the world. They believe in smaller government, less federal control, and less government regulation. 
6. They believe that government closest to the people governs best. They believe in equal justice, individual rights, and responsibilities. 
7. They believe in providing educational opportunities to our children. They are committed to traditional morality–respect for life, strong families, and personal responsibility. They support religious symbols in public.

Democrats Theory

1. Democrats believe it is the responsibility of government to care for all individuals, even if it means giving up some individual rights and/or subordinating enterprise and initiative. 
2. Democrats are considered liberal or secular progressives. 
3. They believe in large government in which the majority of power is centralized in Washington, with only secondary consideration for the rights of both individuals and communities. 
4. Democrats have favored federal-level interventions that replace community-based solutions to community problems. These tactics have created several federal regulations and controls that are often in the hands of unelected bureaucrats, causing a severe erosion of local authority. 
5. They believe that a more socialist government is better. 
6. They believe in moral relativism and condemn religious symbols in public.

Detailed List of Presidents of America

 

President Name	Joined Office	Left Office	Party
George Washington	April 30, 1789	March 4, 1797	Independent
John Adams	March 4, 1797	March 4, 1801	Federalist
Thomas Jefferson	March 4, 1801	March 4, 1809	Democratic-Republican
James Madison	March 4, 1809	March 4, 1817	Democratic-Republican
James Monroe	March 4, 1817	March 4, 1825	Democratic-Republican
John Quincy Adams	March 4, 1825	March 4, 1829	Democratic-Republican
Andrew Jackson	March 4, 1829	March 4, 1837	Democratic
Martin Van Buren	March 4, 1837	March 4, 1841	Democratic
William Henry Harrison	March 4, 1841	April 4, 1841	Whig
John Tyler	April 4, 1841	March 4, 1845	Whig
James K. Polk	March 4, 1845	March 4, 1849	Democratic
Zachary Taylor	March 4, 1849	July 9, 1850	Whig
Millard Fillmore	July 9, 1850	March 4, 1853	Whig
Franklin Pierce	March 4, 1853	March 4, 1857	Democratic
James Buchanan	March 4, 1857	March 4, 1861	Democratic
Abraham Lincoln	March 4, 1861	April 15, 1865	Republican
Andrew Johnson	April 15, 1865	March 4, 1869	Democratic
Ulysses S. Grant	March 4, 1869	March 4, 1877	Republican
Rutherford B. Hayes	March 4, 1877	March 4, 1881	Republican
James A. Garfield	March 4, 1881	September 19, 1881	Republican
Chester A. Arthur	September 19, 1881	March 4, 1885	Republican
Grover Cleveland	March 4, 1885	March 4, 1889	Democratic
Benjamin Harrison	March 4, 1889	March 4, 1893	Republican
Grover Cleveland	March 4, 1893	March 4, 1897	Democratic
William McKinley	March 4, 1897	September 14, 1901	Republican
Theodore Roosevelt	September 14, 1901	March 4, 1909	Republican
William Howard Taft	March 4, 1909	March 4, 1913	Republican
Woodrow Wilson	March 4, 1913	March 4, 1921	Democratic
Warren G. Harding	March 4, 1921	August 2, 1923	Republican
Calvin Coolidge	August 2, 1923	March 4, 1929	Republican
Herbert Hoover	March 4, 1929	March 4, 1933	Republican
Franklin D. Roosevelt	March 4, 1933	April 12, 1945	Democratic
Harry S. Truman	April 12, 1945	January 20, 1953	Democratic
Dwight D. Eisenhower	January 20, 1953	January 20, 1961	Republican
John F. Kennedy	January 20, 1961	November 22, 1963	Democratic
Lyndon B. Johnson	November 22, 1963	January 20, 1969	Democratic
Richard Nixon	January 20, 1969	August 9, 1974	Republican
Gerald Ford	August 9, 1974	January 20, 1977	Republican
Jimmy Carter	January 20, 1977	January 20, 1981	Democratic
Ronald Reagan	January 20, 1981	January 20, 1989	Republican
George H. W. Bush	January 20, 1989	January 20, 1993	Republican
Bill Clinton	January 20, 1993	January 20, 2001	Democratic
George W. Bush	January 20, 2001	January 20, 2009	Republican
Barack Obama	January 20, 2009	Incumbent	Democratic

Detailed List of American Presidents :

Follow us on : Twitter 1    Twitter 2    Facebook