President as Chief of PartyBut wait….were political parties always part

of the plan?

Chief of PartyNO!!!! Many founding fathers opposed

political parties and warned that they would divide the country.

Washington was elected without a party and believed that political parties were divisive and an obstacle to good government.

Chief of PartyBut political parties began to form during

Washington’s administrationAlexander Hamilton became the leader of the

Federalist PartyThomas Jefferson became the leader of the

Democratic-Republican Party.

Chief of PartyFederalists vs. Democratic Republicans – see

packet

Chief of PartyElection of 1800- Jefferson (Democratic-

Republican) beat J. Adams (Federalist) = first change of political party in American HistoryElection of 1800 – Jefferson and Burr both ran

for Republicans (Jefferson for Pres, Burr for VP)….but since the original Electoral College did not vote separately for Pres and VP – Jefferson and Burr ended up in a tie and the House of Reps had to decide election

12th amendment passed as result – Electors vote separately for Pres and VP

Chief of PartyBy 1824, the Federalist Party had lost

influence and four candidates from the divided Democratic-Republican Party ran for the presidency. The election was decided in the House of Reps because no one candidate received the majority of the electoral vote.

Chief of Party1824 continued….John Quincy Adams was

voted President by the House of Reps and a result, Andrew Jackson, who had won the popular vote—formed the Democratic Party in protest of the “corrupt bargain.”

Chief of PartyIn the election of 1828, Jackson was elected

president as a populist man of the people. By 1828, voting restrictions had been relaxed

and ALL white men, 21 and older could vote. However, he was soon opposed by the Whig

Party.

Chief of PartyThe Whigs took their name from the

antiroyalist British party and opposed President Jackson was based on opposition to his king-like rule and his unchecked use of executive power.

During the 1840s and 1850s, the Democrats and Whigs remained in competition.

Chief of PartyAfter the Whig Party collapsed over

disagreement about the spread of slavery, the Republican Party was formed in 1854.

Abraham Lincoln , won the Election of 1860 on the strength of the Northern vote and became the first Republican President.

Chief of PartyRepublicans continued to dominate politics

during the Civil War. Southern whites rejoined politics through the Democratic Party.

From the 1860s onward, the Democratic and Republican parties have dominated U.S. government.

Smaller, so-called third parties arise from time to time, but no independent or third-party candidate has won a presidential election, and very few have won congressional seats.

Chief of PartyToday…one of the President’s role is to act as

Chief of his Party. He helps members of his political party get elected or appointed to office. President

Obama campaigning for

Democratic Party