Emergence of a Two-Party System 1789-1808
Matthew Kirkpatrick
Br. Herb
AP American History Period 4
10/8/12
Emergence of a Two-Party System 1789-1808 A two-party system is a political system in which the electorate gives its majority of votes to only two major parties and in which one or the other party can win a majority in the legislature. An example of a two-party system is the United States of America, which has the Republicans and the Democrats. For the candidacy to be president, the person must have a majority of the party supporting him or her. An advantage to having a two-party system is that it provides stability in the government so that not only one party wins the vote to govern the nation all the time. Two-party systems controls campaigning against each other so that one party can gain support of a certain group or minority. Between the two parties of a two-party system there is some agreement. With having a government with a two-party system with two major parties of similar views and of equal strength fighting for control of a government, when the governmental control alternates between the two parties, the policies that shift wont be so radical that the citizens will oppose and revolt against the government.
In 1789, the two men who were the leaders of the two parties that were to emerge were Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson had a major influence during this time. Hamilton was an active delegate for New York at the Constitutional Convention, the main author of the Federalist papers and the first Secretary of the Treasury for the United States. He was the leader of the Federalist Party. Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence, United States’ first Secretary of the State, and state delegate responsible for the Louisiana Purchase. He was the leader of the Democratic Republicans. Many things led to the emergence of these two parties, but the most influential were the economic concerns and foreign affairs.
After
Br. Herb
AP American History Period 4
10/8/12
Emergence of a Two-Party System 1789-1808 A two-party system is a political system in which the electorate gives its majority of votes to only two major parties and in which one or the other party can win a majority in the legislature. An example of a two-party system is the United States of America, which has the Republicans and the Democrats. For the candidacy to be president, the person must have a majority of the party supporting him or her. An advantage to having a two-party system is that it provides stability in the government so that not only one party wins the vote to govern the nation all the time. Two-party systems controls campaigning against each other so that one party can gain support of a certain group or minority. Between the two parties of a two-party system there is some agreement. With having a government with a two-party system with two major parties of similar views and of equal strength fighting for control of a government, when the governmental control alternates between the two parties, the policies that shift wont be so radical that the citizens will oppose and revolt against the government.
In 1789, the two men who were the leaders of the two parties that were to emerge were Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson had a major influence during this time. Hamilton was an active delegate for New York at the Constitutional Convention, the main author of the Federalist papers and the first Secretary of the Treasury for the United States. He was the leader of the Federalist Party. Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence, United States’ first Secretary of the State, and state delegate responsible for the Louisiana Purchase. He was the leader of the Democratic Republicans. Many things led to the emergence of these two parties, but the most influential were the economic concerns and foreign affairs.
After
Bibliography: Kaplan, Edward. The Bank of the United States and the American Economy: (Contributions in Economics and Economic History). Praeger, 1999. 1. Print. . StudyNotes.org, 2008. Web. 8 Oct 2012. <http://www.apstudynotes.org/us- history/topics/development-of-the-two-party-system/>. "two-party system." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/611292/two-party-system>.