1. Political Parties  Definition: Groups of individuals with common political beliefs.  U.S. Government is conducive to political parties because the Executive and Legislative branch must work together.  Two Party System - Founding Fathers were against having political parties – felt they would corrupt government (for example: George Washington had a diverse cabinet – different political beliefs)

2. First Parties  Federalists Alexander Hamilton and John Adams  Favored active Federal Government  Pro-British Foreign Policy  Democratic-Republican (today’s Democratic Party) – Thomas Jefferson  Limited Federal Government  Pro-French Foreign Policy  Referred to as Republicans  Held the Presidential office for 28 years after Jefferson became President, resulted in a one-party system, Federalists fell apart.

3. Two Party System - Revived NNational Republicans - John Quincy Adams FFederal Government actively promotes economy DDemocratic- Republicans – Andrew Jackson BBy 1828, became known as the Democratic Party CControl the Presidency from 1828 – 1860 (Civil War shift)

4. 1860-Emergence of Today’s Parties  Republican Party (Abraham Lincoln)  Opposed expansion of slavery West  Believed in Nationalism  Democratic Party  Favored expansion of slavery West  States’ rights (States before National Government) 1860 – 1912: Republicans dominate Presidency

5. “ New Deal” - 1932  Franklin D. Roosevelt  Democrats control Congress for the next 48 years (until 1980 – election of Ronald Reagan)