political party (United States)

political party (United States)
Name	Political party (United States)

Contents

political party (United States) is an organized group that seeks to influence public policy and hold elective office within the United States by nominating candidates, coordinating campaigns, and shaping legislative agendas. Major examples include the Democratic Party (United States) and the Republican Party (United States), while third parties such as the Libertarian Party (United States), the Green Party (United States), and the Constitution Party (United States) also participate in ballots. Parties interact with institutions like the United States Constitution, the United States Congress, the Supreme Court of the United States, and state constitutions to affect policy across federal, state, and local levels.

History

United States parties trace origins to the rivalry between the Federalist Party (United States) and the Democratic-Republican Party following the Ratification of the United States Constitution and events like the Whiskey Rebellion and the Jay Treaty. The evolution through the Second Party System saw the rise of the Democratic Party (United States) under Andrew Jackson and the Whig Party; the collapse of the Whigs preceded formation of the Republican Party (United States) amid the Kansas–Nebraska Act and the American Civil War. Reconstruction controversies involved the Radical Republicans and the Copperheads (political movement); the Gilded Age introduced machines such as Tammany Hall and leaders like Boss Tweed. Progressive Era reforms influenced the Progressive Party (United States, 1912) and figures like Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, while the New Deal coalition associated with Franklin D. Roosevelt reshaped party alignment during the Great Depression. Civil rights struggles, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, altered partisan coalitions, as exemplified by politicians such as Lyndon B. Johnson, Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, and Richard Nixon. Modern developments involve polarization in the eras of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and debates around events like the 2000 United States presidential election, the 2008 financial crisis, and the 2020 United States presidential election.

Parties operate through national committees such as the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, state parties like the California Democratic Party and the Texas Republican Party, and county and municipal organizations exemplified by Cook County Democratic Party and the Queens County Republican Party. Conventions—Democratic National Convention and Republican National Convention—select nominees alongside primary contests like the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. Internal factions include groups such as the Blue Dog Coalition, the House Freedom Caucus, the Progressive Caucus (Congress), and the Conservative Political Action Conference-aligned activists. Party operation intersects with institutions like the Federal Election Commission for compliance, the United States Postal Service for absentee ballots, and the National Association of Secretaries of State for election administration.

Party platforms synthesize positions on issues such as foreign policy debates involving NATO, United Nations Security Council deliberations, and positions on treaties like the North American Free Trade Agreement or the Paris Agreement. Domestic policy stances reference laws and programs including the Social Security Act, the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and tax codes shaped by acts like the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Parties take positions on civil rights legacies tied to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, immigration controversies such as the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, and criminal justice reforms influenced by court rulings from the Supreme Court of the United States (for example decisions under Chief Justice John Roberts). Economic debates engage institutions like the Federal Reserve System and events like the Great Recession (2007–2009). Environmental policy discussions invoke agencies and accords such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Kyoto Protocol discussions. On social issues, parties reference precedents like Roe v. Wade and subsequent decisions, and legislative histories including the Civil Rights Restoration Act.

Parties coordinate campaigns in presidential elections—nominating candidates such as George Washington (who had no party), John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden—and in congressional races for seats in the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Campaigns use tools like polling by organizations such as Pew Research Center and Gallup, voter-turnout initiatives modeled after historical efforts like the Get Out the Vote drives, and strategies drawing on research from the University of Michigan, Harvard Kennedy School, and Columbia University. Campaign finance rules shaped by decisions such as Citizens United v. FEC and statutes like the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act influence coordination with political action committees such as Super PACs and party-affiliated committees like Hill committees (e.g., DSCC (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee), NRSC (National Republican Senatorial Committee)).

Funding sources include individual donors, political action committees including Leadership PACs, corporate and labor support exemplified by AFL–CIO endorsements, and independent expenditure groups such as Crossroads GPS and Americans for Prosperity. The interaction with institutions like the Federal Election Commission and rulings such as Buckley v. Valeo shape disclosure and contribution limits. Parties influence policy through alliances with interest groups such as the National Rifle Association, environmental organizations like the Sierra Club, business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and religious networks including the Religious Right and organizations affiliated with Evangelicalism. Think tanks such as the Brookings Institution, the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Center for American Progress provide research that parties use in crafting platforms.

State and local variations include strong machines like historical Tammany Hall, reform movements such as the Progressivism in the United States, and unique jurisdictions like Puerto Rico’s New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico) and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands party systems. State constitutions and bodies like state legislatures (for example the California State Legislature and the Texas Legislature) and offices (such as secretaries of state) determine ballot access rules affecting organizations like the Peace and Freedom Party and the Working Families Party. Local governance interactions occur with entities such as mayoralties (e.g., Mayor of New York City), county commissions, and school boards, influencing policy through city councils like the Chicago City Council and county-level party committees.