American Political Parties
Although the two-party system that defines American government may seem solid and unquestionable, American political parties and their platforms have changed considerably throughout history. Even in this era of polarized opinions, there are nuances and details regarding U.S. political parties that are often overlooked. This American Political Parties Web Guide explores the historical and contemporary distinctions among Democrats, Republicans and other political parties of the past and present.
Expand All Guide SectionsPolitical Party History
This section provides background information on American government, illustrating how the current system evolved from America’s early political beliefs and the parties that espoused them. The sites below highlight important political documents, trends and ideologies that have defined American political parties since the 18th century.
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- If you’d like to learn more about contemporary American politics, visit the findingDulcinea Politics Web Guide.
- This guide recommends sections from the official Democrat and Republican Web sites as sources for historical information. As you visit those sites, keep in mind that they will offer a positively biased look at their party’s history.
- An article on America.gov (the State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs Web site), “U.S. Political Parties Enjoy Rich History,” explores the development of the two major American political parties and how they affect government today. It is a basic overview of the development of our current system and is worth looking at to see how the U.S. Government defines its parties without bias.
- Although in contemporary politics “Left” indicates liberal principles, while “Right” defines conservative political ideals, the Democratic and Republican parties have not always been directly associated with the “Left” and “Right,” respectively. In fact, the tendencies of each party have shifted at various times. For example, Republicans at the end of the Civil War were more socially liberal than Democrats, whereas today, the opposite is generally true.
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For educational resources on the history of American politics…
EdGate
, a Web site offering educational assessment tools, presents “Copernicus Election Watch,” an outline of political parties and figures. Names and events are presented in a basic timeline that traces American political history from 1790 to 1992. Use the hyperlinks throughout the text to access additional information on figures and parties. If you want the full explanations, however, you must sign up for a free trial of Encyclopedia Britannica, which provides the additional information.
Murray High School
of Murray, Utah, has online resources for its Advanced Placement U.S. History class that are useful for all audiences. Take a look at the basic chart of political parties and their essential beliefs, dating back to 1780. Each section is organized in terms of the dominant left and right parties for a time period, as well as key third parties.
The American Presidency
gathers articles and essays from a number of Grolier encyclopedias that outline American political parties, detailing their leaders, formation and history.
For historical documents that illustrate political trends…
The Founders’ Constitution
, published by the University of Chicago Press, outlines the major themes and fundamental documents that make up the U.S. Constitution. Get up to speed on the background of the document, and then visit essential texts by scrolling through the articles and amendments included in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. You can track American political tendencies at any given period by noting the changes made to these documents.
United States Senate
traces the political parties as they have defined the U.S. Senate. Visit the “Party Division in the Senate, 1789–Present” section for a general overview. Other interesting historical coverage details “Senators Who Were Members of Third Parties,” and “Senators Who Have Switched Parties since 1890.” Also get links to Senate Policy Committees and visit both the Democratic Policy Committee and Republican Policy Committee homepages.
American Memory
, an organization supported by the U.S. government, offers these links to “U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates” from 1774–1875. You’ll get information about the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention as well as statutes, documents, journals and debates. This is another good way to track the American political climate through history.
For the history of the Democratic Party…
The Democratic Party
’s official Web site provides this section on the history of the Democrats. Use the “Democratic Party Timeline” link for an interactive timeline that covers the development of the party. Click on any date to get a profile of the president at the time, complete with images and text.
Infoplease
outlines Democratic Party history through a series of encyclopedia articles. Browse through the articles and visit any hyperlink for more information on selected names, dates and events.
For a history of the Republican Party…
GOP.com
offers this extensive history of the Republican Party. Find a general overview and be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page where historical information is presented in chronological categories. Major themes, profiles, and events are covered in detail.
Infoplease
provides the same thorough coverage of the Republican Party as it does for the Democratic Party. You’ll find overview of different eras in the party’s history. Click the hyperlinks throughout the text for additional information on selected names, dates and events.
Who knew?
McSweeney’s Internet Tendency
provides this amusing quiz that asks, “Pre-1900 American Political Party or Music Group?”
Political Parties Today
Below you’ll find links to official Web sites for the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and a number of influential third parties. Use these Web sites to track important issues, research local or federal representatives or get involved with your party of choice.
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- If you’re interested in tracking a Democratic or Republican politician’s stance on any issue, browse his or her entire voting record on Project Vote Smart. This is a good way to stay abreast of how political parties influence the vote.
- Visit The Advocates for Self Government or The Political Compass for quizzes that can help you choose a party affiliation. (The first quiz is brief, the second is extensive.)
- If you want to learn about the role of political parties in the upcoming Presidential election, visit findingDulcinea’s Web guide to Election 2008.
- If you want more information about volunteering for a political party, candidate or sitting politician, visit findingDulcinea’s Getting Politically Active Web guide.
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For official Democratic Party Web sites…
The Democratic Party
Web site, mentioned earlier in this guide, publishes news on party developments. Visit the blog for interactive coverage, or read up on national or local Democratic news and events. Go to “communities” to see how the party addresses the needs of various niche groups, including the LGBT community, youth groups, religious Democrats, Native Americans, and union members and their families.
DemocraticGovernors.org
represents Democratic governors across the country. Learn the initiatives and policies most favored by Democratic governors and find news and events, along with options for individual involvement.
Young Democrats of America
is dedicated to Democrats under 36 years of age. The site focuses on grassroots involvement, with links like “Chapter Revolution,” “Create a Chapter” and “Tell a Friend.” If you are a young person interested in getting more involved with the Democratic Party, this is the perfect resource to begin.
For official Republican party Web sites…
GOP.com
, the official Republican Web site, is the best place to research party platforms, and to learn how the party presents and advertises itself. Visit “Issues” for the party’s stance on major issues of today. Go to “State Parties” for more information on how the party represents itself statewide. The site makes it easy to get involved: go to “Take Action!” to join the Republican Party, get in touch with your elected official, call talk radio, sign a petition or make a contribution.
RGA (Republican Governors Association)
represents Republican governors. View headlines on the homepage or browse the site using the links provided, such as “Elections,” “Events,” “Contribute” or “Intern,” to name a few. Visit this site to learn about or get involved in Republican Party operations on a local level.
Young Republican National Federation
is dedicated to Republicans ages 18 to 40, with a focus on getting young Republicans involved in local and national divisions of the party.
For information on third parties …
Politics1.com
has an extensive list of U.S. political party Web sites. Scroll down past the Democratic and Republican party information for a series of links and brief descriptions of several American “third parties.”
The University of Michigan
provides an extensive list of national party Web sites. Use the links to go to the official site of each party. Also find links to sites dedicated to American politics and documents that cover both American history and current events.
Who knew?
The Living Room Candidate
is a worthwhile and entertaining archive of presidential campaign TV ads. Find out who was running against whom, who the candidates and their running mates were, and how candidates have been marketed through the years.
Political News
This section of the guide plugs you into the events and issues that define today’s political parties. You’ll learn what elected officials, candidates, reporters and pundits are saying about current policies and platforms.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Visit findingDulcinea’s Politics or Political Blogs Web Guides for media outlets that offer specifically liberal or conservative commentary.
- One of the best ways to be informed is to find out what the other side is saying. If you prefer liberal media sources, have a look at some of the conservative discussions out there. You’ll improve your political discussions with others by knowing which points to refute. You may even broaden your perspective to accommodate opinions you previously criticized.
- For the latest news from the 2008 presidential race, visit the Election News Roundup at findingDulcinea’s Beyond the Headlines.
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Political Wire
is a news aggregator that highlights domestic politics. Much of the current coverage focuses on the 2008 presidential election campaigns. Visit these headlines throughout the day for news on politicians’ decisions, comments, gaffes and successes.
CQ Politics
covers the 2008 presidential election campaigns, as well as current House, Senate and gubernatorial races. Find headlines along with race ratings and fundraising charts. Information is often presented in article form and provides a detailed look at what effects races and campaigns, and how the current political climate is reflected by the elections.
The Swamp
is published by the Chicago Tribune’s Washington, D.C. bureau. The blog reports on Capitol Hill, offering both current headlines and archived material. Use the links on the left to visit the Tribune Company’s other papers and read political news from various states in the U.S. Take a look at the blogroll for online sources of both liberal and conservative coverage.
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