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Why Do We Have Political Parties?

PBS Origins | October 30, 2024



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John Adams warned us. George Washington begged us not to. Despite numerous warnings, here we are on the cusp of the 2020 election with two major parties locked in a perpetual struggle for power. Today Danielle looks at the emergence of the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans shortly after the United States’s foundation and how these early parties evolved into the Two-Party System of the Democratic and Republican parties we know today.

Special thanks to our Historian Harry Brisson and Archivists Rachel Brice, Jafra D. Thomas, and Alex Hackman on Patreon! Join them at https://www.patreon.com/originofeverything

Created and Hosted by Danielle Bainbridge
Produced by Complexly for PBS Digital Studios


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Origin of Everything is a show about the undertold histories and cultural dialogues that make up our collective story. From the food we eat, to the trivia and fun facts we can’t seem to get out of our heads, to the social issues we can’t stop debating, everything around us has a history. Origin of Everything is here to explore it all. We like to think that no topic is too small or too challenging to get started.

Works Cited
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/creating-the-united-states/formation-of-political-parties.html
https://www.questia.com/library/politics-and-government/political-science/political-parties/political-parties-in-america
https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=15&page=transcript
Handbook of Party Politics Ed. Richard S Katz and William Crotty
Steadfast Democrats: How Social Forces Shape Black Political Behavior Ismail K. White & Chryl N. Laird
Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America Lee Drutman
https://www.pewresearch.org/topics/political-polarization/
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/09/18/few-trump-or-biden-supporters-have-close-friends-who-back-the-opposing-candidate/
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/two-party-system-broke-constitution/604213/
https://www.history.com/news/founding-fathers-political-parties-opinion
https://www.history.com/news/george-washington-farewell-address-warnings?li_source=LI&li_medium=m2m-rcw-history
history.com/topics/british-history/glorious-revolution
Epstein, Leon(1967)Political Parties in Western Democracies. New York: Praeger.
Huckshorn, R. Jack. (1980). Political parties in America. North Scituate, Mass.: Duxbury Press.
Borus, György. “POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE YEARS BEFORE AND AFTER THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION.” Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies (HJEAS) 13, no. 1/2 (2007): 121-30. Accessed September 29, 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEmOUHxessE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8VOM8ET1WU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6R0NvVr164

Written by PBS Origins

Comments

This post currently has 35 comments.

  1. @pbsorigins

    October 30, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    BIG THANKS to Awilda Martinez who suggested this topic when we were polling for fan pick episodes! It's been a while since we've made a fan pick and they're always some of my favorite videos. Enjoy!

    ~Danielle

  2. @nelsonvh3033

    October 30, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    The real question is, why do you guys only have two parties. Also, why do you guys have an electoral college in the year 2024? Both is not normal for a developed democracy, think about that!

  3. @justinmcnally5395

    October 30, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    You all are WAY overthinking what a political party is…for anyone new to politics looking for a simplified answer, a political party is a club…It's a club of people with similar social, economic, and political ideas doing stuff to obtain power and advocate for things they believe in….BOOM.

  4. @liamobrien6151

    October 30, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    The history of policing is pretty much impossible to disentangle from the history of bad laws, the history of passing too many laws, the history of bad practices, and the reflection of the flaws and poor attitudes and prejudices in society in each era. It may make it difficult to consider how law enforcement could work and what specific reforms could make it work as fairly and safely as possible.

  5. @MeThePersonvWeThePrivileged

    October 30, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    Factions elevate authoritarian leaders to the ruin of public liberty said George Washington in his final speech submitted to the American Daily Advertiser in 1796 (Smithsonian Magazine, August 2023, pg.30). The privileged use them to divide and conquer. The privileged accomplish much through suboral communication driving most people into addictions and/or suicide. UAA brings us all together under one complete cultural and economic plan. Our complete fiscal and physical, mental and spiritual health and welfare should drive the market not libido and territorialism alone. Slavery and privilege wouldn't exist without each other. AI is incorporating apartheid into our everyday lives. The United States is running an apartheid culture through factions. Does MacKenzie Scott know she is supporting fascists when she donates her fortunes to charities? The Technocrats are running an inquisition fueled by male centrist apartheid. There is no fundamental change in our culture. Saving the World is about enough subsistence to ensure the rationality of success for all through a Universal Affirmative Action Policy which is the most caring method possible. It’s a triage that should use total lifetime and household income and all encumbrances and age as the first criteria for deciding who gets help next including tax breaks. It’s about enough subsistence for all to create and maintain rational dispositions, a prerequisite to happiness. You can’t save the environment and not be happy or be happy and not save the environment.

    Saving the World Blog https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4934718620344562739/582381429549608198

  6. @rbwinn3

    October 30, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    We have political parties because Europeans have political parties. Americans cannot imagine that the American system of government could possibly work and have done nothing since 1800 other than copy what Europeans do.

  7. @banditshorthouse2846

    October 30, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    Republicans have their roots with Jefferson and small government not the Whigs.

    Furthermore the republicans were abolishonist long before emancipation and all the way up to MLK were founders of the Civil rights movement.

    This is revisionist history meant to ignore republican service to freeing the slaves and the civil rights movement. As well a not exploring the democrats connection to slavery and racist movements like the KKK.

    Truth is Republicans felt betrayed after the black population chose being bribed by welfare by their slavers to stay calm and join them instead.

    Conservatives warned what would happen to the communities after this legislation was passed and they were correct, it destroyed the family and corrupted their mindset to just being victims and.making them believe they couldnt make it. Conservatives warned you…

  8. @gatorwoman71-the-real-one

    October 30, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    This was fascinating and a great and very relatable summary of a topic all Americans should know about. I'm curious what would happen to the Electoral College if we didn't have a two-party system, especially since Electors are not obligated to vote according to the popular sentiment in their state. Thanks for producing such great content! All of your videos are wonderful!

  9. @chuck4747

    October 30, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    i am disenchanted with the modern country this is cuz one thing said or shit being so bad its just like to me i see the people that earned it and how monoarchy has slowly chizzled back in and it is corruption i get not stopping it i dont see why people dont boycot it like how can you be so proud of you choice of two presedents its like submitting to it cuz you want to have your say … you dont even know their true agenda it above you pay grade they would sure as shit clean up foreal if they though we were dont with um as a whole right now the minute you get mad at one without an other i just feel mean saying how i feel deep down i mean its foolish

  10. @romecottrell4558

    October 30, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    I think of this topic myself, and every election we the American people are arguing over which of the 2 parties 🥳 the Democrats and Republicans are going to make the U.S.A be more concerned with our needs. And most of us already know that neither political parties give a damn 🙄 about our feelings. So why don't we just vote for a 3rd party candidate 🤔? That would be at least someone different political 😉. Remember Election year 2024 , just my opinion folks 🤷🏾‍♂️.

  11. @dangerislost2979

    October 30, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    Now this is my type of history teacher, explaining how badly the political parties are. And yet no one ever would consider removal of the political parties from a president but yet, it could only be done with a independent party which is “no political party” but only your beliefs and what your own rulings you want if they accept the rulings you want. I am gonna be honest being if it was possible to have a president that goes against the political parties and got the right to remove the parties with very good choices and rulings for us all. Only the best president in history would do that if we get one like that.

  12. @donaldsawyer2618

    October 30, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    No matter how many times explained I do not understand parties. Most people want healthcare, little crime, employment and housing. So why do I need to believe some party for that? Both simply want funds and re-election. Local level politics is most important and most people do not get involved in it

  13. @hx20303

    October 30, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    Parties serve their party, not the people. Or tax dollars are increasingly paying for partisan fighting instead of representing the people’s choices. Political parties should be abolished. There is absolutely no need for them and they are a cancer of a society.

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