Political parties have been around for almost as long as the United States itself. When a true democracy exists, the consolidation of power among like-minded voters will always exist. Over the years, political parties have come and gone, ebbing and flowing on the wave of public opinion. One constant has arguably been the two-party system and a mass of politicians playing the game as masterfully as they know how. Here are 25 Little-Known Facts About US Political Parties.
George Washington was the only American president to not be affiliated with a political party.

The Democratic Party is the oldest continuous political party, starting back in 1790 with Thomas Jefferson.

During Washington's first administration, the Federalist Party, one of the first parties to be created in America, popped up out of opposition to the Democratic-Republican party.

The Federalist Party, however, came to an end after the War of 1812; their last presidential campaign was in 1816.

The Democratic Party, then known as the Democratic-Republicans under Thomas Jefferson, was once in favor of a minimalist government.

Photos: 25 – 20. Wikipedia Commons.com (Public Domain), 19. Tomwsulcer, Two party system diagram, CC BY-SA 3.0, 18 -17. flickr user Ava Lowery, 20080825 Michelle Obama Speaks at 2008 Democratic National Convention, CC BY 2.0, 16. The History Blog (Fair Use: No Free Images Available), 15 – 11. Wikipedia Commons.com (Public Domain), 10. TheUglySweaterShop.com via flickr. CC BY 2.0, 9 – 4. Wikipedia Commons.com (Public Domain), 3. Wikipedia Commons.com (Public Domain), 2. Midnightblueowl, Welfare Not Warfare, CC BY-SA 3.0, 1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/wickenden/ Don LaVange, Ralph Nader headshot, CC BY-SA 2.0