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.
Source: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/31/george-washingtons-views-political-parties-america/ The Democratic Party is the oldest continuous political party, starting back in 1790 with Thomas Jefferson.
Source: http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2016/oct/24/tim-kaine/democratic-party-oldest-continuous-political-party/ 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.
Source: http://www.history.com/topics/federalist-party The Federalist Party, however, came to an end after the War of 1812; their last presidential campaign was in 1816.
Source: https://sites.google.com/a/uconn.edu/bav11001/the-end-of-the-federalist-party The Democratic Party, then known as the Democratic-Republicans under Thomas Jefferson, was once in favor of a minimalist government.
Source: http://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/political-science-and-government/political-parties-and-movements/democratic 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
