Democratic Party

The Democratic Party has been in existence since the late 18th century and has been one of the two main political parties in the United States in the post–Civil War period. As of the inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009, the Democratic Party has had 16 presidents come from its ranks. The Democrats hold a majority of seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and control a majority of governorships in states across the country. Democrats have traditionally taken an active protectionist stance toward the environment and environmental issues, favoring governmental policies and programs as a means of ensuring environmental quality.

In 1792, the Democratic-Republican Party was founded by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and other opponents of the Federalist Party. The modern Democratic ...