Democratic Party

The Democratic Party in the United States emerged after the splintering of Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party in the 1820s. Andrew Jackson is sometimes cited as the party's founder. Always more [Page 175]attuned to the needs of those with fewer privileges, the party initially espoused what one might term a conservative ideology. A succession of changes in party rules gradually altered its ideology to what it is today.

Between 1832 and 1860, the Democratic Party was dominant largely because rivals lacked a comparable level of formal organization. The party stood for strict interpretation of the Constitution, states' rights, and limited federal spending. The party was divided on the question of slavery.

The party was so divided that it ran two candidates for the presidency in 1860, a northern one and a southern one, thus assuring victory to the fledgling Republican Party and its candidate, Abraham Lincoln. During the Civil War, the Democrats' northern wing became factionalized, with “Copperheads” advocating conciliation toward the secessionist south. After the war, the party was weak, assuring a Republican ascendancy from 1860 to 1932.

The Depression brought African Americans, organized labor, and academics into a coalition with traditional Democrats in the South and in urban centers. The party's nomination of Franklin Roosevelt in 1932 and his subsequent actions as president pushed the party in a more liberal direction. The abolition of the party rule that required a two-thirds vote for its presidential nominee in 1936 stripped its more conservative members, concentrated in the South, of their power to veto more liberal party standard-bearers. The party, now with liberal leadership, came to advocate a loose interpretation of the Constitution, federal power, and government spending to address the nation's social and economic ills. This agenda was diametrically opposed to the party's philosophy during its earlier heyday.

Despite tensions within the Democratic Party (and widespread defections to the Republican Party in the South), it remained the majority party into the 1980s. Further modification of party rules opened up the national convention to more women and minorities, thus pushing the party in a liberal direction on many social issues. However, the emergence of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council pulled the party back toward the center. President Bill Clinton arguably represented a rapprochement between liberal and centrist groups, but the party lost power during his presidency to Republicans who were aggressively advocating a focused conservative agenda.

Political parties, almost by necessity, represent coalitions, and there will be tensions within any coalition large enough to command the allegiance of many American voters. The tension between centrists and liberals will undoubtedly continue to define the Democratic Party in the near future. In addition, the increasing number of Americans who define themselves as independents should pressure both Democrats and Republicans to stress ideologies less and solutions to public policy problems more.

In the United States, the Democratic Party actively pursues its political and legislative agenda through use of all means of political communication. During and outside formal campaign and election periods, the party produces and distributes campaign messages through multiple media, including the sponsorship of political advertising and the maintenance of Web sites.

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