Topic: Democratic party

Democratic party American political party; the oldest continuous political party in the United States. Origins in Jeffersonian Democracy When political alignments first emerged in George Washington's administration, opposing factions were led by Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson . In the basic disagreement over the nature and functions of government and of society, the Jeffersonians advocated a society based on the small farmer; they opposed strong centralized government and were suspicious of urban commercial interests. Their ideals—opposed to those of the Federal... Read more