US Democratic Party: history, symbol, leaders

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:46

The US Democratic and Republican parties are the main players in the political arena. Every American president since 1853 has belonged to one bloc or another. The Democratic Party is one of the oldest in the world and the oldest active party in the US.

A brief history of the Democratic Party

The formation of a two-party system in the United States of America dates back to 1792, when the first American political party, the Federalist, was formed. It’s worth starting with almost the most important date for the United States - September 16, 1787, when the Constitution of the young American state was adopted at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

In the text of the document there was not a word about political unions, which simply did not exist in the country at that time. Moreover, the founding fathers of the state were opposed to the idea of division into parties. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton wrote about the dangers of internal political parties. George Washington did not belong to any of theparties, neither at the time of election nor during the presidential term. He, fearing conflict situations and stagnation, believed that the creation of political blocs in governments should not be encouraged.

But still, the need to win the support of voters soon led to the formation of the first political parties. The beginning of the American two-party system, which is noteworthy, was laid precisely by the critics of this approach. The Constitution, by the way, to this day does not particularly stipulate the existence of political parties.

Formation of the US Democratic Party

Democrats in the US began their separate history from the Democratic Republican Party, founded by Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Barr, George Clinton and James Madison in 1791. The split that resulted in the formation of the Democratic and National Republican parties (the latter soon became known as the Whigs) occurred in 1828. The official founding date of the US Democratic Party is January 8, 1828 (the Republican Party was organized on March 20, 1854).

Political dominance and fall

During the years of the existence of the bloc in the history of the US Democratic Party, there have been both ups and downs. The first significant era - 1828-1860. For 24 years since its founding, the Democratic Party has been in power. Its ranks included Presidents Andrew Jackson and Marin Van Buren (1829-1841), James Polk (1845-1849), Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan (1853-1861). In the context of a serious conflict between North and South, including over issues of slavery, the Democratssplit.

This contributed to the strengthening of the position of the Republicans in the political arena, and Abraham Lincoln took the presidency as a result of the 1860 elections. With the outbreak of the Civil War, an active opposition of the Republicans began, whose leader A. Lincoln became a symbol of the Democrats and the struggle against slavery not only in America, but also in the world.

The next particularly successful period for the US Democratic political party began in 1912. This was connected with such well-known politicians as W. Wilson and F. Roosevelt. The first was not afraid to drag the country into a world war, and the second made a significant contribution to overcoming the consequences of the Great Depression and the victory of the allies in the largest armed conflict in the history of mankind.

The first successful years of the Democratic Party

During the period of dominance in the US political arena in 1828-1860, the party advocated the reduction of customs tariffs on exports, which was of interest to immigrants who brought their property into the territory of the young state, as well as capital. The ideology of the US Democratic Party provided for the preservation of slavery, reflecting the interests of the southern states. The circle of supporters of the political bloc included the inhabitants of the South, slave owners, planters, Catholics, immigrants.

In 1818, Andrew Jackson became president. He introduced universal suffrage for white male citizens, which was a very bold decision in those years, and reformed the electoral system. Jackson was a supporter of Native American evictionpeople - the Indians, enjoyed the support of the inhabitants of the South, who claimed the liberated lands.

Jackson's successor was Martin Van Buren, elected in 1836. He first decided to put an end to the financial difficulties in the country that arose during the reign of his predecessor. He put forward a proposal to separate the financial resources of the state from banks, to arrange a state treasury in Washington and its departments in the provinces. The project was rejected and the president's popularity declined.

The next Democratic President of the United States is James Polk (1045-1849). His presidency was marked by territorial gains that made America a major Pacific power. Many modern scholars and historians include Polk among the most prominent US presidents.

The decline of the Democratic Party in 1896-1932

Against the background of the confrontation between the North and the South, a conflict broke out within the party. The Democrats of the South sought to spread slavery to the northern states, advocated that the new states separately resolve the issue of slavery on their territory. There were those who defended the interests of the industrialists of the North and were convinced of the need for a central government. They were supported by aristocratic circles.

After the end of the American Civil War, the Democrats still held their positions in the South, but since the Republicans were in power, the Democratic Party went into opposition. Representatives of this bloc were oriented towards landowners, opposed the introduction of protectionisttariffs and the gold standard.

During the split and subsequent decline, the only head of the US Democratic Party, who took the presidency in a difficult period, was Grover Cleveland. He served as president from 1893-1897. The Democrat advocated civil service reform, free trade, and criticized expansionism in the Caribbean. With this program, the Democrats were able to attract into their ranks some Republicans who left the bloc and supported the president.

Renaissance under W. Wilson, F. Roosevelt

For a long time Democrats were in smaller numbers in the Senate, but in 1912 the leader of the US Democratic Party, Woodrow Wilson, became the head of state. He began the fight against monopolies by creating the Federal Trade Commission, passed the Reserve System Act, banned the use of child labor, lowered taxes and shortened the working day for railroad workers, set it to eight hours. The 28th President of the United States became one of the founders of the League of Nations, initiated the Fourteen Points post-war settlement program.

In the twenties of the nineteenth century, the party was torn apart by contradictions related to ethno-cultural issues, the recognition of the Ku Klux Klan and immigration restrictions. During the Great Depression, the party revived: F. Roosevelt to this day remains the only president who was elected to four terms. The goals of his political program were to alleviate the situation of the ruined and unemployed, to restore agriculture and business, to increasenumber of jobs, increased social benefits and so on.

After him, another representative of the US Democratic Party, Harry Truman, took the presidency. He paid special attention to the post-war world order and foreign policy. During his reign, there was a confrontation in relations with the Soviet Union, at the same time the decision was made to create the NATO North Atlantic Alliance for cooperation in the military sphere.

In 1960, the presidential candidate from the Democratic Party, John F. Kennedy, won the election. He initiated tax cuts and changes to civil rights laws. In the foreign policy sphere, however, several failures awaited him. Under Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969), discrimination against African Americans and women, racial segregation was prohibited.

After the Watergate scandal, American citizens elected Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) as president, whose reign was characterized by a difficult relationship with Congress. After, with the election of Ronald Reagan, a Republican, the US Democratic Party lost control of the Senate and again found itself divided. In 1992, Bill Clinton (1993-2001) took the presidency, who was re-elected for a second term for success in domestic politics.

In the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama was elected, and the Democrats won the majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. In June 2016, Hillary Clinton became the candidate of the Democratic Party, who managed to visit the first lady, activelycollaborated with Barack Obama, worked for four years as Secretary of State. She failed to win.

Symbols of the American Democratic Party

The donkey is the unofficial symbol of the US Democratic Party. It all started from the fact that in 1828 the opponents of Andrew Jackson depicted him in caricatures as a donkey, stupid and stubborn. But the party turned this comparison to its advantage. The animal symbol of the US Democratic Party is distinguished by perseverance, hard work and modesty. The donkey then began to be placed on their materials, focusing on its positive qualities.

In 1870, the famous cartoonist Thomas Nast depicted the Republicans with the image of an elephant. Over time, the US Democratic and Republican parties began to associate with these animals. It has become entrenched in the mass consciousness that the Democrats are donkeys (they see nothing offensive in this, by the way), and the Republicans are elephants.

The symbol of the US Democratic Party has been adopted as a sign of perseverance in overcoming difficulties. The donkey became an unofficial symbol after a cartoon was published in Harper's Weekly. It depicted an elephant being attacked by aggressive donkeys. The symbol of the US Democratic Party, the donkey, is now used alongside the political bloc's unofficial color, blue.

Organizational structure of a political party

The US Democratic Party has no permanent programs, party cards, membership. In 1974, the Democrats adopted a charter. Formally now in the number of party membersall voters who voted for its candidates in the last elections are included. The stability of the work of the Democratic Party is ensured by a permanent party apparatus.

The lowest party cell is the precinct committee, which is appointed by a higher body. Further, the structure includes committees of districts of megacities, counties, cities, states. The highest bodies are the national congresses, which are held once every four years. Committees are elected at congresses and function during the rest of the time.

Democratic Presidents in US History

From the beginning of the confrontation between the North and the South until 1912, the Republican Party of the United States remained in power, the only Democratic politician who at that time managed to take the presidency was Grover Cleveland. In the twentieth century, the party revived and gave America outstanding presidents: Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy. Also Democrats were Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama.

Ideology and basic principles of the party

When founded, the US Democratic Party adhered to the principles of agrarianism and Jacksonian democracy. Agrarianism regards the rural society as one that will pass over the urban one. Jacksonian democracy is built on the expansion of suffrage, the belief that white Americans have ordered the fate of the American West, the limitation of the powers of the federal government, non-intervention in the economy.

From the 1890s andfurther, liberal and progressive tendencies in the ideology of the party began to intensify. Democrats have historically represented workers, farmers, ethnic and religious minorities, and trade unions. Internationalism was the dominant principle in foreign policy.

Sociologists and researchers argue that the Democratic Party in ideology shifted from the left side to the center in the 40-50s of the twentieth century, and then, in the 70s and 80s, moved further to the right center. The Republicans moved first from the center-right to the center, and then back to the right.

Differences between Democrats and Republicans in the US

Initially, the Democratic Party supported the South, advocated for slavery and the priority of state laws over the laws of the state. The Republicans reflected the interests of the industrialists of the North, advocated the prohibition of slavery, the free distribution of free land. Today, Democrats are in favor of state intervention in all spheres of public life, and Republicans in the early 2000s began to rely on the program of "compassionate conservatism" in the economy.

Now a rival political bloc has set its sights on a free economy, GOP representatives advocate energy independence and strengthening US national defense. In the social sphere, Republicans support defenders of family values and opponents of abortion. Democrats now have popular support in the US Northeast, the Pacific Coast and the Great Lakes region, and in most major cities.

The revival and growing popularity of the Democratic Party is associated with the name of Franklin Roosevelt, who pursued the New Deal policy. His main tool, which made it possible to get out of the crisis after the Great Depression, was the regulation of the economic sector at the state level and the solution of acute problems in the social sphere that had accumulated in society. The Republicans adhered to the principles of creating social protection for the population and opposed a wide degree of state participation in the economy, but since the mid-1950s, the new ideology assumed an active role for the state apparatus in the social and economic spheres.

The leaders of both parties are the president, if the political union has taken power into their own hands, or the candidate for this position, who was nominated at the last congress. From time to time, both Republicans and Democrats organize interim conventions, and the National Committee oversees ongoing activities in both cases. Currently and. about. The Democrats have Donna Brasil as the chairperson of the NC, and Reince Priebas for the Republicans. In the last US presidential election, the Democratic Party approved Hillary Clinton as a candidate, and Timothy Kane for vice president. The Republicans nominated Donald Trump, who eventually won. Mike Pence became Vice President.

Both pariahs are funded by voluntary contributions from individuals. The contribution of one person for one party during the year should not exceed 25 thousand US dollars. ATcorporations and national banks are not eligible to participate in financing.