Political parties in the United States

In the United States of America, there has usually only been two main political parties. But there are many different factions with varying viewpoints within the two main parties. Since the 1860s, the two main parties have been the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Currently, the Republican Party has the most seats in the House of Representatives while the Democrats have the most seats in the Senate. The Vice President, a Democrat, holds a tie breaking vote in the United States Senate.

The United States currently has two major political parties: the Democrats and the Republicans. But there are other parties that aren't as represented in the United States government and are usually underfunded or misrepresented. Usually these smaller parties aren’t as well known, which makes it difficult for them to win elections. The major parties have a duopoly, meaning that they share almost all the political power in the country. Most constitutional republic countries have more than two parties.

For other political parties not listed, see List of political parties in the United States.

Political parties in Congress

These two parties have members in the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the United States government. They are also called "major parties".

Democratic Party

The Democratic Party was started in 1828 as a pro-slavery party and the first President was Andrew Jackson in 1829.[1] However, through the economic resurgence after the Great Depression in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, the Democratic party became a proponent of racial equality. Many 20th century United States Presidents such as Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and 21st century presidents such as Barack Obama and Joe Biden are Democrats. They have 48 out of 100 seats in the U.S. Senate (independents caucusing with the democratic party hold two seats in the U.S. senate) and 222 out of 435 seats in the House of Representatives. 24 out of 50 state governors are also Democrats. The party generally promotes liberalism and is often classed as a center-left to left-wing party.[2] Currently, the party has 60 million registered voters across America.

The party's philosophy of modern liberalism advocates social and economic equality. It seeks to provide government intervention and regulation in the economy. These interventions, such as the introduction of social programs, anti-gun laws, support for labor unions, affordable college tuitions, moves toward universal health care and equal opportunity, consumer protection and environmental protection form the core of the party's economic policy.

Republican Party

The Republican Party was started in 1854 as an anti-slavery party and its first President was Abraham Lincoln in 1861.[3] Others include Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Donald Trump. In the Nixon years, there was a shift to appeal to the implicit racial biases of white voters that did not like the civil rights movement of the 1960's in what is called the southern strategy. This strategy created the appearance of equity while ignoring minorities in the process. 26 out of 50 states have a Republican governor. It has around 55 million registered voters across America. Currently, the Republican Party is identified as conservative.

The party philosophy centers around social and economic independence, and a capitalist economic system. It is also known for its anti-abortion efforts, pro-gun laws, anti-regulatory policy, and reduction of government intervention in the economy as well as being in support of privatized health care. The party believes in lower taxes, less social programs, and personal liberty.

Political parties in state legislatures

These four parties have members in one of any state legislature. These are called "minor parties" or "third parties".

  • Libertarian Party
    • The Libertarian Party supports policies such as marijuana legalization, economic deregulation, and no taxes.
      • In the last presidential election, Jo Jorgensen won almost 2 million votes. She didn't win any states or electors. She is a Libertarian.
      • Only one Libertarian has ever been in Congress: Justin Amash. He was a Republican before he switched parties in 2019. He left Congress in 2021. Ron Paul is a member of the Libertarian Party and has been in Congress too. But, he was never registered to vote as a Libertarian.
      • Only one Libertarian is in a state legislature right now: Jarrod Sammis. He was a Republican before he switched parties in 2023.
      • 737,972 Americans are registered to vote as Libertarians.[4]
  • Independent Party of Oregon
  • Forward Party
    • The Forward Party is a centrist party. It supports electoral reform.
      • It has two state legislators: Lisa Boscola and Anthony Williams. These two are still registered Democrats, but still choose to consider themselves as members of the Forward Party.
      • 2,054 Americans are registered to vote with Forward.[6][7][8][9]

Small parties in multiple states

These are some other small parties. All of these parties are on the ballot in 2 states or more.

  • No Labels
    • No Labels is a centrist organization. It wanted to run a candidate for president in 2024. After its chairman Joe Lieberman died, the organization stopped its presidential effort.
  • Alliance Party
    • The Alliance Party is a centrist party. It was created when many small parties decided to work together. Some of these parties are the Independence Party of Minnesota and the Independent Party of Connecticut.
  • Working Class Party
    • The Working Class Party is a socialist party.
      • Neither Michigan nor Maryland record party registration. It is unknown how many members this party has.

Independents

There are over 420 registered political parties in the United States of America, with many different blends of political viewpoints. However, there are only two nationally recognized political parties, the Republicans and Democrats. Most of the other parties fall under those two political parties with variations, or under other ideological umbrellas, like Progressive, Libertarian, Conservative, Socialist, Communist, etc. It is less common to achieve political influence in modern government functions, but some lawmakers such as Joe Lieberman may retire their parties with their careers.

Famous examples include:

References

  1. ↑ "Jacksonian Democracy - Definition, Summary & Significance - HISTORY". www.history.com. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  2. ↑ Jr, Perry Bacon (2019-03-11). "The Six Wings Of The Democratic Party". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  3. ↑ "Abraham Lincoln". The White House. Archived from the original on 2021-07-19. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  4. ↑ "Voter Registration Totals". Ballot Access News. November 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  5. ↑ "2022 voter registration" (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 5, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Report of Registration – February 10, 2025". Secretary of State of California.
  7. ↑ Winger, Richard (October 16, 2024). "New Florida Registration Data". Ballot Access News. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  8. ↑ "2025 Voter Registration Statistics". Colorado Secretary of State.
  9. ↑ "Current Voter Registration Statistics". Utah Voter Information.

Sources

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