By Mikaila Bluew
How they Began
Political parties in early America began to form due to the creation and ratification of the constitution. This formation began because of two distinct ideals for the future of the country; the first record of these parties as they exist today dates all the way back to 1793, following the war between Great Britain and Revolutionary France.
Throughout history there has been a common trend of communities of people coming together for an agreed upon vision or understanding. This, of course, is no different in the political scope. The fear of a centralized government having too much control over the freedom of the people and differing opinions on important governmental issues furthered this divide among citizens.
The Pros and Cons
Political Parties have good and bad qualities when it comes to upholding our democracy. They are important in acting as a collective voice against the government; when used correctly they can balance the power the government has. Without them, the representative democracy the Founding Fathers envisioned for the country would be difficult to achieve.
The Founding Fathers often spoke of this natural division in a negative light–the James Madison Federalist Papers coined these factions a “dangerous vice”. This was often seen as the nature of man, and the rival between the parties was thought to make the government unstable.
George Washington spoke of the “Spirit of Party” in his Farewell Address where he stated the divide among the people:
“(Partisanship) Serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection.”
Washington’s words point out an even bigger rift among the American people. A divide not only between the headstrong and unwavering political parties that have developed, but between the rest of the population as well. They have created a wedge between those who view political parties as a necessity for democracy and those who view it as a hindrance to a strong government.
The Conclusion
To state that political parties have not checked the often-testy governmental powers in the past would simply be ignoring the facts. It is, after all, common knowledge that the voice of many is louder than the voice of one. However, history and present decisions and lack of empathy due to this divide overshadow what is actually best for our county.
Though the answer of whether political parties should exist is often more nuanced than a yes or no, there is one important thing that should not be overlooked. When the principle of someone being wrong simply for being on a different side outweighs what is truly good for the people of America, it should be clear that things have been taken too far.
