Political Polarization Essay

7/9/2023 The Evolution of the Political Party and Political Polarization [1] After the events of the American Revolution, in his Farewell Address, President George Washington warned against the nature of political parties; however, as political affairs became increasingly complex, the government required a different system. Today, and throughout much of American history, this system takes the form of political parties. Furthermore, despite the existence of other parties like the Green Party, Reform Party, and Socialist Party, the only two political parties genuinely elected within the United States are the Democrat Party and Republican Party. Even with just two parties within the election system, dynamic change, and rich history

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson made political advances, and the Federalists became an official political party in the late 18th century. Further, the French Revolution and an undeclared war between France and the United States brought tensions between the Republican and Federalist parties. The Federalists passed the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, a direct punishment to anyone who spoke out against the American government. In true political fashion, the Republicans criticized the Federalist’s move, deeming it against the first amendment (Rust Owen 2022). This event is important because it marks a point in history where not only is the phenomenon of political polarization blatantly obvious, but partisanship was at a noticeable high within government (Wallace, Michael

It went without saying that political parties gave a public opinion on national occurrences, allowed like-minded individuals to form solutions to conflicts, and created a peaceful transition of power without violence; such an effective system would stick and let the early American government thrive. As a matter of fact, political parties became a key influence during the Jacksonian Era. The Democrat-Republican party split created a new political party, the Democrats. Andrew Jackson drove and led the Democrats; Despite Andrew Jackson being a well-respected individual and considered wise, once again, in true American political fashion, opposition to what his party stood for influenced the creation of the Whig party (Wilson, Major 1988). Additionally, because people felt strongly both ways about him, the election of Jackson unified his supporters while also unifying his opposition; this would later further solidify the creation of a two-party system within America. To provide further context to the situation, Jacksonian Democrats valued greater rights to the common man, opposed the creation of a national bank, and despised aristocracy; the Whig party valued anti-expansionism, was for the creation of a national bank, and was against what Andrew Jackson stood for. A direct cause of this ferocious political scheme, extraordinary advancements in party