The USA began as a one-party system. George Washington and many other revolutionary leaders wanted it to stay that way. But in 1787, when the constitution was written, the people were divided whether to ratify it or not, although they were not yet organized into definite political parties.

In general, Federalists (merchants, bankers, conservative landowners) led by Alexander Hamilton, wanted the constitution. While Anti-federalists (workers, farmers and, especially, local politicians), fearing the loss of state self-government, opposed it. The constitution was adopted in 1789 by a slim margin, and only because the right to vote was limited to a small percentage of the population, mainly white men with property.

The popularity of George Washington and the good effects of the constitution on trade and prosperity prevented organization of opposing parties until near the end of Washington’s second term. Then the question of who should be the next president began to divide the people into political organizations, backing rival candidates. On one side were the Federalists, representing business, finance and the middle classes of city folk, and the strongest in the north-eastern states. On the other side were the Democratic Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson. They represented mainly the country folk from Virginia gentlemen to Tennessee pioneers, together with many wage workers in towns.

Thus the one-party revolutionary government of the USA quickly split into a two-party system. In 1796 the Federalists won and elected John Adams as president. By 1800 the two parties were well separated and clear about their candidates for president and vice-president. The Democratic Republicans won the election with Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr.

The Federalist party practically disappeared after the US-British war of 1812. The Federalists of New England (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut) gathered in Hartford and claimed that the war was ruining their economy. Some even suggested secession from the union.  At the same time, they were trading with the enemy throughout the conflict. The Hartford Convention stamped the Federalists with a stigma of disloyalty from which they never recovered. The Federalists were succeeded by the National republicans and the Whigs. The Whig party, in turn, disintegrated after 1852 and the present Republican party took form in 1854, its first presidential candidate being John C. Fremont in 1856.

In 1800 the Jeffersonians called themselves Democratic Republicans, meaning simply that they were against kings. They were also in favor of the French revolution, which they regarded as a good imitation of the American Revolution. In 1829, under Andrew Jackson, the name of the party was shortened to the Democrats, which remains its present-day designation. In the early 1870-s the cartoonist Thomas Nast invented the party emblems. The Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey soon became fixed types.

The main task of the parties is to run the election machine. Every four years they assemble as national bodies in the presidential nominating conventions and work out a national party program. But once the president is chosen, the parties become loosely connected confederations of similarly named state organizations again. What distinguishes the two parties is not so much opinion as position. The party programs change from election to election in order to attract as many voters as possible. Still, there are definite features that distinguish one party from the other.

There are several factors that determine how voters choose sides in the game of party politics. The first, and perhaps the most important determinant, is family tradition. Most voters take the party of their parents. This political ancestor worship is evident in such expressions as "My family is a Republican family” or "We have been Democrats for a hundred years”. Because many other factors are influenced by family –economic status, religion, section of residence- this determinant assumes extraordinary importance. Economic position ranks second in influence on party bias. No general rule applies to all persons, but recently there has been an increasing tendency for the well-to-do to vote Republican and for the les fortunate to vote Democratic. National origin plays a role, too. Descendants of northern Europeans tend to the Republican party, while those of southern and eastern Europeans prefer the Democratic party. In the past the south traditionally voted Democratic, while the north-east went Republican. However, with increasing migration of people within the country, this tendency is changing nowadays.