Another Election Approaches
As 2024 advances, already we are being smothered by political ads that either demonize their opponents or extol their own virtues to the point of potential sainthood.
Politics Messy
Since its inception the political process in the nation has been messy and mudslinging in early campaigns was as appalling as it is in modern times. Sometimes it was actually worse. The division of people with different concepts of government's role in people's lives has been with us from the beginning of the republic.
Historic Division of Governmental Concepts
In the early republic the Federalists believed in centralizing Federal power and strengthening the government. The Democratic-Republicans wanted a weak Federal government in which most of the power resided in the states, as they were closer to the people. Today we have the same division, with the Democratic Party in favor or huge government programs and further centralizing the Federal government. In theory, the Republican Party espouses decentralizing the government and promoting responsible fiscal policies.
The Founder's Ideas about Political Parties
The Founders of this nation avoided the topic of political parties when they wrote the Constitution. Most of them believed that political parties were detrimental to the country. They felt that parties tended to favor their own agendas contrary to pursuing policies that were beneficial to the people. I think we can see that their fears have come true.
The Roots of the Political Parties
In order to understand the state of politics in the United States, I think it is important to know their roots. I have two books that detail the roots of the political parties and provide historical information of the elections that took place since the beginning of the public. The first one in the series, A History of the United States Constitution, covers the conception of our constitution as well as the amendments. I will talk about that book next week. The second book in the series, A Short History of United States Politics - Book 1, covers the political parties and the elections that took place from 1792 until 1852. The third book, Political Parties and the Presidents - Book 2, covers the years from 1856 through the end of the Civil War.
The books are available at most online book retailers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble in softbound, ebook and audio book formats at the link.
Locally, my books are available at the Walnut Street Variety Shop on George Street in Batesville, Indiana.
Another Election Approaches