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First Party System

Definition

The First Party System is a term that describes the political system in place in the United States between 1792 and 1824. It was marked by two dominant political parties, the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.

Analogy

Think of it like a high school with only two clubs to join - Team Federalist or Team Democratic-Republican. Each team has its own ideas about how things should be run, and you choose your team based on which ideas you agree with more.

Related terms

Federalists: This was one of the first political parties in the United States, led by Alexander Hamilton. They believed in a strong central government, industrialization, and close ties with Britain.

Democratic-Republicans: Led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, this party opposed many policies of the Federalists. They favored states' rights over centralized power, an agrarian economy over industrialization, and closer relations with France rather than Britain.

Two-party system: A type of party system where two major political parties dominate politics within a government. One of the two parties typically holds a majority in the legislature; this is referred to as being 'in power', while 'the opposition' refers to the other major party.