What are some ways political parties encouraged democracy in America?

Question

I'm writing a paper on how the emergence of early US political parties--Federalists and Democratic-Republicans--helped to promote democracy in the US.

I've got about half my paper done, but I'm fresh out of examples to use to prove my point. Can anyone think of an example from this time period (from the Revolution up until the end of Jefferson's term) to help prove my point?

Answer 1

I wish you well in trying to achieve your goal but I truly believe that you have the losing side.

The Founders not only didn't want political parties (or as they called them factions) but they fear them as instruments which would destroy the republic that they had created. Time is proving their fears correct.

Political parties having nothing to do with democracy, rather, political parties work to garner power unto the party over all else. Power exercise through an increasingly strong general government at the expense of State rights and the rights of the individual.

A good example of my point is the Republican Party's forcing through the application of the 14th Amendment in 1868 when it never met Constitutional requirements for ratification except through force applied through military of reconstruction. This was justified by the 1869 case of Texas v. White which opined that the federal government could do this by right of conquest. In other words at the expense of a constitutional republic and its democratic processes.

Answer 2

Revoultion? My fav! Feds were basicly for a strong centeral goverment (Washington, Hamiltan...) Republicans (Jefferson, Burr...)wanted the states to be incharge because they feared something like dictatorship and tryany like what happend in Rome. Washington didn't want these political parties to take place because he feared the nation they worked for over 8 years to create and keep to together would just fall apart. But they took place anyway, it was practicly inevtable. I could go deeper, but I'd need an email or IM conversation. [e-mail]
(I hope I didn't just go over your whole paper! I know more just im or email me!)