by Karon Brandt

Created on: September 20, 2008   Last Updated: December 12, 2009

The original political parties, as we know them today, did not exist in the early 1800's.

The Democratic Party crystallized its philosophy in the 1830's, following the policies of Thomas Jefferson in 1792, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and, finally, Andrew Jackson in 1832. Originally called the "party of the common man," it was officially named the Democratic-Republican Party in 1800, but the Party split into factions. Ultimately, the first true Democrat was Andrew Jackson in 1828. Jackson created the national convention process in 1832, and by 1844 the Party shortened its name to the "Democratic Party."

At that time, the other major political party was the Whig Party.

Then slavery became a huge issue. The Kansas-Nebraska Act would have allowed slavery in Kansas. Some people were strongly opposed and felt that southern slaveholders were trying to spread slavery to control the federal government. In 1854, they represented "republican" values against slavery, aristocracy and corruption, and they stood for civic virtue. Although the term was used earlier by Jeffersonians, Jacksonians, and nationalists, they proposed that free-market labor was superior to slavery and they officially became the Republican Party.

In 1860, they elected the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln.

Today's party platforms are based on several core values. There have been some crossovers and many modifications along the way, but new voters should be able to use these guiding principles to decide which philosophy they most closely adhere to.

Many of the basic differences between the parties will be discussed under four major headings: Separation of powers of the government, economics, social issues, and national defense.

(1) Separation of powers and balance of powers: The executive, legislative and judicial systems.

Strict Constitutionalism vs. Broader Interpretation:

Republicans believe that the legislative branch of government is supposed to make laws and judges are only there to enforce them, not interpret them. Democrats believe the Constitution is a "living document" meant to be expanded and interpreted to cover modern, specific problems that arise that are not specifically mentioned in the original document.

Abortion was a huge issue that divided the parties. The issue came to the Supreme Court's attention in the Roe vs. Wade case in 1973. Did a woman have the right to a legal abortion? The question became a right to privacy versus a pure rendition of the original

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