Party On! Political Parties from Hamilton and Jefferson to Trump

Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson laid the foundations for today's political debates between Democrats and Republicans. Hamilton believed that freedom must be married with a strong central government and especially an energetic president, while Jefferson believed freedom derived from local civic virtues. Throughout history, Democrats and Republicans have chosen sides in this eternal debate—and sometimes even changed sides. Today, those debates have become sharper and more polarized, as the two parties square off on major issues such as healthcare, taxes, regulation, the role of the federal government, and what discretion should be given to local authorities. The debate can be loud and shrill, even as the public yearns for some accommodation between these two schools of thought. People may generally desire an active government to deal with acute problems, but localism still has widespread appeal, and political dysfunction often results when these outcomes are presented as polar opposites and elections are reduced to zero sum contests. Social media adds to the polarization, as Americans gravitate to websites that often ratify their preexisting points of view. The parties struggle to function in this environment as they try to adapt to the political realities of the social media age and the Trump era.

Preface Political Parties in a Time of Transition Introduction Of Elephants and Donkeys, Candidates and Institutions, Patriots and Progressives Chapter One Political Parties in an American Setting Chapter Two The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Party Politics Chapter Three Party Organizations in the Twenty-First Century Chapter Four Nominating Presidents ina Time of Trump Chapter Five Party Brand Loyalty and the American Voter Chapter Six Parties and Social Media Chapter Seven Campaign Finance and Transitional Political Parties Chapter Eight Elected Officials and the New Partisanship Chapter Nine Third Parties in the Trump Era Conclusion Hamilton’s Moment of Zen

John Kenneth White is Professor of Politics at the Catholic University of America. His most recent book is What Happened to the Republican Party?: And What It Means for American Presidential Politics. Matthew R. Kerbel is Professor and Chair of Political Science at Villanova University. His most recent book is Next Generation Netroots: Realignment and the Rise of the Internet Left.