real independent
The founders did not belong to parties
A very important support for political parties in the United States today is a false claim that the founders of this country belonged to political parties. Or at the very least, they supported them. That's a lie.
Yes, the founders did largely break down into two political philosophies in their day about how the federal government should form and function. I'm sure you've heard the terms Federalists, Anti-Federalists, and the like. Well, those were philosophies. Not parties. Not like today.
As distinguished historian, Rosemarie Zagarri, (one of the few historians to actually escape presentism for a moment to recognize the truth) wrote: "Political parties during the early national era were fundamentally different from political parties today, and significantly different even from the parties that developed later in the nineteenth century."
How were those divisions in political philosophical different from today's parties?
Control.
Control of our government's functions and powers. Back then, no factions had such control. Today, they do. And they use the pursuit of that control to divide us against each other.
A very important support for political parties in the United States today is a false claim that the founders of this country belonged to political parties. Or at the very least, they supported them. That's a lie.
Yes, the founders did largely break down into two political philosophies in their day about how the federal government should form and function. I'm sure you've heard the terms Federalists, Anti-Federalists, and the like. Well, those were philosophies. Not parties. Not like today.
As distinguished historian, Rosemarie Zagarri, (one of the few historians to actually escape presentism for a moment to recognize the truth) wrote: "Political parties during the early national era were fundamentally different from political parties today, and significantly different even from the parties that developed later in the nineteenth century."
How were those divisions in political philosophical different from today's parties?
Control.
Control of our government's functions and powers. Back then, no factions had such control. Today, they do. And they use the pursuit of that control to divide us against each other.
You see, a very important concept for the founders -- as imperfect as they were as individuals -- a concept that has become even more incredibly important today, is Power Concentration. We are all familiar with the terms Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances, right? Well, Power Concentration was the founders' primary fear and the concept of separating powers was central to the Constitution they created.
Again, as imperfect as the founders were -- limiting citizenship at the time to only white male landowners and, worse, owning other human beings -- we cannot, we must not dismiss everything they embedded in the Constitution as garbage. Especially the concept of Power Concentration.
Party control of government is the epitome of Power Concentration.
Our government was intended to be an atomized power structure. Keep that word in mind for later -- atomized -- when I explain how our government should operate.
Today parties can actually gain control of government functions and powers because they’ve gamed the electoral/governmental system to give total control to the tribe that gets a numerical majority. That was not the case in the first 50 years of this nation. There were no political parties at the founding (in fact, not until the 1830s), just different ideologies. But no organized group with one or another ideology controlled government functions.
That’s a massive difference.
Back then, they ran in open primaries (no closed party primaries). There were no leadership positions (majority/minority leaders and their lieutenants — those came about in 1925). The Speakership was an ornamental role. Every member in a body was equal with no leaders to discipline them away from representing their constituents.
The problem with our government, the most undemocratic feature of it, is political party control of power. A brass ring of total power that partisans campaign for, that makes them lie about their opponents, that divides us as a people, and that creates partisan "experts" who claim to know history written by people who falsely believe party is a net good to our government and society.
And who attempt to authenticate party control today by associating it with the founders. Which is false.
One more thing I should say about the founders though: they believed in progress:
"… laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as a civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."
— Thomas Jefferson (yes, a slaveholder)
We can fix this problem. But we have to do it together so that we can move forward "for the general welfare."
©2022 realindependent.com. All rights reserved.
About this website
Real Independent is devoted to advancing moderacy and independence in American politics. Here, you'll find information about candidates considered by the media to be "non-viable" as well as facts and opinions relating to the issues of the day (and some issues that aren't), all from a balanced perspective. Also, we have a few words from the founders about the dangers of concentrations of power like political parties.
About the author.
About the author.
Quotes from the founders
"The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, … is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation on the ruins of public liberty."
— George Washington in his famous Farewell Address
“The latent causes of faction are thus sown in the nature of man; and we see them everywhere brought into different degrees of activity, according to the different circumstances of civil society. A zeal for different opinions concerning religion, concerning government, and many other points...; an attachment to different leaders ambitiously contending for pre-eminence and power... have, in turn, divided mankind into parties, inflamed them with mutual animosity, and rendered them much more disposed to vex and oppress each other than to co-operate for their common good.”
— James Madison
“I am no believer in the amalgamation of parties, nor do I consider it as either desirable or useful for the public; but only that, like religious differences, a difference in politics should never be permitted to enter into social intercourse, or to disturb it’s friendships, its charities or justice.”
— Thomas Jefferson
“There is nothing I dread so much as the division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our constitution.”
— John Adams
“Nothing could be more ill-judged than that intolerant spirit which has, at all times, characterized political parties.” — Federalist Paper #1
— George Washington in his famous Farewell Address
“The latent causes of faction are thus sown in the nature of man; and we see them everywhere brought into different degrees of activity, according to the different circumstances of civil society. A zeal for different opinions concerning religion, concerning government, and many other points...; an attachment to different leaders ambitiously contending for pre-eminence and power... have, in turn, divided mankind into parties, inflamed them with mutual animosity, and rendered them much more disposed to vex and oppress each other than to co-operate for their common good.”
— James Madison
“I am no believer in the amalgamation of parties, nor do I consider it as either desirable or useful for the public; but only that, like religious differences, a difference in politics should never be permitted to enter into social intercourse, or to disturb it’s friendships, its charities or justice.”
— Thomas Jefferson
“There is nothing I dread so much as the division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our constitution.”
— John Adams
“Nothing could be more ill-judged than that intolerant spirit which has, at all times, characterized political parties.” — Federalist Paper #1