The life of the parties : a history of American political parties / A. James Reichley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Reichley, James.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political parties--United States--History.

Political parties.

United States.

History.

Physical Description:

viii, 402 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : Rowman & Littlefield, 2000.

Summary:

Election year 2000 is an appropriate season to reprise the first major tory of American political parties in nearly forty years. In this classic work, A. James Reichley traces the decline of political parties resulting in divided government and an ineffectual political process -- but he also shows us what it will take to restore the party system and how it could work to revitalize our democracy. For the first time in paperback, The Life of the Parties includes updates on third party movements, political cycles and realignments, campaign finance reform, and other recent electoral trends. Citizens disillusioned by years of political disarray will find much to reflect upon in Reichley's monumental analysis of the lessons of party history and our contemporary political predicament.

Contents:

1 Introduction: The American Two-Party System 1

From the Founding to the Civil War

2 Intention of the Founders: A Polity Without Parties 17

3 The First Parties: Federalists and Republicans 29

4 One-Party Hegemony: The Jeffersonians 51

5 Formation of Mass Parties: Democrats and Whigs 69

The Republican Era

6 Party Government: The Civil War Republicans 93

7 Machine Politics: The Gilded Age 115

8 Third-Party Challenge: Populist Uprising 133

9 Reaction Against Parties: The Progressive Era 151

10 The Progressive Legacy, City Machines, and the Solid South 167

11 The President as Party Leader: Woodrow Wilson 183

The New Deal Era

12 A Functioning Majority Party: The New Deal 201

13 Vehicles of Opposition 219

14 Fission of Party Coalitions 235

15 Decline of State and Local Machines 251

16 Movement Politics: The Republican Hard Right 261

17 Reform Politics: Amateur Democrats 277

Contemporary Parties

18 The New Giants: National Party Organizations 291

19 State Parties: Seeking New Roles 313

20 Local Parties: Getting Along Without Patronage 321

21 Rebuilding the Parties 335.

Notes:

"Updated and for the first time in paperback"--P. [4] of cover.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 355-382) and index.

ISBN:

0742508889

OCLC:

43894285