From First-Past-The-Post to the Two Party System by Henry Mantel
George Washington hated political parties . In his farewell address in 1796, Washington warned that powerful political parties could obstruct the execution of the law and subvert the will of the majority. George Washington was the last non-partisan president. Two major political parties had formed almost as soon as the Revolutionary War ended. The Federalist Party, led by Alexander Hamilton, wanted a stronger federal government. The Democratic-Republican Party, formed by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, pushed for greater state autonomy. Today, "big government" Democrats war against "states' rights" Republicans. With few exceptions, two parties have always dominated American politics. Third parties have always existed, yet they have rarely succeeded in gaining any power. My favorite example is the Bull Moose Party, started by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 just so he could run for president after he lost the Republican nomination to President Taft. Rooseve