Political eras of the United States

Political eras of the United States refer to a model of American politics used in history and political science to periodize the political party system existing in the United States.

The United States Constitution is silent on the subject of political parties. The Founding Fathers did not originally intend for American politics to be partisan. In Federalist Papers No. 9 and No. 10, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, respectively, wrote specifically about the dangers of domestic political factions. In addition, the first President of the United States, George Washington, was not a member of any political party at the time of his election or throughout his tenure as president. Furthermore, he hoped that political parties would not be formed, fearing conflict and stagnation, as outlined in his Farewell Address.

Generally, the political history of America can be divided into eras of partisan hegemonic control of the federal government. These hegemonic eras are:

  • 1789–1801: Federalist Era, dominated by the nationalist-leaning Federalists, and their ideological predecessors the Pro-Administration Faction, both based in the Northern United States.
  • 1801–1861: Democratic Era, dominated by the conservative-leaning Democrats, and their ideological predecessors the Democratic-Republicans, both based in the more slave sparse Southern U.S areas to the non-coastal Northern counties.
  • 1861–1933: Republican Era, dominated by socially liberal, economically conservative Republicans based in New England and the Great Lakes Region (and later the greater Rust Belt region and the Midwestern United States).
  • 1933–1953: New Deal Democratic Era, dominated by a coalition of socially conservative Dems based in the South and economically progressive Dems based in the greater Rust Belt region, the Sun Belt and the West Coast of the United States. This marks the beginning of the "party switch" – liberals in the North and Urban Cities slowly flip Democratic.
  • 1953–Present: Polarization Era, where the Federal Government is commonly held by both major parties. This marks the finalization of the "party switch" – conservatives in the South and Rurals slowly flip Republican. A process that was completed by the 2010s and the start of the Trump era.

The political significance of these five defined eras can be reinforced by the feature of each era beginning with near-unanimous Electoral College presidential victories for the respective party or parties:

Using these hegemonic eras as a framework, the more detailed specifics of party realignments and the seven party systems they take place in are described in detail below:

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