Unlike that of other countries, the U.S. Constitution does not mention political parties. Nevertheless, despite opposition by prominent leaders such as George Washington, the American political system developed around a two-party system. The modern-day Democratic Party, founded by Thomas Jefferson as the Democratic-Republicans, is the oldest party still in existence in the United States. Originally, the party was created to oppose Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Party. The Democrats emphasized personal liberty, the limitation of federal government, and states' rights.

By 1828 the party's name was shortened to the Democratic Party. It enjoyed diverse support ranging from a coalition of southern farmers to northern city dwellers. The Democrats demonstrated success early on as well. From Thomas Jefferson, who was elected president in 1800, until 1825, the Democrats retained the presidency.

A radical group of Democrats led by Andrew Jackson won the elections of 1828 and 1832, but arguments over slavery created or deepened splits within the party, and the Civil War nearly destroyed it. The party revived after the disputed election of 1876, and the end of Reconstruction brought the Solid South into the Democratic fold. During this period emerged the term yellow dog Democrat, which referred to southern voter's preference for a yellow dog over a Republican.

In 1913, the Democrats again regained the presidency under Woodrow Wilson. Again during the Depression they took office with Franklin D. Roosevelt, who initiated the New Deal programs. Roosevelt's liberal New Deal programs, which ranged from the Civilian Conservation Corp to the Works Progress Administration, changed the relationship between the federal government and the citizen. Previously, citizen interaction with government took place primarily at the local level. In some cases, the regional or state government would provide services. The federal government was, historically, the remedy of last resort because it had neither the institutions nor capital to field large-scale social service programs. The New Deal program changed the nature of the Democratic Party and, subsequently, the federal government, emphasizing a greater role for Washington in the social and economic lives of the citizenry. In the ensuing years, the modern Democratic Party had by then become an uneasy alliance of labor, minorities, middle-class reformers, and southern Democrats. The latter group became disaffected by the growing civil-rights movements and reforms ushered in by Democratic administrations such as John Kennedy's and Lyndon Johnson's. Southern defection materialized in the failed campaigns of Hubert H. Humphrey and George McGovern in 1968 and 1972 respectively.

This alliance reflected the progressive values of a party working for change and reform. The Republican Party, on the other hand, was known for its aversion to change and its traditional roots. In many ways, this philosophical division explains the defection of southern Democrats. Known for their conservative views on civil rights, the role of government, and labor, they found themselves often at odds with the national platform of the Democratic Party, which was considerably more liberal. . .

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