Position Paper

AP U.S History
Position Paper

To Party or Not To Party

George Washington once said “It (the spirit of political parties or factions) serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, and foments occasional riots and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another? I agree with Washington. Political parties do cause riots, weakens administration and also distract the public councils.
An example of political parties causing riots could maybe be the French Revolution war. The French people enjoyed more political freedom and a lower incidence of arbitrary punishment than any of their fellow Europeans. Political freedom is defined as the absence of interference with the sovereignty of an individual by the use of coercion or aggression. It is commonly known as a state of being free from government oppression. The Party that wouldn’t allow this is the Federalist Party. Federalist believes in a strong government.
Although political parties cause riots they weaken administration. The weakness of parties poses dangers. In a legislature with weak party attachments, it may prove impossible to pass needed legislation. As stated before political parties distract the public council. It did so because all of the different opinions each party had, it was difficult to come to a consensus.
Political parties attempt to gather votes by their allegations that they are more patriotic and loyal to America than their political competition.  In recent decades, millions of Americans have become convinced this fiction is fact.  The United States now is divided not merely by partisan spirit, but partisan hatred,...