Party Ideologies in America, 1828-1996

353 Pages·1998·19.218 MB·English

by  John Gerring

PARTY IDEOLOGIES IN AMERICA, 1828-1996
This book challenges traditional notions of American party politics and
political culture. Usually, American politics is looked on as relatively
consensual and nonideological, but John Gerring argues that American
party history and, by extension, American political history at large have
been irreducibly ideological. He contends that the major parties have
articulated views that were, and are, coherent, differentiated, and stable.
The argument rests on evidence provided by election rhetoric -
speeches, party platforms, and other campaign tracts disseminated by
party leaders during presidential campaigns. Using these texts, Professor
Gerring traces the values, beliefs, and issue-positions that have defined
party life from the 1830s to the 1990s. Party Ideologies in America,
1828-1996 thus presents a historical synthesis of mainstream party pol-
itics from the birth of competitive parties to the present day.
John Gerring is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Boston Uni-
versity. He has published in Political Research Quarterly, Polity, and
Studies in American Political Development.

PARTY IDEOLOGIES
IN AMERICA,
1828-1996
JOHN GERRING
CAMBRIDGE
UNIVERSITY PRESS
PUBLISHED BY THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
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10 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Melbourne 3166, Australia
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Dock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa
http://www.cambridge.org
© John Gerring 1998
Chapter 3 appeared in revised form as "Party Ideology in America: The National-
Republican Chapter (1928-1924)," in Studies in American Political Development 11:1
(Spring 1997); chapter 5 appeared in revised form as "A Chapter in the History of
American Party Ideology: The Nineteenth-Century Democratic Party, 1828-1892,"
Polity 26:4 (Summer 1994)
This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception
and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without
the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published 1998
First paperback edition 2001
Reprinted 2001
Typeface Sabon 10/12 pt. System Penta [RF]
A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gerring, John, 1962-
Party ideologies in America, 1828-1996 /John Gerring.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-521-59262-3 (hb)
1. Political parties - United States - History. I. Title.
JK2261.G47 1998 97-46088
CIP
ISBN o 521 59262 3 hardback
ISBN o 521 78590 1 paperback
Transferred to digital printing 2004
FOR MY MOTHER AND FATHER

Life is to an organism, [what] principles are to a party.
James Bryce, The American Commonwealth
It is unthinkable that these organizations [political parties] can be under-
stood without examination of the objectives of the participants in the en-
terprises: What do people want to accomplish?
E. E. Schattschneider, "United States:
The Functional Approach to Party Government"