The Second Party System Essay Example

called themselves Democrats. During the Second Party System, the United States experienced Democratization. For the first time, politics assumed a central role in voters' lives.

Before then deference to upper class elites, and general indifference most of the time, characterized local politics across the country.The suffrage laws were not at fault for they allowed mass participation; rather few men were interested in politics before 1828, and fewer still voted or became engaged because politics did not seem important. Changed followed the 1828 election of Andrew Jackson, with his charismatic personality and controversial policies. By 1840, the revolution was complete, campaigns were characterized by appeals to the common man, mass meetings, parades, celebrations, and intense enthusiasm, while elections generated high voter participation.

Unity and party loyalty are needed for a political party to rule and to ensure the harmony of state policies. The lack of these traits is main weakness of the Whigs that made them suitable only as opposition candidates. This is shown by policies of the Presidents they have produced: William Henry Harrison during his short tenure had disagreed with fellow Whig Henry Clay over the necessity of a special session and Zachary Taylor was not inclined to be a puppet of Whig leaders in Congress and took a moderate stance on the territorial expansion of slavery, angering fellow Southerners.This is the same reason why national party leaders seek to ignore, evade, or `gag` divisive sectional issues like slavery. The disunity of the Whigs was best exemplified by its inability to take a position on slavery. As a coalition of Northern National Republicans and Southern Nullifiers, Whigs in each of the two regions held opposing

views on slavery.

Only when there are no divisive issues raised can the Whigs able to conduct successful campaigns.Finally, the rise of the Republican party destabilized national politics and led to disunion. This new party, composed of former Whigs, Northern Democrats, and Free-Soilers was created as an act of defiance against the powerful class of slaveholders who were conspiring to control the federal government and to spread slavery nationwide. Because of emergence of the Republican party, supporters of both Democrats and Whigs were in disarray as to which faction to support and eventually caused the fall of party loyalty.