Political Parties and the Constitution [Paperback]

In his essay, Michael Les Benedict surveys the impact of the Constitution on the creation, development, and organization of political parties. Drawing examples from the time of the Founding Fathers, Benedict also explores the impact of political parties on the shaping of the Constitution to the present day.In his essay, Michael Les Benedict surveys the impact of the Constitution on the creation, development, and organization of political parties. Drawing examples from the time of the Founding Fathers, Benedict also explores the impact of political parties on the shaping of the Constitution to the present day.Series IntroductionIntroductionChapter 1. The Founders and the Evils of PartiesParties as a Danger to Republican GovernmentThe Constitution against PartiesChapter 2. The Persistence of Party: Federalists and Jeffersonian RepublicansChapter 3. Political Parties and Constitutional PoliticsConstitutional Politics and Constitutional LawPartisan Eras and the ConstitutionConstitutional Politics and the Institutionalization of Parties in the Jacksonian EraParties and the Constitution in the Civil War and Reconstruction Partisan EraParties and the Constitution in the Progressive Era Party SystemParties and the Constitution in the New Deal Party SystemParties and Constitutional Politics in the Civil Rights EraConstitutional Politics in the Conservative Partisan EraChapter 4. Other Constitutional Functions of Political PartiesForging Governing MajoritiesRecruitment of Public ServantsOpening Government Positions to Ordinary CitizensMaking Issues Comprehensible to the PublicMaking Government Responsive to Public OpinionChapter 5. The Influence of the Constitution on Political PartiesThe Impact of the Federal System on Political PartiesThe Presidential Appointing Power and Political PartiesThe Electoral College and the Two-Party SystemRegulation of Parties, and Its LimitsThe Supreme Court and Political PartiesEpilogue: Political Parties and the ConstitutionFurther ReadingEndlƒ