The Second Party system refer to the political structure present in America, which existed between 1828 and 1854. It is a term used commonly by political scientists and historians. This system replaced the First Party System that was in operation between 1792 and1824. The First Party System only presented two national parties that is the Democratic-Republican Party and the Federalist Party ( Whaples, 2014).
The emergence and rise of the Second Party System changed the national politics significantly. It sparked a new and healthy interest among the American people in their politics and government. The nation achieved democratization, thereby increasing the level of participation among American people in the political process, which played a crucial role in their lives. Before the emergence and implementation of the Second Party System, many voters accepted the upper-class elite to select leaders on their behalf because they believed they had necessary wisdom. People felt like politics was not that important to them thus became less engaged or voted rarely. However, the emergence of the Second Party System brought major shift in the American politics. Most Americans gained more interest in politics, which was spurred by the 1828 presidential election. Many Americans voted during this period. The Americans embraced the increasing number of political parties, newspapers were in support of various candidates, and political rallies became the order of the day. Moreover, the Second Party System made it possible for two major parties to compete on an equal equilibrium in every part of the country, for the first time ever since the Revolutionary War. This assisted in easing the sectional pressures that had contributed to the Civil War outbreak ( Longley, 2018).
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The legacy of the Second Party System can still be seen in our contemporary society. In addition, its improvement in the political participation by the public can be seen in the enactment of social policy including legislation of civil rights, voting right laws, and women’s suffrage ( Longley, 2018). Therefore, the Second Party System molded the cultural, social, economic, and political issues of the people of America by helping to increase the public interest in political participation.
References
Longley, R. (2018). What Was the U.S. Second Party System? History and Significance. ThoughtCo. Retrieved from: https://www.thoughtco.com/second-party-system-4163119
Whaples, R. (2014). Were Andrew Jackson's Policies 'Good for the Economy'? Independent Review .
