The first two political parties

Favor strict construction

• Federalists

• Democratic-Republicans

Preferred free trade (lower tariffs to allow cheaper imports and encourage trade)

• Federalists

• Democratic-Republicans

Agreed with Hamilton's idea that the national government should absorb the states' Revolutionary War debt

• Federalists

• Democratic-Republicans

The party of Hamilton

• Federalists

• Democratic-Republicans

The party of Jefferson

• Federalists

• Democratic-Republicans

Favor loose construction

• Federalists

• Democratic-Republicans

Supported England (when Britain went to war against France)

• Federalists

• Democratic-Republicans

Even though this president saw a lot of the policies the Federalists wanted passed, he NEVER JOINED a political party, and remains the only president who never joined one

• George Washington

• James Madison

Wanted the government to put more faith and its money into state banks

• Federalists

• Democratic-Republicans

Did not trust the national bank, feared it gave too much power to the federal government.

• Federalists

• Democratic-Republicans