ABSTRACT
Washington was especially concerned that the nation would be destroyed by the “baneful effects of the spirit of party.” Midway into Washington’s second term, both factions were sufficiently organized “to coordinate presidential elections, extend their concern over issues, and capture the affiliation of essentially all national politicians”. An immediate problem in studying political parties, especially in the context of American politics, is deciding what exactly is being studied. Students of government have experienced much difficulty defining a political party. The definition problem is not new. In Federalist Number 10, Madison used three different terms to describe divisions in society. A way to distinguish parties from other political groupings is to define a political party as an organization that nominates and runs candidates for office under a party label in pursuit of two goals: to win governmental offices, and to enact policies favored by the party.
