American Politics Today - Essentials (3rd Ed)

PARTIES AND PARTY SYSTEMS| 167

However, civil service legislation in the 1890s and other reforms brought about a
decline in party machines.
The move from the third to the fourth party system shows how American polit-
ical parties refl ect the basic divisions in society over what government should do.
In the third party system, the parties were divided over slavery and, after the Civil
War, the pace of Reconstruction. Once these issues were settled, politicians and
party leaders found new issues to campaign on—partly because they cared about
these issues and partly because taking these positions helped to attract votes and
other support to themselves and to their party.

THE FIFTH PARTY SYSTEM, 1933–68

The fi fth party system was born out of the Great Depression, a worldwide economic
collapse. Many Republican politicians, especially Republican president Herbert
Hoover, argued that conditions would improve over time and that government
intervention would be costly and do little good to relieve declining prices, massive
unemployment, and long lines of Americans seeking food assistance. However,
Democratic challenger Franklin Roosevelt proposed new government programs
that would help people in need and spur economic growth. Roosevelt won the 1932
presidential election, and many other Democrats won seats in Congress. Together,
the president and Congress enacted the New Deal, a series of federal programs
designed to stimulate the national economy, help needy people, and impose a vari-
ety of new regulations.
Debate over the New Deal brought together the New Deal Coalition of African
Americans, Catholics, Jewish people, union members, and white southerners, who
became strong supporters of Democratic candidates over the next generation.^11
This transformation also established the basic division between the Republican

New Deal Coalition The assem-

blage of groups who aligned with

and supported the Democratic Party

in support of New Deal policies dur-

ing the fi fth party system, includ-

ing African Americans, Catholics,

Jewish people, union members, and

white southerners.

DEBATE OVER ROOSEVELT’S NEW DEAL

programs established the basic

divide between Democrats and

Republicans that continues to this

day: Democrats favor a strong

federal government that takes

an active role in the economy;

Republicans prefer a smaller

federal government and fewer

programs and regulations.