Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans

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Undecided. Someone plz explain

[ElectionsGuy]

Back in the 1789-1824 era? Definitely Democratic-Republicans.

[Mr. Smith]

Federalists (Dislikes "small government" whiners)

[Antonio the Sixth]

Democratic-Republican (not an elitist Anglophile traitor)

[RINO Tom]

Gotta go with the political ancestors: the Federalists.

[Goldwater]

Lean Democratic-Republican.

[Intell]

Democratic-Republican (You Know supports expanding suffrage, oppose elitism and support of a monarchical conservative Britain that the US fought a war to free against. You know also opposing rich people's interests at the expense of the poor, and an economy that only looked out for business and baking inserts.)

[Illiniwek]

Federalists (Dislikes "small government" whiners)

[Clark Kent]

I'm a Republican, and I probably would've been a Federalist then.

[Kingpoleon]

I'm a Republican, and I probably would've been a Federalist then.

Hamilton was a literal monarchist, while Adams considered a lifelong/hereditary Senate a good idea, as did John Jay, IIRC. I believe on AH.com that you mentioned to someone British calling themselves a "monarchist Republican" that the GOP's republicanism is directly opposed to that.

[Blue3]

Undecided. Someone plz explain

Federalists supported the Industrial Revolution, modernization, technological advance, infrastructure investment, modern banking, a standing army, a national education system, and saw cities as the engines of the economy. Tended to be more technocratic/elitist.
(more likely to be Sci-Fi fans)

Democratic-Republicans supported a non-urban, mostly technologically-stagnant system of plantations and pastures, and idealized self-sustaining farmers and plantation owners. And were largely willing to accept slavery as a natural consequence of this system. Tended to be more populist.
(more likely to be Fantasy fans)

[SWE]

The New York Democratic-Republican Party had next to nothing in common with Jeffersonianism other than its opposition to Hamilton, so I'd have no trouble joining that.

[mencken]

Tertium Quid

[Green Line]

I would have been a Federalist up until they turned traitor in the War of 1812.  Sad!

[NeverAgain]

I would probably be a moderate voter. I think that Federalists were Helpful, but maybe too intrusive Government (Alien + Sedition Act) while the D-R's are more Citizen privacy, but way too "small-government". I think in the end I would probably vote for Adams in '96 then Jefferson '00.

[beaver2.0]

Federalists by far.

[sparkey]

Reliably Democratic-Republican, except on the occasions when I'd be entertaining the tertium quids.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Undecided. Someone plz explain

The Federalists believed that the first priority of the national government should be to protect the interests of businesses and merchants: they therefore supported a strong central government that could guarantee credit and establish a stable national currency. They also feared the excesses of the French Revolution and therefore generally opposed efforts to increase popular participation in politics, believing that the uneducated "common man" was too easily swayed by demagoguery. Often accused of "monarchism," they believed that the best way to prevent an American Reign of Terror was to limit the extent to which voters could reshape the government in a single election and infamously supported the Alien and Sedition Acts, which outlawed criticism of the president.

The Republicans were a coalition of Southern planters and small farmers and tradesmen in the Mid Atlantic initially organized to oppose Federalist policies. They claimed to represent the interests of the "common man," which meant that they opposed efforts to centralize power in the hands of the elites. They disliked banks and manufacturing for a number of reasons: commercial ventures, they argued, were a threat to democracy because they elevated the love of money over the love of country, established a quasi-artistocracy with merchants and bankers at the top, and robbed citizens of their independence by making them dependent on markets for everyday goods (it didn't help that many small farmers were in debt to these firms, and therefore resentful of their influence). As such, they were suspicious of the federal government, whose policies in the last decade of the 18th Century served to elevate these "monied interests." They supported increased popular participation in politics and favored Jefferson's vision of an agrarian republic populated by independent yeoman farmers who would be free of the corrupting influence of money. Following the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Republicans enjoyed an explosion of popularity that would allow them to dominate the national government until the close of the 1st Party System. Some, like their founder Jefferson, were slaveholders, but others were life-long abolitionists (and it's worth noting that Federalist darling Charles C. Pinckney supported restoring the slave trade after it was outlawed in 1808).

[Dr. Cynic]

Independent with Federalist sympathies.

[RINO Tom]

Undecided. Someone plz explain

The Federalists believed that the first priority of the national government should be to protect the interests of businesses and merchants: they therefore supported a strong central government that could guarantee credit and establish a stable national currency. They also feared the excesses of the French Revolution and therefore generally opposed efforts to increase popular participation in politics, believing that the uneducated "common man" was too easily swayed by demagoguery. Often accused of "monarchism," they believed that the best way to prevent an American Reign of Terror was to limit the extent to which voters could reshape the government in a single election and infamously supported the Alien and Sedition Acts, which outlawed criticism of the president.

The Republicans were a coalition of Southern planters and small farmers and tradesmen in the Mid Atlantic initially organized to oppose Federalist policies. They claimed to represent the interests of the "common man," which meant that they opposed efforts to centralize power in the hands of the elites. They disliked banks and manufacturing for a number of reasons: commercial ventures, they argued, were a threat to democracy because they elevated the love of money over the love of country, established a quasi-artistocracy with merchants and bankers at the top, and robbed citizens of their independence by making them dependent on markets for everyday goods (it didn't help that many small farmers were in debt to these firms, and therefore resentful of their influence). As such, they were suspicious of the federal government, whose policies in the last decade of the 18th Century served to elevate these "monied interests." They supported increased popular participation in politics and favored Jefferson's vision of an agrarian republic populated by independent yeoman farmers who would be free of the corrupting influence of money. Following the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Republicans enjoyed an explosion of popularity that would allow them to dominate the national government until the close of the 1st Party System. Some, like their founder Jefferson, were slaveholders, but others were life-long abolitionists (and it's worth noting that Federalist darling Charles C. Pinckney supported restoring the slave trade after it was outlawed in 1808).

Nice write-up!  It's nice to see someone go beyond "muh Democratic-Republicans was da small government party."

[Orser67]

I think the Federalists were generally the party I would support at the time, since I would have favored their centralizing policies, investment in infrastructure, and conciliatory policies toward England. However, I also think the Democratic-Republicans probably cared more about the common people and had a lot of foresight in understanding that manufacturing would change the national character.

In real life, I think things worked out pretty well. The Federalists stayed in power long enough to strongly influence the judiciary and establish federal supremacy, but the Democratic-Republicans took power after the Federalists went too far with the Alien and Sedition Acts. The Democratic-Republicans then became more ok with a strong central government once they took power (the Louisiana Purchase being the most obvious example).

[Famous Mortimer]

Since I'm an elitist North Easterner, I would be a Federalist. Also because they were anti-slavery, statest, and supportive of the UK (I would have opposed the Revolution in the first place).

[Kingpoleon]

Madisonian Democratic-Republican(I/O). More moderate than the Quids and Jefferson, but would narrowly support Jefferson over Adams.

Thanks for giving the I/O group an option.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Federalist (R).  While they weren't uniformly anti-slavery, they were certainly more friendly to politicians and voters of that type.  And I have always believed in a more centralized federal government on most issues.

With hindsight, I would be even more inclined to say Federalist because Jackson's dismantling of the national bank contributed directly to the Panic of 1837.  But I suspect that I would have become and Independent during the War of 1812, because I think I would've supported that war.

[Blue3]

I voted Federalist (believe in a more centralized government), but they definitely overreached with the Alien/Sedition Acts, and I do like the populist democracy of the D-R's (if you get rid of the slavery and white/male-only populism). The D-R ideal of decentralized, self-sustaining estates is ideal... but unrealistic, in this time and ours, because of industrialization.