What led to the formation of party system?

Answer 1

Differences of opinion. Who should pay more taxes? How should they be spent? "The whiskey rebellion" happened because western farmers had to pay higher taxes. They did not like being singled out to have their products taxed. Adams wanted a powerful navy to protect a powerful merchant fleet. Jefferson did not want a large merchant fleet and the expense of a large navy. A number of little disagreements turned the nation into two groups, Federalists and Republicans. The Federalists reflected an attitude more than an organized political party. They never had a separate organization. Instead, the group in congress that considered they had a federalist outlook stuck together. The republicans started off likewise. The republicans however, set up something of a party apparatus so they could defeat Federalist candidates. When Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton, the Federalist movement began disintegrating. There was a dispute in the election of 1824. Andrew Jackson won the most electoral votes in states that allowed the people to choose electors. John Quincy Adams won the most electoral votes in states where the legislators chose the electors. That caused a stink. Many of the people in the states that chose Adams wanted Jackson. They let their legislators know it. A movement arose outside of the government to get rid of politicians opposed to letting people vote for electors. Here was a political party not just connected with serving politicians. In 1829 with the election of Andrew Jackson as the President of the United States. The president has the right to appoint people to jobs. President Jackson needed people from all over the United States he could appoint to jobs. Political parties could keep track of who was on one side or the other. The workings of a political party already existed. Andrew Jackson could use it for his purpose. Some people were shocked at the way Andrew Jackson operated. Suddenly he fired a whole lot of people and overnight he filled their jobs with his supporters. No one had ever done anything like that before. While the nation did not have very many jobs, he fired the former officer holders filled them fast with his supporters. He had many enthusiastic supporters. This attracted distractors and enemies. The Whig movement developed to oppose Jackson. It followed the same path. Those two provide the basis of today's parties.