Historical political party platforms, 1840-2008
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  Historical political party platforms, 1840-2008
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Author Topic: Historical political party platforms, 1840-2008  (Read 41933 times)
All Along The Watchtower
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« on: July 29, 2010, 04:37:47 AM »

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/platforms.php

Interesting for political geeks to geek out on. Smiley
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Lief 🗽
Lief
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« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2010, 03:18:00 PM »

Nice! Donald Bruce Johnson and Kirk H. Porter edited a collection of national party platforms called "National Party Platforms, 1840-1972" which included most of the political parties that ran each year, though obviously it only goes up to 1972, which is also a good source for this kind of stuff.
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Bo
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« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2010, 05:58:55 PM »

Thanks. Very interesting. Smiley
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True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)
Ernest
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« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2010, 06:02:57 PM »

It's a interesting historical link that is relevant enough to this forum that I've decided to sticky this thread until we've got enough sticky topics to make having a summary topic containing such links useful.
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Orthodox
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« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2011, 10:27:54 AM »

George Wallace's economic platform is actually pretty interesting given his reputation and the legacy his campaign left on American politics.
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Mechaman
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« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2011, 11:03:34 AM »

Interesting excerpt from the 1856 Democratic National Platform:

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shua
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« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2012, 02:42:58 PM »

Here's an odd phrase from the 1904 Democratic Platform
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What does this mean? Wasn't their own nominee Alton Parker a Bourbon Democrat?
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True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)
Ernest
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« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2012, 07:31:40 PM »

Here's an odd phrase from the 1904 Democratic Platform
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What does this mean? Wasn't their own nominee Alton Parker a Bourbon Democrat?

The Bourbon label was one generally applied to conservatives by their enemies and not a self-embraced label.  Since he Parker wasn't an enemy in 1904, they wouldn't call him a Bourbon, but they certainly could brand the Republicans with that label.
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20RP12
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« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2012, 08:08:31 AM »

Love this thread. Very interesting to read about past platforms Smiley
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shua
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« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2012, 08:31:05 PM »

Here's an ebook/pdf of an old book that has among other things the platforms from 19th century conventions beyond those on that site:

http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/thomas-hudson-mckee/the-national-conventions-and-platforms-of-all-political-parties-1789-to-1905-c-ala.shtml
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Spanish Moss
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« Reply #10 on: September 21, 2012, 10:22:16 PM »

I didn't see it here, but I've both heard and read that the early Republican Party actually addressed "wage slavery" - can anyone confirm that?
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Spanish Moss
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« Reply #11 on: September 21, 2012, 10:26:14 PM »

"All Americans should have universal access to quality, affordable health care—not as a privilege, but as a right." - Democrats, 1992

They've moved to the right on that a little... of course, that party has been moving rightward at least for 20 years.
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True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)
Ernest
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« Reply #12 on: September 22, 2012, 01:12:43 AM »

I didn't see it here, but I've both heard and read that the early Republican Party actually addressed "wage slavery" - can anyone confirm that?

yes, they basically denied the concept existed in that those who earned wages with the ability to do so were free to rise to level of their ability.  From the very beginnings of the party, the Republicans espoused a strong belief in upward mobility.  Arguably that was easier to achieve in the 19th century than in the 21st century.  It was Southern Democrats who most strongly tried to equate wage earning with an imperfect form of slavery in which the old and disabled were left to fend for themselves once they were no longer useful to their masters while in the South old and infirm slaves were looked after by their masters in a glorious form of Christian socialism.
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traininthedistance
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« Reply #13 on: January 09, 2013, 02:45:41 AM »

Interesting excerpt from the 1856 Democratic National Platform:

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This is not so surprising.  Poor, urban Catholic immigrants are the one and only one demographic slice which have been a constant in the Democratic Party for pretty much its entire postbellum history (100 years ago it was Irish/Italian/Polish, now it's Hispanics), through all the various realignments.  I guess their Republican counterpart would be farmers in the Midwest (and Eastern Tennessee).
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Rockefeller GOP
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« Reply #14 on: September 18, 2013, 06:51:47 PM »

Although tons of issues (e.g., tariffs, slavery, monopolies) aren't as prevalent anymore, it's pretty interesting to see just how little the parties have ACTUALLY changed.  Obviously, modern day Democrats aren't supporting racial segregation and modern day Republicans aren't supporting protectionism, and they both get their main support from different areas of the country ... but as far as general principles go, especially when it comes to fiscal policies, they've both stuck to their roots for many, many decades.
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All Along The Watchtower
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« Reply #15 on: October 18, 2013, 02:15:53 AM »

I didn't see it here, but I've both heard and read that the early Republican Party actually addressed "wage slavery" - can anyone confirm that?

yes, they basically denied the concept existed in that those who earned wages with the ability to do so were free to rise to level of their ability.  From the very beginnings of the party, the Republicans espoused a strong belief in upward mobility.  Arguably that was easier to achieve in the 19th century than in the 21st century.  It was Southern Democrats who most strongly tried to equate wage earning with an imperfect form of slavery in which the old and disabled were left to fend for themselves once they were no longer useful to their masters while in the South old and infirm slaves were looked after by their masters in a glorious form of Christian socialism.

The 1850s Republican ideal of "free labor" meant independent farmers, craftsmen, artisans, and other self-employed business people. Wage labor was thought of as a temporary condition for the upwardly mobile working man. Of course, by the late 1800s there was nothing temporary about it for vast numbers of people.
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shua
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« Reply #16 on: February 25, 2014, 05:08:32 PM »

The 1872 platform under the Democrats is just the Liberal Republican platform from the convention in Cincinnati that they then adopted as their own along with that party's candidate.
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GaussLaw
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« Reply #17 on: July 27, 2014, 12:21:26 PM »

Although tons of issues (e.g., tariffs, slavery, monopolies) aren't as prevalent anymore, it's pretty interesting to see just how little the parties have ACTUALLY changed.  Obviously, modern day Democrats aren't supporting racial segregation and modern day Republicans aren't supporting protectionism, and they both get their main support from different areas of the country ... but as far as general principles go, especially when it comes to fiscal policies, they've both stuck to their roots for many, many decades.

Yeah, the 1940 RNC platform sounds like a FOX News piece.

Instead of leading us into More Perfect Union the Administration has deliberately fanned the flames of class hatred.

Instead of the Establishment of Justice the Administration has sought the subjection of the Judiciary to Executive discipline and domination.

Instead of insuring Domestic Tranquility the Administration has made impossible the normal friendly relation between employers and employees and has even succeeded in alienating both the great divisions of Organized Labor.

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« Reply #18 on: December 17, 2014, 11:50:07 PM »

Other then social issues the parties basically have been the same for the past 100 years
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MATTROSE94
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« Reply #19 on: December 18, 2014, 11:07:37 AM »

Other then social issues the parties basically have been the same for the past 100 years
Your probably right. The shift on social issues between the Republicans and Democrats didn't really start until the later 1970s with the rise of the Christian Right and the increased attention on social issues such as abortion, affirmative action, the war on drugs and eventually gay marriage by the mid-1990s.
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shua
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« Reply #20 on: December 18, 2014, 02:01:39 PM »

Other then social issues the parties basically have been the same for the past 100 years

There are some common threads, but there have been a great deal of change in many areas. Look at trade policy, or federalism.
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« Reply #21 on: July 19, 2015, 11:26:49 PM »

Other then social issues the parties basically have been the same for the past 100 years

Outside the south Democrats were arguably always the more socially tolerant party with Republicans more likely to support blue laws etc.
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Mechaman
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« Reply #22 on: July 20, 2015, 07:26:37 AM »

Other then social issues the parties basically have been the same for the past 100 years

Outside the south Democrats were arguably always the more socially tolerant party with Republicans more likely to support blue laws etc.

Yes, but this is all very inconvenient to the narrative of WASP historians so your point is moot.
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Famous Mortimer
WillipsBrighton
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« Reply #23 on: September 01, 2015, 06:40:28 PM »

Other then social issues the parties basically have been the same for the past 100 years

Outside the south Democrats were arguably always the more socially tolerant party with Republicans more likely to support blue laws etc.

Yeah, the Democrats were the party of rum, in addition to Romanism and rebellion. Besides the fact that Catholic immigrants liked to drink, you got to remember that alcohol prohibition was a caused championed by progressives.
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Shadows
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« Reply #24 on: May 07, 2017, 08:12:03 AM »
« Edited: May 07, 2017, 08:35:52 AM by Shadows »

(Some interesting bits) 1936 Democratic (FDR) -

We know that drought, dust storms, floods, minimum wages, maximum hours, child labor, and working conditions in industry, monopolistic and unfair business practices cannot be adequately handled exclusively by 48 separate State legislatures, 48 separate State administrations, and 48 separate State courts. Transactions and activities which inevitably overflow State boundaries call for both State and Federal treatment.

We reaffirm our opposition to war as an instrument of national policy, and declare that disputes between nations should be settled by peaceful means. We shall continue to observe a true neutrality in the disputes of others; to be prepared, resolutely to resist aggression against ourselves.

1940 Dem (FDR) -

A far-flung system of employment exchanges has brought together millions of idle workers and available jobs. The workers' right to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing is being enforced. We have enacted an effective wage and hour law. Child labor in factories has been outlawed.

We have attacked and will continue to attack unbridled concentration of economic power and the exploitation of the consumer and the investor. We have attacked the kind of banking which treated America as a colonial empire to exploit; the kind of securities business which regarded the Stock Exchange as a private gambling club for wagering other people's money.

The Democratic Party, which established social security for the nation, is dedicated to its extension. We pledge to make the Social Security Act increasingly effective, by covering millions of persons not now protected under its terms; by progressively extending and increasing the benefits of the old-age and survivors insurance system

1944 Dem Platform (FDR)

Our gallant sons are dying on land, on sea, and in the air. They do not die as Republicans. They do not die as Democrats. They die as Americans. We pledge that their blood shall not have been shed in vain. America has the opportunity to lead the world in this great service to mankind. We pledge our support to the Atlantic Charter and the Four Freedoms and the application of the principles enunciated therein to the United Nations and other peace-loving nations, large and small.

We favor the opening of Palestine to unrestricted Jewish immigration and colonization, and such a policy as to result in the establishment there of a free and democratic Jewish commonwealth.

We favor legislation assuring equal pay for equal work, regardless of sex. We recommend to Congress the submission of a Constitutional amendment on equal rights for women. We believe that the country which has the greatest measure of social justice is capable of the greatest achievements.

We favor enactment of legislation granting the fullest measure of self-government for Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, and eventual statehood for Alaska and Hawaii.

We believe that racial and religious minorities have the right to live, develop and vote equally with all citizens and share the rights that are guaranteed by our Constitution. Congress should exert its full constitutional powers to protect those rights.

Finally, this Convention sends its affectionate greetings to our beloved and matchless leader and President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

He stands before the nation and the world, the champion of human liberty and dignity. He has rescued our people from the ravages of economic disaster. His rare foresight and magnificent courage have saved our nation from the assault of international brigands and dictators. Fulfilling the ardent hope of his life, he has already laid the foundation of enduring peace for a troubled world and the well being of our nation. All mankind is his debtor. His life and services have been a great blessing to humanity.

That God may keep him strong in body and in spirit to carry on his yet unfinished work is our hope and our prayer.
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