Political Parties
The issues that exist within political parties date back to the 1700’s. Party lines and loyalty were drawn to the point of personal bitterness and public destructiveness. Such division along party lines represented the most severe split between the two political factions since the inception of the republic. George Washington was greatly concerned that they had previously, and would again, grow seeking more power than other groups to the detriment of the whole.
Washington was aware that other governments viewed political parties as destructive because of the temptation to manifest and retain power, but also because they would often seek to extract revenge on political opponents. He viewed this to be detrimental to the young country as an entire nation. President Washington expresses genuine concern in that “the alternate domination” of one political party over another, thereby allowing one party to enjoy temporary power over the government that would use it to obtain revenge on the other. Reading the words of his Farewell Address, Washington argued that political parties needed to be restrained in a free country with a government empowered by the consent of the governed and established through popular elections. He warned of the possibility fearing they could distract the government from its required duty to the people and even lead to the eradication of the freedoms established by the founding. Unfortunately, it is way too late to restrain the hunger