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Party Platforms Through History

July 21, 2016
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Party Platform Battles Over the Years
Party Platform Battles graphic by HokeyDokey modified under Creative Commons License | HokeyDokey modified under Creative Commons License

As the country watches the fascinating spectacle of first Republicans and then Democrats nominating their candidates and hammering out a platform, The Washington Post gives us a historical perspective on party politics.

The Post says that over the years the platforms give “a quadrennial snapshot of where the parties were headed on current issues.”

Authors Ted Mellnik, Chris Alcantara and Kevin Uhrmacher present a graphic look at What Republicans and Democrats have disagreed on, from 1856 to today.

Some examples:

  • The number of words in the platforms has expanded from less than 1000 to over 40,000 
  • Immigration first appeared in the platforms in 1876 when both parties opposed the influx of Chinese immigrants 
  • Gun control became an issue in 1968 after the assassinations of JFK, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. 
  • Abortion was first mentioned in 1976 (Republicans admitted that they were split on the issue back then)
  • Democratics first supported same sex marriage in 2012

You can check out the full article on the Post’s website here.

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