The Origin of Parties: Theory, and Evidence from the United States Congress 1789-1797

Abstract

I present a theory of party formation in which legislators coalesce into voting blocs to coordinate their votes and influence policy outcomes. I test this theory using roll call data from the United States Congress. During the First and Second Congress (1789-1793), there were no organized political parties. By the Fourth Congress (1795-1797), the Federalist and Republican parties shaped Congress. The theory predicts a division of Congress into parties using roll call data from the first two congresses. I compare this prediction with the parties that eventually emerged in the House and in the Senate. I find strong support for the theory in the Senate, and favorable but less significant results in the House.