As usual,
Phart, you didn’t do your research:
“ the Democratic Party of today is radically different from the one in 1850. While the party is the oldest in the United States, a major ideological reversal known as "realignment" has shifted its core platform and voter base over time.
Democratic Party in 1850
In the mid-19th century, the party was dominated by agrarian interests, states' rights, and a limited federal government. Its core positions included:
Slavery: The party supported or tolerated slavery, and it opposed abolitionist efforts to interfere with "domestic institutions".
States' Rights: It advocated for a strictly limited federal government, with states holding the sole power to judge their own affairs.
Westward Expansion: The party favored acquiring new territories and expanding agricultural lands.
Limited Government: It opposed a national bank, high tariffs, and federal funding for internal improvements, arguing against the exercise of "doubtful constitutional powers".
Voter Base: The party was a coalition of Southern slaveholders, Western farmers, Northern artisans, and immigrants.
Democratic Party today
In the mid-20th century, the party underwent a dramatic ideological realignment, especially regarding civil rights, reinventing itself as a party supporting organized labor, social justice, and progressive reforms. Its modern positions include:
Civil Rights: The modern party champions civil rights for minorities and women, and works to expand protections for various groups, including the LGBTQ+ community.
Social Safety Net: It tends to favor a larger federal government that supports a strong social safety net, including programs like Medicaid and social welfare initiatives.
Economic Regulation: Since Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, the party has generally favored greater government intervention and regulation of the economy.
Voter Base: The party's coalition now includes urban voters, college graduates, ethnic and racial minorities, women, and younger, secular, and LGBTQ+ voters.
The great reversal
The most striking difference is the party's complete reversal on racial issues. After the Civil War, the Democrats continued to oppose civil rights reforms, cementing their dominance in the "Solid South" by resisting efforts to give African Americans political power. However, the New Deal, the Civil Rights Movement, and the passage of landmark legislation in the 1960s ultimately alienated many white Southerners, who began to shift their support to the Republican Party.
This realignment caused the parties to essentially swap positions over the 20th century, leaving the Democratic Party of 2025 almost unrecognizable from its 1850s predecessor.”