Comments on: 10 More Politicians Who Changed Parties http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25131 Feel Smart Again Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:18:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: AG http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25131/comment-page-1#comment-139468 AG Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:32:00 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25131#comment-139468 The current prime minister of Canada Stephen Harper was a member of his high school's Young Liberal party, and then later joined the Progressive Conservative party. Then he switched to the Reform party, which eventually became the Alliance party, which then merged with the Progressive Conservative party to form the Conservative Party of Canada which he is the leader of now. How many party changes is that? Four? The current prime minister of Canada Stephen Harper was a member of his high school’s Young Liberal party, and then later joined the Progressive Conservative party. Then he switched to the Reform party, which eventually became the Alliance party, which then merged with the Progressive Conservative party to form the Conservative Party of Canada which he is the leader of now.

How many party changes is that? Four?

]]> By: Joel http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25131/comment-page-1#comment-139418 Joel Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:36:00 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25131#comment-139418 It's interesting to see Reagan, Thurmond, Wilkie, and arguably Helms on this list. They are products of what used to be the so-called "Southern Democrats," who, up until FDR, more closely resembled today's Republicans. Similarly, by most of his political ideology, Lincoln, a Republican during his time, would probably more closely associate himself with the modern Democratic party. It really depends on the ways by which you measure each party, but since the dawn of our country and a two-party system, one lasting defining characteristic has been whether the party is in favor of a stronger federal government, or in favor of stronger state governments (other political issues, like civil rights, abortion, welfare, education, gay marriage, etc. were either not emphasized by either party or did not exist in previous American historical periods). In Lincoln's time, Republicans were in favor of a stronger federal government, and Democrats were in favor of stronger state governments, which is about the opposite of how the parties align themselves today. This party alignment switched with FDR's New Deal; FDR, a Democrat, strengthened the federal government arguably more than any other President to date. It gets even crazier when you try and compare today's Democrats and Republicans to the Federalists and Democratic Republicans of Washington and Jefferson's time, or the Whigs and Jacksonian Democrats of ... well... Jackson's time. It’s interesting to see Reagan, Thurmond, Wilkie, and arguably Helms on this list. They are products of what used to be the so-called “Southern Democrats,” who, up until FDR, more closely resembled today’s Republicans. Similarly, by most of his political ideology, Lincoln, a Republican during his time, would probably more closely associate himself with the modern Democratic party. It really depends on the ways by which you measure each party, but since the dawn of our country and a two-party system, one lasting defining characteristic has been whether the party is in favor of a stronger federal government, or in favor of stronger state governments (other political issues, like civil rights, abortion, welfare, education, gay marriage, etc. were either not emphasized by either party or did not exist in previous American historical periods). In Lincoln’s time, Republicans were in favor of a stronger federal government, and Democrats were in favor of stronger state governments, which is about the opposite of how the parties align themselves today. This party alignment switched with FDR’s New Deal; FDR, a Democrat, strengthened the federal government arguably more than any other President to date.
It gets even crazier when you try and compare today’s Democrats and Republicans to the Federalists and Democratic Republicans of Washington and Jefferson’s time, or the Whigs and Jacksonian Democrats of … well… Jackson’s time.

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