Democratic Party

• The modern Democratic Party was established in 1828 from the former factions of the Democratic-Republican Party, which had largely collapsed by 1824. Martin Van Buren built the party and rallied in every state behind the name of war hero Andrew Jackson of Tennessee. The party's vision emphasizes security of the nation, economic growth, education, employment opportunities, affordable health care for all, Medicare and Social Security for seniors or retirees, honest government and civil rights. In 2009, Barack Obama became 44th President of the United States and the 15th Democrat to hold the office.
  
  

Republican Party

• The Republican Party was established in 1854 by a group of antislavery activists, modernizers, and former members of the Whig and the Free Soil parties. In 1860, when Abraham Lincoln was elected president, the party came into power for the first time. It oversaw the destruction of slavery and the provision of equal rights to all men during the Civil War and the ensuing Reconstruction Era. The party's vision is to unite the nation and to grant equal rights and opportunities to all Americans. Republicans also support laissez-faire economics and advocate for a stronger national defense.
  
  

Libertarian Party

• The Libertarian Party was established on December 11, 1971. It is the third largest political party -- and the largest third party -- with more than 600 people in executive posts, such as mayors, county council members, county executives and school board members, which is more than all other minor parties combined. The party's vision is to create a world where all people can freely follow their own dreams under peace, harmony, opportunity and abundance without being forced to sacrifice their own values to benefit others.
  
  

Constitution Party

• In 1992, the Constitution Party was founded as the United States Taxpayers' Party; in 1999 its official name was changed to the Constitution Party. The party's goal is to restore the government to its Constitutional limits and laws to their Biblical foundations. It calls for stricter actions against illegal immigrants and favors a moratorium on legal immigration. In order to protect the sanctity of life, the party opposes abortion and the legalization of euthanasia, infanticide and suicide. It supports capital punishment for heinous crimes.
  
  

Green Party

• The Green Party is a federation of the various state Green Parties and is committed to ecology, grassroots democracy, social justice and nonviolence. The Green National Committee is the highest decision-making body of the Green Party and is composed of delegates from state Green Parties and caucuses. Members of the Green Party are grassroots activists, advocates of social justice, environmentalists, nonviolent resisters and common people who are fed up with corporate-driven politics. It wants to create a new political system that directly includes citizens in the decision-making process.
  
  

Tea Party

• The Tea Party is a political movement against what they see as high taxes and overspending by the government. The name "Tea Party" is derived from the Boston Tea Party of 1773, a protest in which the colonists, who objected to the British tax on tea, dramatically boarded ships and dumped the British tea into the harbor. As of 2011, the Tea Party is not a political party but a movement involving many groups, such as Tea Party Express and FreedomWorks, which have sponsored many political candidates.