The White House
The White House, the official home of the United States President, was not
built in time for George Washington to five in it. It was begun in 1792 and was
ready for its first inhabitants, President and Mrs. John Adams, in 1800. When the
Adams moved in, the White House was not yet complete, and I lie Adams
suffered many inconveniences. Thomas Jefferson, the third president, improved
the comfort of the White House in many respects and added new architectural
features such as the terraces on the east and west ends. When British forces
burned the White House on August 24,1814, President Madison was forced to
leave, and it was not until 1817 that then President James Monroe was able to
return to a rebuilt residence. Since then, I he White House has been occupied by
each U.S. President.
Political parties in the United States
The United States Constitution has always been silent on the issue of
political parties; at the time it was signed in 1787, there were no parties in the
nation. Nevertheless, parties soon emerged to help mobilize supporters.
Political scientists and historians have divided the development of America's
two-party system into five eras. The modern two-party system consists of the
Democratic Party and the Republican Party. In general, the Democratic Party
currently positions itself left-of-center in American politics, supporting an
American liberalism and Third Way platform, while the Republican Party positions
itself as right-of-center, supporting an American conservatism and economic
liberalism platform.
Several third parties also operate in the United States, and from time to time
achieve relatively minor representation at the national and state levels.
The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United
States. It is the oldest political party in the United States and among the oldest in
the world.
The Democratic Party, since the division of the Republican Party in the election of
1912, has consistently positioned itself to the left of the Republican Party in
economic as well as social matters. The economically left-leaning philosophy of
Franklin D. Roosevelt, which has strongly influenced American liberalism, has
shaped much of the party's economic agenda since 1932. Roosevelt's New Deal
coalition usually controlled the national government until the 1970s.
In 2004, it was the largest political party, with 72 million voters (42.6% of
169 million registered) claiming affiliation. The president of the United States,
Barack Obama, is the 15th Democrat to hold the office, and since the 2006
midterm elections, the Democratic Party is the majority party for the United States
Senate.
Former President George W. Bush is the 19th Republican to hold that office.
The party's nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 presidential
election was Senator John McCain of Arizona. It is currently the second largest
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