Political life in the United States is determined by two main parties - Republican and Democratic. Representatives of these political associations are actively fighting among themselves for seats in parliament and for the presidency. Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, represents the oldest Democratic Party in the country.
Barack Obama - Democratic President
Barack Obama became the fifteenth Democratic president in the history of the United States. After the next elections held in 2012, the Democratic Party won its president and the majority of seats in the Senate, but in the House of Representatives it lost to the Republican Party in terms of the number of deputies. This alignment of forces helps maintain a balance in the country's political life, but forces the president to show considerable flexibility.
The future 44th President of the United States graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School. He was actively involved in editing the university newspaper, worked as a lawyer, defending the civil rights of his clients. In 2004, Obama became Senator from Illinois with more than two-thirds of the popular vote. In 2007, Barack Obama openly announced his desire to become president. At the 2008 National Congress, his candidacy received widespread support from the Democrats.
Obama became the first African American to hold the highest US government office. In the 2008 elections, he was significantly ahead of Republican candidate John McCain in terms of the number of votes collected. The following year, Obama already received the Nobel Peace Prize. This was how his efforts to strengthen international diplomacy were noted. The success of the new president allowed him to take the presidency for the second time in 2012.
From the history of the United States Democratic Party
The Democratic Party of the United States was founded in the last decade of the 18th century, therefore, it is rightfully considered the oldest party in the country. Thomas Jefferson was directly involved in the formation of the political association. The Democratic Party was conceived as a popular force that could oppose the political elite of that time, grouping under the banner of the federalists.
During the aggravation of the struggle for the abolition of slavery, the democrats advocated the preservation of the privileges of the slave owners. The views of prominent representatives of the Democratic Party reflected the interests of the large planters of the South. In the first half of the 19th century, this party occupied a dominant position in the country's political system. Having lost the Civil War, supporters of the Democratic Party were forced to go into the shadows for several decades. The party got its second wind only at the beginning of the last century.
In modern America, Democrats actively support social and economic reforms, advocate an increase in spending on the needs of the population. The Democratic Party fights for the development of high technology and preservation of a clean environment. Democrats also advocate a complete ban on the death penalty and restrictions on the domestic arms trade.
