Free Republic

Historical Party Strength in CongressU.S. Senate     Party of Party of     Period Congress Majority Minority Others President 1789-17911791-17931793-1795 1795-17971797-17991799-1801 1st2nd3rd4th5th6th AdFFFFF 171617192019 OpDRDRDRDRDR 91313131213 ------ Washington (F)Washington (F)Washington (F) Washington (F)J.Adams (F)J.Adams (F) 1801-18031803-18051805-1807 1807-18091809-18111811-1813 7th8th9th10th11th12th DRDRDRDRDRDR 182527282830 FFFFFF 1397666 ------ Jefferson (DR)Jefferson (DR)Jefferson (DR) Jefferson (DR)Madison (DR)Madison (DR) 1813-18151815-18171817-1819 1819-18211821-18231823-1825 13th14th15th16th17th18th DRDRDRDRDRDR 272534354444 FFFFFF 91110744 ------ Madison (DR)Madison (DR)Monroe (DR) Monroe (DR)Monroe (DR)Monroe (DR) 1825-18271827-18291829-1831 1831-18331833-18351835-1837 19th20th21st22nd23rd24th AdJDDDD 262826252027 JAdNRNRNRW 202022212025 ---28- J.Q.Adams (C)J.Q.Adams (C)Jackson (D) Jackson (D)Jackson (D)Jackson (D) 1837-18391839-18411841-1843 1843-18451845-18471847-1849 25th26th27th28th29th30th DDWWDD 302828283136 WWDDWW 182222252521 4-21-1 Van Buren (D)Van Buren (D)W.Harrison (W) Tyler...

The Founding Fathers of Insider Trading by Thomas J. DiLorenzoby Thomas J. DiLorenzo To this day, the U.S. government has not provided a clear legal definition of insider trading. This allows the feds to engage in periodic witch hunts against unpopular business people such as Martha Stewart, the purpose of which is to divert the public’s attention away from the government’s own failed policies and blame it all on "capitalism." But there is a particular type of insider trading – political insider trading – that has been clearly understood for generations. Because this kind of insider trading involves politicians...

[pages 115-121, from the chapter "Harrison and Prosperity or Van Buren and Ruin"] Like the Democrats, the Whigs not only emphasized that they advocated distinctive programs, they also stressed that they represented the values, interests, and needs of the particular groups in society who formed their voting base. Each party drew some support from virtually every element in the social spectrum, whether that element was defined by occupation, class, religion, ethnicity, or regional identity. Nonetheless, Whigs and Democrats attracted distinguishably different constituencies... Broadly put, Democrats were a coalition of those still outside the market economy who feared its spread and...