Progressive Party - Constituting America

1948, Harry Truman Defeats Thomas Dewey, Strom Thurmond (“Dixiecrat”), Henry Wallace (Progressive Party): “States’ Rights” And Civil Rights Issues Raised By Dixiecrats

6. Guest Constitutional Scholar Essayists, 90 in 90 2016, William Morrisey, Ph.D. 6. Presidential Elections and Their Constitutional Impact, 13. Guest Constitutional Scholar Essayists, 17. Topics, 1948 Harry Truman Defeats Thomas Dewey Strom Thurmond (“Dixiecrat”) Henry Wallace (Progressive Party) “States’ Rights” And Civil Rights Issues Raised By Dixiecrats, Declaration of Independence, New Deal, Progressive, Reconstruction, William Morrisey PhD

Guest Essayist: Professor William Morrisey

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1948: The Dixiecrats

The primary elections of 2016 have invited comparisons to political factions in American politics that haven’t appeared in such clear focus for nearly seventy years. Although the Republican Party of 1948 had papered over its divisions between moderate-to-liberal business interests on the East Coast—represented by New York Governor Thomas Dewey—and Middle-Western conservatives—represented by Robert Taft and, behind him, Herbert Hoover—Democrats split bitterly into three groups. The mainstream of the party nominated President Harry Truman; the left wing (which included democratic socialists and some communists) ran Henry Wallace on the ticket of the Progressive Party; and the segregationist, southern Democrats ran South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond on the ticket of the States’ Rights Democratic Party or “Dixiecrats.” In one of the most famous upsets in American political history, Truman overcame his party’s fracturing and defeated Dewey, although the Dixiecrats won the combined 38 electoral votes of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina. The Progressives failed to win a single electoral vote.

1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt Defeats Herbert Hoover: How The Great Depression Threatened Constitutionalism

6. Guest Constitutional Scholar Essayists, 90 in 90 2016, Daniel Cotter 6. Presidential Elections and Their Constitutional Impact, 13. Guest Constitutional Scholar Essayists, 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt Defeats Herbert Hoover How The Great Depression Threatened Constitutionalism, Daniel Cotter

Guest Essayist: Daniel A. Cotter

The 1932 Presidential election took place during the height of the Great Depression. While a number of candidates ran on third party tickets, the main fight for the White House featured the incumbent Republican Herbert Hoover against Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt and none of the other candidates garnered more than 2% of the popular vote. Hoover had won the presidential election in 1928 on a pro-business platform promising continued prosperity. Nine months into Hoover’s term, on October 24, 1929, the stock market crashed, beginning the period that would become known as the Great Depression. The challenges created by the downward economic spiral consumed Hoover’s term and were a main focus of the 1932 presidential election.

1924, Calvin Coolidge Defeats Robert M. LaFollette, Burton K. Wheeler (Progressive Party), And John W. Davis: The Direct Election Of Presidents

6. Guest Constitutional Scholar Essayists, 90 in 90 2016, Joseph Postell, Ph.D. 6. Presidential Elections and Their Constitutional Impact, 13. Guest Constitutional Scholar Essayists, 17. Topics, 1924 Calvin Coolidge Defeats Robert M. LaFollette Burton K. Wheeler (Progressive Party) And John W. Davis The Direct Election Of Presidents, Electoral College, Joseph Postell PhD, New Deal, Progressive, Supreme Court

Guest Essayist: Professor Joe Postell

From today’s standpoint, the presidential election of 1924 might appear to be an oddity or an outlier. In 1924 the nominees of both parties ran on a conservative domestic agenda of limited government and tax cuts. For this reason author Garland Tucker calls 1924 “The High Tide of American Conservatism.”

1916, Woodrow Wilson Defeats Charles Evans Hughes

6. Guest Constitutional Scholar Essayists, 90 in 90 2016, Daniel Cotter 6. Presidential Elections and Their Constitutional Impact, 13. Guest Constitutional Scholar Essayists, 17. Topics, 1916 Woodrow Wilson Defeats Charles Evans Hughes, Daniel Cotter, Electoral College, Progressive, Socialism, Supreme Court

Guest Essayist: Daniel A. Cotter

The 1916 Presidential election pitted incumbent Democratic President Woodrow Wilson against Republican Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes. The election was a very close one and had significant ramifications for the “progressive” movement.

1912, Woodrow Wilson Defeats William Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Eugene Debs: Woodrow Wilson’s “New Freedom”

6. Guest Constitutional Scholar Essayists, 90 in 90 2016, Tony Williams 6. Presidential Elections and Their Constitutional Impact, 13. Guest Constitutional Scholar Essayists, 1912 Woodrow Wilson Defeats William Howard Taft Theodore Roosevelt Eugene Debs Woodrow Wilson’s New Freedom, Tony Williams

Guest Essayist: Tony Williams

“The Professor and the Bull Moose” 1912 Election

In June, 1912, former President Theodore Roosevelt broke with the tradition of candidates not attending conventions and arrived at the Republican National Convention with great fanfare. He fervently announced, “We stand at Armageddon and we battle for the Lord.” He then proudly labelled himself a “Bull Moose.”

1908, William Howard Taft Defeats William Jennings Bryan

6. Guest Constitutional Scholar Essayists, 90 in 90 2016, Daniel Cotter 6. Presidential Elections and Their Constitutional Impact, 13. Guest Constitutional Scholar Essayists, 17. Topics, 1908 William Howard Taft Defeats William Jennings Bryan, Daniel Cotter, Electoral College, Supreme Court

Guest Essayist: Daniel A. Cotter

The 1908 Presidential election featured the incumbent Republican President Theodore Roosevelt following through on his promise to not seek a third term and encouraging the Republicans to nominate Secretary of War William Howard Taft. While a number of third party candidates ran against Taft, the only non-Republican candidate who garnered any significant votes was the Democratic nominee, William Jennings Bryan. Bryan had been the Democratic nominee for President in 1896 and 1900, but the 1908 election was the most lopsided of his three defeats in the race for President.

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