// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy was the faction splitter? It divided opinion.
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A political faction is a group of people with a common political purpose. More specifically, political faction denotes a subgroup of a political party, where the former may be distinguished by having one or more opinions or interests that differ from the latter's.[1][2] Intra-party conflict between factions can lead to schism of the party into two or more political parties. The ley de lemas electoral system allows voters to indicate on the ballot their support for a specific faction of their preference within a political party. Political factions can represent voting blocs. Political factions require a weaker party discipline. Research indicates that factions can play an important role in moving their host party along the ideological spectrum.[3]
George Washington's Farewell Address
[edit]The first president of the United States, George Washington, warned of political factions in his famous farewell address from 1796. He warned of political parties generally, as according to Washington, political party loyalty when prioritized over duty to the nation and commitment to principles, was considered to be a major threat to the survival of a democratic constitutional republic:[4][5]
Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it [the formation and loyalty to partisan interests, over loyalty to principles or one's country].[5][4]
By country
[edit]Argentina
[edit]- Factions in the Justicialist Party
- Factions in the Radical Civic Union:
Australia
[edit]- Factions in the Australian Labor Party
- Factions in the Liberal Party of Australia
France
[edit]Italy
[edit]Japan
[edit]Russia/Soviet Union
[edit]South Korea
[edit]United Kingdom
[edit]United States
[edit]See also
[edit]- Ginger group, formal or informal group within an organisation seeking to influence its direction and activity
- Partisan (politics)
Further reading
[edit]- Blum, Rachel M.. Noel, Hans C. (2024). Cooperating Factions: A Network Analysis of Party Divisions in U.S. Presidential Nominations. Cambridge University Press.
References
[edit]- ↑ Nicholas, R. W. (2012). Factions: a comparative analysis. In Political systems and the distribution of power (pp. 21-61). Routledge.
- ↑ "faction" entry at dictionary.com
- ↑ Blum, Rachel M.; Cowburn, Mike (23 June 2023). "How Local Factions Pressure Parties: Activist Groups and Primary Contests in the Tea Party Era". British Journal of Political Science: 1–22. doi:10.1017/S0007123423000224.
- 1 2 "The Founding Fathers Feared Political Factions Would Tear the Nation Apart". HISTORY. 2019-03-07. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- 1 2 Avlon, John (2017-01-10). "George Washington's Farewell Warning". POLITICO Magazine. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
