American politics in the early republic Book

A well-written study of how sectionalism drove the formation of what we call the 1st Party System due to differing views of the American future and different views of the public good. At the same time both groupings (which Sharp refers to as proto-parties) maintained the classical republican belief in a unitary public good and the abhorrence of political parties. He also discusses how the politicization of the people as the leaders of the New England-dominated Federalists and the Virginia Republicans fought for control of the federal government eventually led to a new less than deferential conception of representation and a new style of politics that was more democratic. Both of these developments laid the groundwork for the democratization of politics (for white men) on the 19th century, even though Federalist and Republican *leaders* retained the older deferential view of politics.

However, with the importance Sharp gives to the sectional split between Federalists and Republicans, it seems he ought to have offered an explanation of significant exceptions to the pattern, like the strength of New York Republicans or South Carolina Federalists.