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The Democrats currently control the United States [[House of Representatives]] and the [[Senate]], together with the majority of State governorships and legislatures. <ref>[http://www.multistate.com/Site.nsf/Elections2006PostMaps?OpenPage Multistate.com] Post-Election 2006 Maps</ref> According to a Pew Research Center poll, 50 percent of Americans identify themselves with the Democratic Party as opposed to 35 percent for the Republican Party.<ref>[http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=312 Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007] Pew Research Center, 22 March 2007</ref> However, Democrats have served out only three of the last ten presidential terms, and the Democrats in the US Congress currently have a 56.8% Disapproval rating, with only a 36% Approve rating according to the PealClearPolitics Average of several dozens of Congressional Job Approval polls. <ref>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/archive/index.php?poll_id=18&page=2 RealClearPolitics Congressional Job Approval Poll], 03/29 - 04/09.</ref>

The Democrats currently control the United States [[House of Representatives]] and the [[Senate]], together with the majority of State governorships and legislatures. <ref>[http://www.multistate.com/Site.nsf/Elections2006PostMaps?OpenPage Multistate.com] Post-Election 2006 Maps</ref> According to a Pew Research Center poll, 50 percent of Americans identify themselves with the Democratic Party as opposed to 35 percent for the Republican Party.<ref>[http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=312 Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007] Pew Research Center, 22 March 2007</ref> However, Democrats have served out only three of the last ten presidential terms, and the Democrats in the US Congress currently have a 56.8% Disapproval rating, with only a 36% Approve rating according to the PealClearPolitics Average of several dozens of Congressional Job Approval polls. <ref>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/archive/index.php?poll_id=18&page=2 RealClearPolitics Congressional Job Approval Poll], 03/29 - 04/09.</ref>

Like the Republicans, the Democrats are currently selecting their candidate for the 2008  presidential election; the front-runners in the contest are Senator [[Hillary Clinton]] of [[New York]] and Senator [[Barack Obama]] of [[Illinois]]. The most recent president who was a Democrat was [[Bill Clinton]], who served from 1993 to 2001. His record and conduct in office continues to be highly controversial among Americans, in part because he was impeached in his second term by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives for lying under oath in a civil court case. (The Senate did not convict him on the impeachment charges.)

Like the Republicans, the Democrats are currently selecting their candidate for the 2008  presidential election; the front-runners in the contest are Senator [[Hillary Clinton]] of [[New York]] and Senator [[Barack Obama]] of [[Illinois]]. The most recent president who was a Democrat was [[Bill Clinton]], who served from 1993 to 2001.  

==History==

==History==

The Democratic Party was founded in 1792  by [[Thomas Jefferson]] as a congressional caucus to fight for the [[Bill of Rights]] and to oppose the elitist [[Federalist Party]]. Ironically in view of the party's image as the "party of the common man," Jefferson was a member of the landed gentry and a slave owner.

The Democratic Party was founded in 1792  by [[Thomas Jefferson]] as a congressional caucus to fight for the [[Bill of Rights]] and to oppose the elitist [[Federalist Party]].  

In 1798 , the party was officially named the "Democratic-Republican Party", and in 1800  Jefferson was elected as the first Democrat [[President of the United States]]. Jefferson served two terms as president with distinction, and was succeeded by another Democrat, [[James Madison]], in 1808 . Madison strengthened America's armed forces and helped to reaffirm American independence by defeating the [[United Kingdom]] in the [[War of 1812]]. James Monroe, another Democratic-Republican, was elected president in 1816  and led the nation through a time commonly known as "The Era of Good Feeling". In this period, the party dominated American politics with little opposition.  [[Andrew Jackson]], who signed into law the [[Indian Removal Act of 1830]] <ref>[http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/UHS/APUSH/1st%20Sem/Articles%20Semester%201/Artiles%20Semester%201/Remini.htm Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal], by

In 1798 , the party was officially named the "Democratic-Republican Party", and in 1800  Jefferson was elected as the first Democrat [[President of the United States]]. Jefferson served two terms as president with distinction, and was succeeded by another Democrat, [[James Madison]], in 1808 . Madison strengthened America's armed forces and helped to reaffirm American independence by defeating the [[United Kingdom]] in the [[War of 1812]]. James Monroe, another Democratic-Republican, was elected president in 1816  and led the nation through a time commonly known as "The Era of Good Feeling". In this period, the party dominated American politics with little opposition.  [[Andrew Jackson]], who signed into law the [[Indian Removal Act of 1830]] <ref>[http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/UHS/APUSH/1st%20Sem/Articles%20Semester%201/Artiles%20Semester%201/Remini.htm Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal], by