candidate since Washington to have been re-elected without serious opposition. In 1824, Crawford was nominated by the caucus, but three other Democratic-Republican candidates also ran for president, of whom one, John Quincy Adams, won the election. After 1824, the Democratic-Republican Party fractured between supporters of Andrew Jackson and supporters of Adams; both candidates condemned the caucus system, and no caucus was held in 1828. From 1831 onwards, the Congressional nominating caucus was replaced with national presidential nominating conventions. The Federalists and Democratic-Republicans of the early 19th century were not as organized on the state and especially federal level as later parties would be, so members of Congress were the one group of national party officials who met regularly. Many criticized the caucus system as illegitimate since it was not mentioned in the Constitution. The caucus also became the subject of intra-party struggles, particularly in 1808 when opponents of Madison denounced his selection. The caucus system produced concerns about separation of powers, as members of the legislative branch nominated the head of the executive branch. The importance of earning re-nomination may have pressured Madison into taking a more aggressive posture in the lead-up to the War of 1812. Many critics of the caucus system proposed that the states should play the primary role in nominating candidates. However, supporters of the caucus system argued that it was the best system for choosing national candidates in a country with several states. References American encyclopedia entry Nominating caucus