ation ▁played ▁a ▁part ▁in ▁vot er ▁selection , ▁pre domin antly ▁se cess ion ist ▁Dem ocrat ▁or ▁union ist ▁Wh ig . ▁There ▁were ▁no ▁organized ▁political ▁parties , ▁but ▁elect ive ▁offices ▁were ▁ex empt ed ▁from ▁military ▁duty . ▁V irt ually ▁every ▁position ▁was ▁cont ested ▁with ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁twenty ▁candidates ▁for ▁each ▁office . ▁The ▁absence ▁of ▁political ▁parties ▁made ▁individual ▁roll ▁call ▁voting ▁all ▁the ▁more ▁important , ▁as ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁" fre edom ▁of ▁roll - call ▁voting ▁[ was ] ▁un pre ced ented ▁in ▁American ▁legisl ative ▁history . ▁ ▁The ▁Republic ▁of ▁Texas ▁was ▁a ▁non part isan ▁dem ocracy ▁before ▁it ▁was ▁an nex ed ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ; ▁all ▁four ▁pres idents ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Texas , ▁and ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Tex ian ▁Congress , ▁were ▁officially ▁non - part isan . ▁ ▁The ▁Non - Part isan ▁League ▁was ▁an ▁influ ential ▁social ist ▁political ▁movement ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁Upper ▁Mid west ▁and ▁particularly ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 2 0 s . ▁It ▁also ▁contributed ▁much ▁to ▁the ▁ide ology ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁Progress ive ▁Party ▁of ▁Canada . ▁It ▁went ▁into ▁decl ine ▁and ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁of ▁North ▁Dak ota ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁The ▁Progress ive ▁Party ▁of ▁Canada ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Farm ers ▁movement ▁( which ▁formed ▁govern ments ▁in ▁the ▁provinces