▁Mad ison , ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁ext ant ▁vot er - based ▁political ▁party ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁" The ▁country ▁poss esses ▁the ▁world ' s ▁oldest ▁written ▁constitution ▁( 1 7 8 7 ); ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁has ▁a ▁good ▁claim ▁to ▁being ▁the ▁world ' s ▁oldest ▁political ▁party ." ▁ ▁The ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁at ▁its ▁found ing ▁supported ▁a ▁different ▁set ▁of ▁issues ▁than ▁it ▁presently ▁supports . ▁ ▁From ▁its ▁found ing ▁until ▁the ▁mid - 2 0 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁was ▁the ▁dominant ▁party ▁among ▁white ▁southern ers , ▁and ▁as ▁such , ▁was ▁then ▁the ▁party ▁most ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁defense ▁of ▁sla very . ▁However , ▁following ▁the ▁Great ▁Society ▁under ▁Ly nd on ▁B . ▁Johnson , ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁became ▁the ▁more ▁progress ive ▁party ▁on ▁issues ▁of ▁civil ▁rights , ▁while ▁losing ▁domin ance ▁in ▁the ▁Southern ▁states ▁to ▁the ▁Republic ans . ▁ ▁The ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁since ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁has ▁position ed ▁itself ▁as ▁the ▁liberal ▁party ▁on ▁domestic ▁issues . ▁The ▁economic ▁philosophy ▁of ▁Franklin ▁D . ▁Ro ose vel t , ▁which ▁has ▁strongly ▁influenced ▁modern ▁American ▁liberal ism , ▁has ▁sh aped ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁party ' s ▁ag enda ▁since ▁ 1 9 3 2 . ▁Ro ose vel t ' s ▁New ▁De al ▁coal ition ▁controlled ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁until ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁terms ▁of ▁President ▁Eisen h ower