▁expert ise , ▁unlike ▁the ▁leaders ▁in ▁a ▁part isan ▁legisl ature ▁who ▁are ▁often ▁chosen ▁because ▁of ▁loyal ty ▁to ▁a ▁party . ▁ ▁Historical ▁examples ▁The ▁dem ocracy ▁of ▁ancient ▁Ath ens ▁was ▁non part isan , ▁as ▁el ig ible ▁citizens ▁voted ▁on ▁laws ▁themselves ▁rather ▁than ▁elect ing ▁represent atives . ▁ ▁Histor ians ▁have ▁frequently ▁interpreted ▁Federal ist ▁No . ▁ 1 0 ▁to ▁imply ▁that ▁the ▁Found ing ▁F athers ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁intended ▁the ▁government ▁to ▁be ▁non part isan . ▁James ▁Mad ison ▁defined ▁a ▁fa ction ▁as ▁" a ▁number ▁of ▁citizens , ▁whether ▁amount ing ▁to ▁a ▁minor ity ▁or ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁whole , ▁who ▁are ▁un ited ▁and ▁actu ated ▁by ▁some ▁common ▁imp ulse ▁of ▁passion , ▁or ▁of ▁interest , ▁ad verse ▁to ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁other ▁citizens , ▁or ▁to ▁the ▁permanent ▁and ▁aggregate ▁interests ▁of ▁the ▁community ." ▁As ▁political ▁parties ▁had ▁interests ▁which ▁were ▁ad verse ▁to ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁citizens ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁general ▁w elf are ▁of ▁the ▁nation , ▁several ▁Found ing ▁F athers ▁preferred ▁a ▁non part isan ▁form ▁of ▁government . ▁ ▁The ▁administration ▁of ▁George ▁Washington ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁few ▁sessions ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁Congress ▁were ▁non part isan . ▁F actions ▁within ▁the ▁early ▁US ▁government ▁co ales ced ▁into ▁the ▁Federal ist ▁and ▁Democratic - Rep ublic an ▁parties . ▁The ▁Era ▁of ▁Good ▁Fe el ings , ▁when ▁the ▁Federal ist ▁party ▁col lapsed ▁( le