Formal political parties did not exist, as the leading politicians of the day largely distrusted the idea of "factions."

In the states that did hold elections, suffrage was generally restricted to white men who owned property.

[5] The first U.S. presidential campaign was, to some degree, what today would be called a grassroots effort to convince Washington to accept the office.

[5] Alexander Hamilton was one of the most dedicated in his efforts to get Washington to accept the presidency, as he foresaw himself receiving a powerful position in the administration.

Retrospectively, political scientists and historians have divided the 1st Congress into members of the Pro-Administration and Anti-Administration factions.

[citation needed] The Pro-Administration faction would generally support the centralizing economic policies of the Washington administration and Secretary of State Alexander Hamilton.

The Anti-Administration faction generally opposed those policies, instead favoring states' rights and a weaker federal government.