It fights against economic inequality.

此角色要打擊經濟不平等

It advocates policies that battle racial and gender discrimination.

為推動政策，為弭平種族與性別歧視而奮戰

But it wasn’t always this way.

但事實上，並非一向如此

The Democratic Party was once the party of white supremacy, supporting slavery and the Ku Klux Klan.

民主黨曾經主張白人至上，支持蓄奴與擁護3K黨

To understand how the party made such a huge shift, you have to go back to its origins in the mid-1820s,

為了了解民主黨如何有這麼大的轉變，就必須追溯回 1820 年中期的民主黨起源

when it sprung up supporting the presidential candidacy of a popular former general, Andrew Jackson.

民主黨的崛起是來自支持一位高人氣前將軍安德魯．傑克森參加總統大選

Jackson was an outsider challenging the political establishment and elites of his day,

傑克森在當時是政治素人，挑戰他所處時代的政治體制與菁英政權

and his critics disparaged him as a “jackass.”

而傑克森則遭受批評，被稱作「蠢驢」（譯註：與傑克森的姓氏諧音）

But Jackson embraced the animal as a symbol of determination, and donkeys started appearing

但傑克森擁抱批評，並認為這個動物象徵著決心，於是驢子開始出現在

in newspapers to represent him and his followers.

報紙上，用來代表傑克森與他的追隨者

In the 1828 presidential election, which saw record-breaking popular participation, Jackson

在 1828 年總統選舉，創造了破紀錄的高投票率，傑克森

won a landslide victory.

也取得壓倒性的勝利

So his supporters argued that they and not the old elites represented the popular will of the country

傑克森的支持者爭辯應是傑克森等人，而不是老菁英，才是代表國家的公民意志

— and they started calling themselves the Democratic Party.

這些人開始稱呼自己所屬團體為「民主黨」

Jackson’s administration immediately began expelling Native Americans living east of the Mississippi River,

傑克森政權很快就開始驅逐住在密西西比河東部的本土美國人

an issue that defined the new administration.

並視為新政權的發布

After he signed the Indian Removal Act into law in 1830, five large tribes were rounded up

1830 年，在傑克森簽署《印地安人移居法案》後，五個大部落遭到圍捕

and forcibly marched to territories and camps further west.

被迫長途跋涉去更遠的西部去重建部落

And Democrats’ ambitions didn’t stop there.

民主黨黨員的野心可不僅於此

In the 1840s, the party adopted the doctrine of “manifest destiny” —

1840 年代，民主黨採用「昭昭天命」作為教義

the idea that Americans — white Americans —

此教義主張美國人，尤其是美國白人

were divinely entitled to dominate the whole North American continent.

得到神賦予統治整個北美洲的權利

Democratic president James K. Polk put this idea into action, massively expanding US holdings

民主黨總統詹姆斯．諾克斯．波爾克將此教義執行地淋漓盡致，大舉擴張美國版圖

by annexing Texas, acquiring Oregon, and winning much of what’s now the southwestern US in a war with Mexico.

吞併德州、獲取紐澳良州，並因墨西哥戰爭勝利，而贏得目前我們所見的美國中西部之土地

But soon afterward, national politics devolved into bitter controversy over whether new states entering the Union should be permitted to allow slavery.

然而，國家政治很快就轉移到另一場激烈的爭論 ─ 究竟加入美利堅合眾國的新州是否允許蓄奴制

Democrats said they should, since their support base was strongest in the slaveholding states.

民主黨黨員堅持「應該要允許」，因為民主黨主要的鐵票倉都是推行蓄奴制的州

Yet a new Northern party — the Republicans —

但是另一個新的北方政黨 ─ 共和黨

sprang up in opposition to expanding slavery any further.

則因反對不該再推行蓄奴制而快速崛起

When Republican Abraham Lincoln won the presidency, the South seceded, and the Civil War began.

共和黨總統候選人亞伯拉罕．林肯一贏得總統大選，美國南方就退出蓄奴制，也因此引爆南北戰爭

Once the Civil War was over, the Republican party was bitterly unpopular among white Southerners,

南北戰爭一結束，共和黨就遭受南方白人的抵制

who wanted to maintain their supremacy over former slaves.

因為南方白人想繼續維持對之前奴隸至高無上的掌控權

So the Democratic Party promised to limit federal government intervention on behalf of black citizens.

於是，民主黨承諾南方白人，會限縮聯邦政府對美國黑人市民的干預

Democrats became effectively the only political party in the South, aided by intimidation and suppression of black voters.

民主黨藉著威脅與鎮壓美國黑人，有效成為獲得南方支持唯一的政黨

Democrats also won on the state and local level leading to constant abuses of the rights of black citizens.

民主黨也贏得州與當地基層領導群的擁戴，繼續壓制美國黑人人權

As the 20th century began, the country was changing, and the Democratic Party was changing too.

直至 20 世紀初，美國開始改變，而民主黨也開始變革

A handful of individuals and corporations had grown enormously rich and powerful,

一些人和公司集團開始越來越有錢有勢

using their vast fortunes to influence politics.

運用他們的財富來影響政治

As a reaction to this, some reformers began pushing an agenda of progressivism —

作為反擊的一方，一些改革者開始推動革新論議程

arguing that the government would take more of a role in regulating big businesses and improving ordinary people’s lives.

爭論著政府應扮演規範大企業與增益一般人民生活福祉之角色

At first, these progressive reformers were present in both parties.

起初，這些漸進的改革者皆存在於兩黨（譯註：民主黨與共和黨）

But it was Democrat Woodrow Wilson who won the presidency in 1912 and put much of this

但之後民主黨的伍德羅．威爾遜在 1912年贏得總統大選，大力推行此議程

agenda into action, over Republican resistance.

完全不顧共和黨的反抗

So the Democratic Party became the main home for progressives, and Republicans became more the party of business.

接著，民主黨成為漸進改革者的主要陣營，共和黨則成為企業的歸屬

But it was the Great Depression of the 1930s that sealed the Democratic Party’s new identity as the party of government activism.

然而，1930 年代的經濟大蕭條使民主黨封閉起扮演實踐主義的新角色

In an effort to combat the crippling economic situation, President Franklin Roosevelt signed

為了振興一蹶不振的經濟現況，富蘭克林．羅斯福總統簽署

what was then the largest package of domestic government projects in American History, calling it the New Deal.

美國史上國內的最大議案，史稱「羅斯福新政」

And in the process of doing it, his administration dramatically expanded the size of government.

羅斯福政府明顯擴大政府規模

Yet the party was still split over race.

然而，民主黨內部還是因種族問題而陷入分化

By the mid-20th century, it contained Southerners who staunchly supported segregation, liberal

至 20 世紀中期，黨內仍有南方人士堅持擁護種族隔離主義，而相對開明的

reformers trying to end it, and many politicians were just happy to look the other way.

改革者則希望終結種族隔離，許多政治人物也樂見種族隔離落幕

But it was 1964 when the senate voted on the anti segregation civil rights act that shows

然而，在 1964 年，參議院投票通過反種族隔離民權法案，顯現出

how the progressive reformers in the party had gained the upper hand, steering the party

黨內漸進改革者占了上風，帶動民主黨

away from its racists past towards equality.

從過去的種族主義，邁向平等之路

But the democrats in the south voted against the civil rights act, remaining wedded to the idea of segregation.

可是投下民權法案反對票的南方民主黨黨員，仍持續主張應推行種族隔離

This chart shows the presidential vote of black voters.

以下圖表反映了總統大選中的黑人投票者的趨勢

Around the 1960s the Black voters who had already been moving toward the Democratic party

約在 1960 年代，早已轉向支持民主黨的黑人投票者

would begin overwhelmingly support the Democrats from then on, and conversely the Republicans

持續死心塌地支持民主黨，相反地，共和黨

would take a huge hit among black voters.

則受到黑人投票者的反彈

Meanwhile, white Southerners, moved away from the Democratic Party they had been loyal to for so long

同時，南方白人從原本長期衷心支持的民主黨倒戈

— in part because of race, but also because of suspicion of big government

部分原因是種族政策，另一部分原因則是對大政府的質疑

and a desire to defend “traditional values” against liberal activists.

再加上有著強烈意圖，想抵抗開明實踐主義份子的「傳統價值」

Democrats would go from dominating the South, to losing almost all influence in the region.

民主黨黨員從原本的「南霸天」，直到在南部完全失勢

Thanks in part to this drop in popularity among white voters, Democrats started losing elections,

由於白人支持率的大幅下滑，民主黨開始在選舉中落敗

often losing by huge margins.

而且常常一次輸掉很多選票

But demographically, the US is becoming an increasingly non-white country,

從人口統計角度來看，美國漸漸成為一個非白人為主的國家

and the democrats have had a comeback thanks in part to minority voters.

而民主黨的復甦也要感謝這些少數選民的支持

The huge influx of hispanic voters has especially benefitted democrats.

大量湧入美國的拉丁美洲投票者更是助民主黨一臂之力

These demographic shifts helped the Democratic Party, once the advocates of white supremacy

人口結構的轉變幫助民主黨，曾經鼓吹白人至上主義

and slavery to elect the first black president in 2008, showing just how much the party had changed over the years.

與奴隸制的政黨，在 2008年選出了美國史上第一位黑人總統，也凸顯出在這些年來，民主黨的大幅變革

Yet it’s not entirely clear where the future of the Democratic Party will lie.

儘管民主黨的未來趨勢還在一片五里霧中

But as America becomes more diverse, it’s likely that the democratic party’s appeal

但隨著美國漸漸走向分化，民主黨很有可能會

among minorities will continue to be its strength into the future.

在未來持續倚靠這些少數族群選民的力量