Final answer:
The primary issue that divided the first two political parties—the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans—was the balance of power between the federal government and the states. Federalists advocated for a strong central government, while Democratic-Republicans supported states' rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first two political parties in the United States were the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. The most clear-cut issue that divided them was the balance between federal power and states' rights.
The Federalists, who included founding figures like Alexander Hamilton, supported a strong central government, while the Democratic-Republicans, with leaders such as Thomas Jefferson, advocated for the primacy of states' rights and a limited federal government. This debate over the scope of federal power was at the heart of the early political divide and has continued to influence American politics through the centuries.
In foreign policy, the Federalists generally favored close relations with Britain, whereas the Democratic-Republicans were more sympathetic to revolutionary France, but the core issue that distinctly separated them at the domestic level was the central government's role versus that of the states.
Other early political parties, such as the Whigs and Republicans, arose in response to specific issues of their times, including economic changes, the powers of the presidency, and especially slavery, which became an increasingly central and divisive national issue.