Elections during the first few decades of America’s existence were often haphazard affairs. Everything from who could vote to the location of the polls to how long the polls would be open varied from state to state and often from election to election. Historian Rosemarie Zagarri explores how the idea of a two-party democracy evolved less by design and more from a constant push-and-pull between those seeking to cast their ballots and those who made the rules about when, where, and how the ballots were to be cast. William Gormley, an expert in government and public policy, draws some connections between the first political parties and the present.