This chapter examines the role of parties in national institutions. In Congress, parties help their members coordinate and pass laws, but they also obstruct good legislation from the minority party. The presidential administrations of George Washington and James Monroe offer evidence that the executive branch does not depend on partisanship. Finally, the Confederate States of America are an important counterexample. This chapter investigates the claim that one-party dominance in the Confederacy stifled decision-making and successful government.