Why political parties, anyway?

"At the founding ... the Constitution gave no role to political parties. When voting was restricted to an elite group of male property owners in the early days of the republic, there was little need to establish broad-based political organizations. But as the nation grew and more citizens gained the right to vote, the need arose to mobilize voters. Political parties filled that role, becoming a firmly established part of the political landscape." -- Stuart Gorin (America.gov Archives)