Issues with our two party democracy

As we learned and discusses in class, the American form of democracy created by our founding fathers centuries ago is the longest continuous form of government in the world. Having acknowledged that, it is fair to state that this form of government has been highly successful in America thus far. There is evidence that many countries around the world have framed their government after the American ideals of democracy; for example China, Mexico and the Philippines. Allowing the people of a country to decide in a representative democracy who shall be able to govern them and who should be allowed to vote on the laws of the land is a great model of democracy because it gives power to the people and creates a fair voting system that people can rely on year and year again. In America while we have many different political parties that represent many different economic and social views held by Americans, it always ends up being a two party race between the democratic and republican party. There are many issues that arise from a two party system.

One huge problem with a two party system in America is Congress. The U.S. constitution states that with three branches of government, there must be a system of check and balances. Checks and balances makes sure that Congress has representation from both parties. While this is fair for both parties, it typically puts a hold on the passing of laws wanting to be made by the party in office. Many people complain that nothing happens in Congress and no laws get passed which is partially true because when a democrat is in office and attempts to create a law, the republicans in Congress usually try to veto it and vice versa. One great example of this is Obamacare. Obama had gone into office with the vision of changing the system of healthcare in America and proposed the bill of Obamacare of the Affordable Care Act to Congress and was forced to revise it many times before the majority of Congress finally passed it and put it into effect March 23, 2010. This is a prime example of how the two party system of government in America is not always so efficient for the party in office.

Another issue with a two party system is that once the ruling party leaves office and the other party is voted in, many laws and acts passed by the antecedent party are turned over and thrown away by the preceding party. This can be looked at as both fair and unfair. It is fair because according to a democracy, everyone is equal and that means that everyone is should be able to make decisions about the country especially if their party was voted into office fairly. However, in America, there has become such a polarization and division between the democrats and republicans that it almost appears that each party wants to overturn and end programs that were started by the prior party just because they don’t align with their party’s views. For example, right now Trump, the elected president of the United States, a republican who is following after Obama, a democrat, is trying to to repeal Obamacare. He has tried to repeal the act in Congress many times but has failed every time, many say it is because he has not created a better healthcare plan to replace Obamacare. He has also just ended the Dreamers program and DACA (both put in place by Obama) which has caused a lot of out lash by the democratic party and others in favor of the program.

If we are supposedly all equal under a democratic form of government, then children born in the U.S but to illegal parents should still hold the same rights as other children born in the U.S to legal parents because they did not have a choice where they were born.

8 Responses to "Issues with our two party democracy"

Jackson Krase says:

September 8, 2017 at 6:14 pm

I find your discussion on the two-party system extremely important in regards to the structure of American democracy as well as highly relevant to our current political environment. I also strongly agree that the two-party system in the United States holds many flaws and creates difficulties in our government’s effectiveness. This sentiment was also shared by President John Adams when he wrote that “There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.”
In regards to party cooperation, according to a PEW Research poll conducted in June 2016, and for the first time since conducting this specific survey in 1992, the majorities in both the Republican and Democratic parties hold very unfavorable views towards each other. These findings are very troublesome because it illustrates the growing divide between parties and their ideals. In a time where many highly polarizing issues are being debated in government such as healthcare and immigration, having a political climate of hostility between the two leading parties will no doubt hamper bipartisan efforts. As the government continues to move towards two extreme absolutes, the chance of politicians being able to compromise on issues currently affecting American society is greatly diminished.
Despite its shortcomings, the two-party system is so deeply ingrained in American politics that I find it very unlikely to change dramatically. Even though this wasn’t really what the founding fathers of the United States envisioned, the two-party system has been a staple of America since Alexander Hamilton with his Federalists party and Thomas Jefferson and his Democratic-Republicans. In my opinion, the only way to eliminate the two party-system would be to change our election system. Instead of a winner-take-all model for elections, a proportional party representation system would allow for greater political access for other parties such as the Libertarian Party, or the Green Party. However, in order for any of this to occur, the American political process must undergo an extreme revolution, the possibility of which I think are slim to none.
Grace Miller says:

September 9, 2017 at 8:55 pm

While there are many flaws of the two party system, I personally believe that the “American democracy” is the most successful way of running our country. The common American voter is not necessarily the most educated voter. While arguments may be made on the rationale behind allowing the “ill informed and irrational” to vote- the framers of our country decided that in our representative democracy no proof of knowledge on current events or party politics would be mandatory to cast a vote. The two party system allows those less informed voters to align with the party they seem fit, and stay engaged in political discussion, while trusting the leaders of the party to make decisions on matters they are apathetic about, with the same thinking patterns they used on the issues they chose their candidates for.

This system also allows for worthy candidates to receive both the financial backing and the influence of the party’s voter base, showing why no presidential candidate has ever won an election without the support of at least one of the major political groups at the time. Because we usually end up with just two well-known, qualified candidates, the two party system promotes a more centrist view. Our current state of affairs is showing signs of polarization, which I argue depicts the re-branding of the parties. With the rise of the popularity of independent voting, and third parties, Democrats and Republicans must appeal to more voters outside of their party to win elections, by re-aligning their viewpoints and political platforms.
Alexandra Friedman says:

September 10, 2017 at 1:38 pm

The two party system is an extremely important topic with regards to American democracy. You are correct in stating that it causes an extreme polarization between the two parties in the country. What also interests me is the versatility within the two parties. In a way, the two party system forces people that may have very different views together. While this has always been the case, it has been exacerbated ever since Trump has come into office. Because he is on such an extreme end of the spectrum, many other republicans have started to oppose him. This is unique because parties almost always try to stand with a united front.

This being said, one of the good parts of our two party system is that there is so much versatility. Many democracies have a two party system: for example, The United Kingdom. But, in ours, we vote for individuals and not the party which in my opinion is better. Additionally, primaries allow us to pick the people we most identify with to represent the party. It is important to remember that within the party most people will be able to find someone with whom they can identify with.
1. Alexandra Friedman says:
  
  September 10, 2017 at 1:43 pm
  
  (this part didn’t get posted)
  What worries me about the two party system is that it seems like parties sometimes act only to spite the other party. Additionally, party members often feel like they must vote a certain way just because it is what the party has decided it wants to do. If politicians want to best represent their constituents, they need to vote on what they believe and what they think is best. Surprisingly, this was shown in Trump’s failed attempt to reverse Obamacare. A few people went against their party to shut his attempt down. In this case, I think the two party system is working because the congressman were not afraid to go against their party.
Lilly Alemayehu says:

September 10, 2017 at 4:48 pm

I found this to be extremely insightful because of the importance of the two party system in the structure of our unique form of democracy. The two party system has proven to be very limiting and polarizing among groups of people in today’s society. People are unable to even talk about certain issues because of the extremism that is being perpetuated by the two party system. We see this in the Trump administration through the way Republicans are trying to drive their agendas with regressive and ineffective policies such as, their health care bill or travel ban. Although it is obvious that these policies are extreme and ineffective in our society, the agenda of the Republican party seems to be more important than actually creating a policy that could help people. I think that is what impedes the growth of our country. Although we’ve come a long way, we are lacking in social and structural growth due to the stubborn and dividing nature of our political system. Also, it take credibility from other smaller independent parties and allows them almost no chance to participate in our government.
Lotte Elfering says:

September 10, 2017 at 5:25 pm

I agree with you in so far as that the American two-party system is not easily changed. It has been like this since the founding of the United States, and something so ingrained in a political system, a defining characteristic of an “American-style democracy”, if you will, is incredibly hard to transform. However, I will argue that it is better for everyone involved to have a political system based on multiple, smaller parties that have to form a coalition in order to govern.

Having a multi-party system allows people, even those that are not as informed about political issues (the apolitical stratum), to find a party that suits them. People even today know why they vote for the Democratic or for the Republican party, but these reasons do not always align. As we discussed in class, in this country, a moderate Christian and an extremist neo-Nazi vote for the same party, while that party does not accurately portray their views or values.

Coming from a country that had a record-breaking 28 parties participating in this year’s election, I fully advocate for a multi-party system. Having a larger number of parties – not necessarily as much as 28 – ensures that people will find their interests represented more accurately. The argument that voters will get lost in the web of so many different parties to choose from can be dismissed by increased awareness by these parties, spreading unaffiliated campaigns and aids for people to help them choose. One such method, as introduced in my home country, is the development of several different apps that pose short, relevant, and easy questions, to be answered with a simple yes, no, or does not apply answer, and that will show you to what extent your values are represented by each party. Secondary schools already advertise these methods, and allow you to become familiar with them before it becomes time for you to cast your vote.

Another benefit that comes with a multi-party systems and a more accurate representation is increased participation. In my 2017 elections, there was a voter turnout rate of 81,9%, while in the United States it is estimated to be a little more that 50%. This is of course not only because of the more accurate representation, but it is estimated that it could increase voter turnout by as much as 12%.[1] All should agree that a higher turnout rate is better for the overall condition of government, as more people are represented and are thus able to influence what happens to them.

Furthermore, in a multi-party system, it is often necessary to form a coalition between two or more parties, as not one party has won a majority. These coalitions are an important measure in keeping the more extremist views out of politics and increasing cooperation between parties. They also help in preserving the previous government’s measures and laws, as it will be harder to convince a majority of parliament of the necessity. At the same time it will be harder for one party to pass all of its ideas, even if they were to be the biggest party, which is sometimes regarded as a disadvantage of the multi-party system.

I will not argue that there are no issues to be had with this system, but overall I think it is the most effective system that more accurately represents the ideas of all citizens, encourages higher voter turnout rates, and has a more effective system of checks and balances. All of this I believe to be essential in every well-functioning democracy, and that is why I argue that a system with multiple parties is a better system for everyone.

[1]. Cheun, G. “Strengthening Democracy by Embracing a Multi-Party System,” Stanford Social Integration Review. February 4th, 2017, accessed on September 10th, 2017.
https://ssir.org/articles/entry/strengthening_democracy_by_embracing_a_multi_party_system
Montgomery Thornburn says:

September 17, 2017 at 10:44 pm

I think this is a great post with some wonderful insight. I personally believe the current two party system that we have in place now is beginning to strain politics. Part of the issue is that having only two political parties forces the average American to negotiate with extremist on every political issue. Fringe groups push their own individual agenda, rather than one that would benefit the entire population and the country suffers as a result. Primary elections often result in the most right/left candidate being chosen by loyal party followers, but leads average Americans awkwardly in the middle come the general election. With the current system we’ve seen an increased amount of polarization and on some issues the country is split in half. Multi-party systems require individuals to work outside of their own party with increased bipartisanship.

You mention that an opposing party can come in and repeal the laws that had just been passed by their friends across the aisle upon election, but while you see this as a con I see it as a pro. If the laws passed previously are favorable to the public there will be enough support to keep them but, if they do not truly help the people, then they should be removed anyways. The system is not all bad by any means. A major upside of the two party system is that the ruling party is (usually) voted in by a majority rather than in a multi-party government which elects leaders who never earned a true majority. In this caseour system often works to our advantage.

I saw an interesting article on the two party system in the U.S. and the author argues that switching systems is unlikely. Even though I think that a multi-party system would benefit those in the United States, I recognize that switching systems would be a massive transformation that would change the future of this country for generations.

Article Link: http://themoderatevoice.com/two-party-system-harms-democracy/
Yanbin Zhang says:

September 20, 2017 at 2:27 pm

It has been a popular debate whether the American bicameral system is effective or not recently while some evidences prove it negative. Based on the explanation in the blog, there are some further ideas out of the bicameral system illustrate the reason of the inefficiency of government.
Before we come to test the efficiency of American bicameral congress, the question at first place is why this particular American style government created in the way it look like? The most basic need for a government is defending the nation and running the public service. In the early years of the nation, public service concept was still at the starting point. And the U.S was born to be a lucky country with natural barrier of ocean on both sides of the country. There was never a strong neighbouring country with potential danger of invading the U.S. So the need of having a strong government didn’t exist from the very beginning.That is also why people were fear of the highly centralized government power. The distrust of government produced the Separation of Powers and Check and Balance in the government yet along with the sacrifice of working efficiency. So the inefficiency of bicameral system is actually originated from the very beginning of the American politics.
Another factor within the system that should be concerned is the correlation between the branches of the government. The judicial branch could change the legislative result by saying it unconstitutional. Thus,the right to influence the decision making is somehow at the hands of an unelected institution. The benefit of the judicial review has been proved so many time in history. But it is not always good. The legislative power belongs to the congress, with no doubt. Yet the judicial review has made the judiciary, to some extent, a “secondary legislature”.The defeated minority in the congress could prosecute the passed act unconstitutional and this process of judicial review is normally prolonged. This dysfunction of the congress to have enough power and quick reaction to make a decision is now called the “ Vetocracy” which in some cases reduced the efficiency of the government.

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