The role of independents
Chapter 9 focuses on party alignment and the role they play in our democracy. There is no question that the American government is defined by the 2 party system, and that this has proved to be extremely polarizing. In my opinion, the role of independents in the US is really interesting. While there is always a candidate running for the presidency in each election, there has never been what we would describe as an “independent” president; the closest case is George Washington. So, then, why do independents matter, and what role do they play in our government? Surprisingly, the number of independents outnumbers both the democratic and republican followers. In 2014, 39% of registered voters identified as independents whereas only 32% were democrats and 23% as democrats. This trend continues to grow each election cycle; in 2004 the groups were split almost evenly in thirds.
One of the main reasons for the rise of independent voters is their frustration with the current two party system. In particular, millennials are the ones who are most likely to be independents. Young voters see it as an opportunity to take a stand on our polarizing system; they do not like either party so see no point in identifying with it. While we may not immediately recognize how important these independent voters are, their role is crucial in elections. One particular example of their strength was in the 2012 election. There were more registered republicans than democrats, so on paper Mitt Romney should have technically won. But, since most independents that year were partisan to the democratic party, Barack Obama still won.
Like we learned about earlier in the year, being an independent means only being able to vote in primaries in certain states. This means that they are excluded from part of the political process just because they do not identify with a specific party. Because of this, many independents have become frustrated. For example, in Arizona, more people identify as independents than republicans or democrats. Yet, they still cannot participate in primaries which has led to activism through grass roots movements for more rights at the polls. The primaries are paid for with taxpayer money, but some people paying are still not allowed to participate. In my opinion, it is somewhat ironic and surprising that independents cannot vote in political primaries. America was and still is founded on the basis of individual thought and electing a government for the people by the people. By restricting the rights of what is now a majority group in our country, we are doing a disservice to our citizens and government. People should not have to pick a party in order to have their voices heard.
Sources:
http://news.gallup.com/poll/188096/democratic-republican-identification-near-historical-lows.aspx
https://www.npr.org/2016/02/28/467961962/sick-of-political-parties-unaffiliated-voters-are-changing-politics