Amid the United States presidential elections scheduled this year, a large segment of voters is in a doldrum. They are disgruntled with the Democratic Party’s unconditional support of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. However, this segment of the population is equally pessimistic regarding a policy shift from the Republican Party that has historically maintained, an even more ardent support for Israel; leading to a dilemma regarding who to vote for in this two-party system.
A survey by NBC News indicates that most of the population favors neither Trump nor Biden in the 2024 presidential race. Nonetheless, it seems as if this entrenched two-party system will never be effectively challenged in the future. This situation renders American democracy in a downward spiral vis-a-vis an accurate reflection of the general will and the social contract.
The two-party system, rooted in the American political arena, is at the crux of its recent democratic backsliding. The repercussions of a two-party system include extreme political polarization, partisanship manifested by government shutdowns, a split Congress, and political gridlocks.
What is a two-party system?
An electoral system where only two major parties have a fair chance of winning elections at the local, state, and federal levels is a two-party system. In this political setup, third parties seldom have a chance to gain significant political space in the political process.
Historical Background
No sooner than the first decade of its independence from the British Monarchy, the party system came to dominate politics in America against the founding fathers’ wishes. George Washington, America’s first president, warned against forming political parties due to the inextricable fallouts of partisanship and polarization. Nevertheless, the federalists and anti-federalists—political factions wooing divergent systems—emerged on the national political landscape.
The Democratic and Republican Parties dominate the contemporary US political landscape.
Who are the Democratic and Republican Parties?
The Republican Party was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery factions before the American Civil War. Contemporary Republicans are conservatives, mostly Evangelical Christians, espousing conservative social, political, and economic values—deferential to traditional values, and nationalism. They fall on the right side of the political spectrum. Coined by cartoonists during the 19th century, the electoral symbol of Republicans is an elephant which signifies “ bravery.”
The Democratic Party, represented by the political symbol of a “donkey,” is one of the oldest political parties in the United States. It was formed in 1792 by an anti-federalist faction. Known at the time by the name of “Democratic-Republicans,” it supported decentralized and limited governments preferring state’s rights and autonomy. Initially, the party also favored an agrarian economic outlook for the new nation.
Its transition from a party protecting slavery to a champion of civil and human rights is stark. Despite Southern democrats preserving slavery and racial inequality during the Civil War, the Democratic Party is also credited with signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the 20th century which extended equal citizenship and voting rights to blacks.
Contemporary Democrats are socially progressive and politically liberal. They fall on the left side of the political spectrum espousing progressive ideas around gender roles, social equality, and class relations.
Red and Blue States: Which have flipped?
Red states are where Republicans have a stronger hold than Democrats. In addition, states with a historical tilt towards Democrats are blue states. Many southern states have flipped from blue to red over the decades due to resistance towards civil and progressive reforms introduced by Democrats.
Swing States
Simultaneously, states where different political parties have won over time with marginal votes are called “swing states.” Swing states can change over time; current ones include Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Recent polling suggests Trump has an advantage over the incumbent presidential position in several swing states.
These states have remained important determinants in electoral outcomes of congressional and presidential elections.
Downsides of the American Two-Party Political System
A two-party system of Republican and Democratic majorities has many disadvantages which are outlined below:
Electoral Distortion
Firstly, two-party systems are often criticized for promoting distorted electoral outcomes. This system does not ensure equal political opportunity and representation. Contrary to proportional representation, the “First Past The Post” (FPTP) or the winner-takes-all approach produces electoral outcomes where one party gets all the seats for securing a simple majority in district congressional elections and the electoral college—the body that elects the president.
Despite winning 36% of the total popular vote in the 2022 congressional elections, there is no Republican representative from the region comprising the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
Limits Voter Choice
Secondly, from the voter’s perspective, voters have effectively only two candidate choices to cast a vote. A third party’s limited chance of winning elections renders voting for a small party or candidate a redundant activity. Ideologically, electorates who do not align with either of the major parties are left out of the system.
According to a Gallup Survey, 62% of Americans say Democrats and Republicans are doing such a poor job of representing their constituents that a third party is needed. Their voices and demands do not receive any representation as either they are mandated to cast a protest vote or change their options to one of the major parties.
Denies Representation of Alternative Views
In addition, political parties are not monolithic entities, rather they are comprised of heterogeneous sub-groups and micro-ideologies. For instance, several factions exist within the Democratic and Republican parties struggling for power—manifesting divergence of interest underneath a single-party umbrella.
Apart from the roughly 50/50 Democratic/Republican split, a capitalist/socialist dichotomy also persists, pitting people on the far left such as Senator Bernie Sanders against virtually everybody else on the political left or right. This is why socialist-leaning politicians such as him cannot run for president separately, despite a large support base and vote bank.
Discourage Participation of Smaller Parties
Moreover, in dual-party political systems, third parties or weaker parties seldom have a fair chance to win elections due to the powerful mainstream parties. Contrary to the proportional system where smaller political parties also secure seats in the legislature commensurate with the popular votes, smaller parties are not represented at all in two-party systems. The eventual result is a two-party political cartel leading to a duopoly.
Pew Research Center surveys have measured at least nine distinct political typologies in the United States, many of which are not represented in the political results.
Public opinion about the Two-Party Model
Americans are fed up with the two-party system. Empirical evidence suggests an incongruency between this political system and the public opinion of a large chunk of the population. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2022, 47% of young people between the ages of 18 to 49 expressed their desire for more parties to choose from.
Additionally, the popularity of the American party system has deteriorated over time as 27% of the population today has unfavorable views regarding both parties in contrast to the 6% in 1994.
Exacerbates Political Polarization
Finally, deep polarization and partisanship are other salient features of a two-party system. This tends to create more fissures in the populace subscribed to opposing ideologies on the contrasting spectrum. Political consensus is hard to achieve in such a deeply polarized political landscape resulting in adversarial politics and political violence.
The lack of centrist parties leads to a precarious political culture dominated by extreme left and right-wing tendencies. A Pew Research Center report indicates a deepening partisanship in the American public.
In conclusion, the two-party system is against the spirit of democracy. American democracy has reached a breaking point due to structural flaws in its political and electoral arena. In his famous book, “Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America,” Lee Drutman summed up the divisive nature of the two-party system, declaring it a recipe for disaster. He argues that the Government of the United States of America is trapped in a damning loop of escalating party warfare in which Republicans and Democrats see each other as enemies rather than as political opponents. For polity-based fairness and equality, the two-party system is an anathema.
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He writes on a diverse range of topics such as geopolitics, economy, social inequality, governance, and other important current affairs stories in national and international spheres.