Party Polarization Research Paper

The United States has maintained its two party system for some time, but the major parties have not always been so clearly separated. In the early and mid-twentieth century, polarization was actually declining, as there was much ideological overlap between the members of the two parties (Kuo). Many people, such as conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans, rested in the ideological middle. Additionally, each party represented a coalition of diverse interests. At

The political system of America is very different from other developed and developing democracies. Most notable is the increased power bestowed on the upper house of the parliament, the extensive power held by the Supreme Court and the dominance demonstrated by only two major parties. In the United States, third parties have the least influence on the world’s most developed democracy’s political structure. In this democracy, people are under the US Constitution of the governmental system as well as state government and other units of local government. Local government entails counties, districts and municipalities. The evolution of the American political party system has come a long way; with Hamilton and Jefferson being regarded as the founder fathers of the modern party system. These were heads of the Federalist and Anti-Federalist groups in the 18th century of American politics. Ever since, the country has maintained a party system that has two main parties that are relatively stable. These are Democrats and Republicans and have remained in contest for election every time since the 1860 presidential elections. Initially, the Republican Party was the dominant party but the Democrats later gained dominance. However, the two parties became closely competitive and neither of them has been notably dominant since the 1970s (O'Connor & Sabato, n.d).

Political ideas, beliefs, institutions, party systems, and alignments have developed and changed during the American

The dichotomy of major political parties in the United States initially developed from the division of Federalists and Democratic-Republicans during the Federalist Era. These alignments were distinguishable almost immediately after and even during the drafting of the Constitution. Though the names and stances of the two parties varied over time, they both rested on their foundations of their ideas of a government’s role and where power belonged. The most defining trait of each party was their support—or lack thereof—of a strong central government. Federalists, as the name implies, advocated for power to be firmly rooted in the federal government, whereas Democratic-Republicans urgently recommended the autonomy of each state.

The Founding Fathers created the United States government believing in permanent liberty and democracy for America’s citizens. The Framers were highly opposed of political parties because it threatens unity among the country. Political parties develop people’s political opinions, resulting in polarization of government. Polarization is a large and defined division between parties. Congress’ polarization is growing, while American citizens’ polarization is less pronounced in most of the United States.

The United States began as a weak, newborn nation that grew into a large, self-supporting country with a governing body unique to this time period. As the government grew and the nation prospered, the rise of leaders and political figures came about and with this, conflicting principles and ideology spawned, thus creating the first of the political parties; the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. Although the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans ideology and stances on the power of the federal government, domestic economic policies and the group of constituents they represented differed vastly, members of both parties often compromised their own beliefs for the nation’s best interest as a whole.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Polarization is defined as the “division into two opposites”. (Merriam-Webster) Political Polarization refers to the perceived division of ideologies espoused between the two major political parties in the United States. The topic of political polarization is one frequently referenced in the media and in political discussions. Does political polarization actually exist or is it a myth? In this paper, this question will be analyzed and examined and a conclusion will be reached.

There were many political disputes that happened in the United States. Many people were fighting over which party they should go to or which one was better. They had the Republicans and the Federalists who wanted to sway the vote to their side. They opposed each other and disputed against each other. This caused many conflicts in the United States.

In his essay “Polarized Parties Are Good for America”, Matthew Yglesias asserts that the two-party system is ideal for America. He begins by stating that polarization is bad for elites, as it leaves little to no room for “self-styled players”. He then suggests that the two-party system is beneficial for voters, insisting that having clearly labeled candidates creates a “menu” that allows the masses to know what they’re voting for from the start. He concludes by stating that the problem isn’t in partisanship, but with the small number of parties. In this essay I will prove that the two-party system is bad for America.

However, there is a competing explanation of the Party Polarization phenomena. These political scientists believe that the reason there is Party Polarization in our culture is not because of the way the districts are drawn, but is due to the way people organize themselves. Individuals are “segregating themselves by choosing to live in liberal or conservative geographical areas” without very much influence (372). This behavior is called self-

Party polarization is another factor halting action being taken to solve the problem. Both political parties in the United States have divided views among many issues. This polarization between the Democrats and Republicans has formed because over time their membership of the two parties are purer, causing them to grow farther apart, states Jonathan Haidt and Sam Abrams in their article, “The Top Ten Reasons American Politics Are So Broken.” Republicans are becoming more conservative while the Democrats on the other hand, are becoming more liberal. In the issue of global warming, the division between the two parties are very distinct. The Democrats in this matter believes global warming exists and should be dealt with. The Republicans on

There are many theories as to how or why political polarization was formed, and the impact it has on government in modern day. Polarization has varied significantly over the years ever since the 1970’s. However, what is the true cause and can it be explained? This paper will discuss some theories on how political polarization came about, and analyzes some accounts of polarization overall. Defining political polarization is vital into developing an understanding of how or why it was initially formed.

The red/ blue map shown in Figure one shows how modern Polarisation has manifested itself over the last four elections. The dark red and blue show that those states have voted Republican or democratic respectively all four times. Lighter shades show that party has won all but once, while purple shows states which have gone to the Republicans and Democrats twice each. On first glance this seems to back up the polarization theory, as Fiorina and Adams put it;

Baum, M. A., & Groeling, T. (2008). New Media and the Polarization of American Political Discourse. Political Communication, 25(4), 345-365. doi:10.1080/10584600802426965

A two-party system is a system in which two major political parties dominate political aspects within a government. A vast majority of elected officials belong to one of the two major parties. Although there are only two major political parties, it is not limited to only two, nor does it reject minor parties. In the United States of America, we have two major political parties. One of the parties is called the Republican Party, while the other is known as the Democratic Party.