preview

Two Party System Pros And Cons

Decent Essays

Every four years when the United States elects a President, two political parties are always featured on the ballot – the Democrats and the Republicans. Additionally, one will find other minor political parties represented if they have enough public support; Gary Johnson of the Libertarian party appeared in all 50 states in last years’ election (“2016 Presidential Ballot Access Map”) and Jill Stein of the Green Party was officially on 45 (“Americans in 48 States Can Cast a Vote for Stein/Baraka”). Despite other parties having an opportunity to win the election, the Democrats and Republicans have won first or second since 1852, with the exception being Theodore Roosevelt placing second as a “third party” in 1912 (Blake). Simply put, the two-party …show more content…

First, presidential elections are characterized as having “high risk and high return” (Young) as the winner-takes-all approach means that there is always one winner, and everyone else receives nothing. The two parties can change throughout time – from Federalists and Democratic-Republicans to Democrats and Republicans, for instance – but there are always two political parties dominating others. Citizens of a country with a two-party system usually have an appeal with one or the other, and stick to that party once they have become a member. Overall, however, a glaring effect of the system is that time renders it virtually impossible to break, as third parties, for instance, need “enormous breadth and depth of support to have a national impact” (Young). In conclusion, the two-party system is one of the most defining features of American politics because of its formation and continuous impact. Although heavily influential individuals such as George Washington opposed political parties, they quickly formed due to opposing opinions between people. Although these parties were considered temporary by some, they continued to spread because of their ability to group people by opinion; today, the Democrats and Republicans still form under the same

Get Access