30.3.15
American Politics and the Great Divide
6:19 PM
When our founding fathers established the great United States, it was an experiment of sorts. Combining political philosophies on democracy and republics spanning across centuries, they pieced together a system that has lasted far longer than any other political experiment in history. One of the more interesting impacts this experiment has had is the development and entrenchment of a two party system that influences American politics each and every day. This two party format is not a structured extension of our central government, but is nevertheless an integral part of the political process.
In American politics today, the government is run, by and large, by Republicans and Democrats. The Republican's platform is based upon conservative principles. They traditionally are pro-life, anti-gun control, anti-big government, anti-spending, and in favor of low taxes. The Democrat's platform is based upon more liberal or progressive principles. They are usually described as pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-social programs, and in favor of a strong central government. These ideals and principles, however, have shifted along the spectrum of political ideology decade after decade. While it is typically a safe assumption to associate these ideas with their respective parties, in American politics, there are even subcategories within the two party system, like Blue Dog Democrats or Neo-conservatives.
When considering American Politics, it is interesting to note that, despite their being no laws regarding representation of parties and quotas, the two party system has endured. While the parties have changed names as the years have gone on, the ideals and split of ideals has largely remained the same. Though some third parties have emerged, such as the Green Party and Libertarian party, and though these parties have at times severely influenced elections, they have yet to gain enough substantive ground to be able to truly influence American politics on a daily basis. Perhaps the most significant influence that a third party candidate has had in American politics occurred during the 2000 Presidential election, where Ralph Nader's pull in Florida arguably pulled votes away from Al Gore, allowing George Bush to win the state and the election overall. However, as far as holding enough sway in Congress to influence legislation goes, we are a long ways away from seeing that happen.
Many people question why third parties are unable to make a significant contribution to American politics. One reason that is usually supported comes in the idea of funding. Republicans and Democrats alike have powerful and wealthy allies. These individuals and companies have the ability to rally large amounts of people, and therefore resources. There is a pervasive belief that because the Republicans and Democrats have been around for so long, supporting or voting for a third party, no matter how good their platform might be, is a waste of your effort. Until this belief is diminished, the de facto two party system will continue to be the bizarre operating system of American politics.