The Two Party System

The United States has almost always had a Two-Party System. Most Americans support one of the major two parties. A candidate of a minor party, one with little support, may be on the ballot but has little chance of winning.

There are four main reasons for a two party system.

1-History- the fight over ratification of the Constitution led to our first two parties. Federalists wanted the new Constitution. Anti-Federalists did not.

2-Tradition-our nation started with two parties. People accept the system because it is the way it has always been.

3-Elections-our electoral system helps keep the two-party system in place. Nearly all elections are in single-member districts where voters choose only one winner. Most Americans want their vote to "count". So, they tend to ignore a minor party candidate who is not likely to win.

4-Consensus-the United States is a pluralistic society-one with many different groups. Yet Americansshare a broad consensus, or agreement, on more important matters. Small parties that disagree with the major parties do not get much support.

Other countries have political parties. In a country with a one-party system, such as a dictatorship, only the ruling party has candidates on the ballot. Most European democracies have milti-party systems with many parties. The parties may center on a religious belief, economic class, or political idea. Multi-party systems are often unstable, though. These governments do not keep support for a long time. The people in power are always changing and so are their political parties.

In the United States, no one must join a pary. It is voluntary. Each party tries to win over the most voters to its side. Over time, each party tends to win support from the same groups of Americans. African Americans, Catholics, Jews, and labor union members are often Democrats. White males, Protestants, and business people are loyal to the same party as their parents. Lately, more people say they are independents. They are not loyal to any one party.