Only two political parties in America?

[Alba gu Brath]

Why is there only two political parties in America, Republicans and Democrats? Compared to other countries having quite a few.

[Barry Goldwater]

There's a load of minor third parties, though the day one of their candidates land in the White House will be the day I become a hippie.

[ShADoW]

They're the two major dominant parties in American politics.
Theres a party called the Independent Party in the US too.

[The Devil's Sergeant]

Elections are winner take all. Whether a politician get one more vote or wins by a million he gets that office for its term. There is no provision for dividing up seats based on proportion of votes.

The two major parts pretty much take up the whole spectrum of ideas. If a minor party emerges with a popular issue, one or the other parties will take on its cause.

Parties in the USA are much weaker institutions than they are elsewhere. The national party generally has little control over its members and cannot control who calls them self a democrat or a republican.

[Ardruire Iacób]

Proportional representation doesn't necessarily stop this. We use Proportional Representation - Single Transfer Vote in Ireland, yet, for several decades, Irish politics was dominated by two parties - Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. It still is, to an extent.

[magickyleo101]

Devil's Sergeant is pretty much right. The winner take all system means that in order to have much of a purpose your political party needs to have a legitimate chance at reaching 50.1%. That same fact keeps people for voting for small parties because they're throwing away their vote if they do.

[The Devil's Sergeant]

Devil's Sergeant is pretty much right.

Of course I am.

[Ardruire Iacób]

You're right because it is an indisputable statement. First-past-the-poll only really allows for one governing party and one opposition party. Just look at the UK and the US, Conservatives vs Labour and Republicans vs Democrats.

[roy34543]

Be thankful its only two parties, look at Israel and see what a mess it is with a dozen minor parties, Sure its very democratic, but ti doesnt work well, It would be much easier just having a liberal leaning party and conservative (hawkish) leaning party and leave it at that.
And it would mean arabs wouldnt be wasting their vote all the time for minor parties too, so would work well for them as well.

[Ardruire Iacób]

Be thankful its only two parties, look at Israel and see what a mess it is with a dozen minor parties, Sure its very democratic, but ti doesnt work well, It would be much easier just having a liberal leaning party and conservative (hawkish) leaning party and leave it at that.
And it would mean arabs wouldnt be wasting their vote all the time for minor parties too, so would work well for them as well.

Israel has other, external, problems, you can't attribute everything to broad spectrum of political views. I think having several neighbours who want you wiped off the face of the earth is more troubling than a fractured party system.

[Ragabash]

Be thankful its only two parties, look at Israel and see what a mess it is with a dozen minor parties, Sure its very democratic, but ti doesnt work well, It would be much easier just having a liberal leaning party and conservative (hawkish) leaning party and leave it at that.

There are plenty of examples where countries have implemented multi-party system perfectly well.

[removeduser_487563287433]

It's down to the first past the post election system, really. No, it's not the most democratic, and only the USA and the UK use it really. It's undeniably backward. Does keep the nutters out, though.

[Aetius]

Does keep the nutters out, though.

Nutters or true revolutionary thinkers.

Two party system leads to stagnation.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Nutters or true revolutionary thinkers.

Two party system leads to stagnation.

Not when you combine it with an uncodified constitution.

[Ardruire Iacób]

Ireland has no potentially powerful nutters. Sinn Féin and the Greens are margainal, yet we use Proportional Representation. The far-right Progressive Democrats died out a few months ago, too.

[Celsius]

Multiparty system would die in the US rather quickly. We have only Republicans, Democrats, and the occasional independent that's elected to office. So we prefer the 2 party system because it has worked for over 200 years

[nopasties]

it has worked for over 200 years

??

Not for a generation at least.

[Barry Goldwater]

??

Not for a generation at least.

Actually we've had a two-party system since 1796...first it was the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists, then we had the Democrats and the Whigs, and when the Whigs went down in flames the Republicans stepped up to take their place...the only third party with a ghost of a chance at the White House was Teddy Roosevelt's Progressive Party (from the 1912 election).

[nopasties]

Actually we've had a two-party system since 1796...first it was the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists, then we had the Democrats and the Whigs, and when the Whigs went down in flames the Republicans stepped up to take their place...the only third party with a ghost of a chance at the White House was Teddy Roosevelt's Progressive Party (from the 1912 election).

Thx I know I was commenting that the two party system hasn't worked for a generation. I'd be thrilled to see a 3rd or 4th party even if there was a decent conservative party that stood for something I'd pay attention to it. I lean liberal politically but the democratic party only talks about some things I like and does nothing of what I want. I haven't liked a president since FDR to be honest. The problem today is it is too expensive for good people to get far in politics. That is why there should be more parties to change the economics of campaigning and allow the 3rd and 4th parties to get public funding. The guy could be a wacko like Ross Perot but if the extra parties were involved it would hold the main party candidates to a wider spectrum of opinion.

[Barry Goldwater]

Thx I know I was commenting that the two party system hasn't worked for a generation.

Oh, that's what you meant My apologies

I'd be thrilled to see a 3rd or 4th party even if there was a decent conservative party that stood for something I'd pay attention to it.

By 'decent conservative', you mean a party that sticks to Barry Goldwater's ideas? Don't get me wrong, I'd love a Goldwaterite (that is, a real conservative) party, it's a damn shame the GOP wouldn't heed his advice

I lean liberal politically but the democratic party only talks about some things I like and does nothing of what I want.

Isn't that what all politicians do?

That is why there should be more parties to change the economics of campaigning and allow the 3rd and 4th parties to get public funding.

We already have a whole host of parties in the States, only the Dems & the GOP have any real chance at the White House though.