The American Two Party Political System Essay

America is a land of very diverse people from all parts of the world. They all have wide varieties of interests, which are represented by both parties of its political system. The Democrats and Republicans represent two different standpoints; although they concentrate on the same issues both of them have different views on how the issues should be addressed. Two presidential campaigns in which the parties’ candidates differed on the issues are that of 1988 and 1996. Democracy only works when the people who represent the masses differ on the issues, so that to protect our freedom and the parties of our political system are the best representation of this ideology.

In recent discussion of Democrats and Republican parties, a controversial issue has been whether or not the U.S. should expand their options from more than a two party system. On the one hand, some argue that there should be more choices other than between the two Democrat Party and Republican Party. From this perspective, voters have more of a variety when they vote. On the other hand, some argue that the U.S. should remain as a two party system. In the words of Gary Johnson, one of this view’s main proponents, “The Republicans and Democrats have spent decades trading power back and forth between themselves, and in doing so, have managed to install a two-party duopoly that completely controls America’s political process.” According to this view, Democrats and Republicans are dictating other parties opportunities to get elected. In sum, then, the issue is whether there should be other options rather than a choice between the Democrat and the Republican Party. I agree with Gary Johnson’s view that the Democrat and Republican Parties are controlling America’s

A political party is a group of people who seek to win elections and hold public office in order to shape government policy and programs. George Washington warned the nation against creating political parties in his famous “Farewell Address”. He feared political parties would divide the country and weaken support of the Constitution (Doc 4). The first major political parties, the Federalists and the Republicans, were created during the term of President George Washington. Despite President Washington’s warning, the rise of the two political parties, in the years after his term was inevitable. The Federalists were in favor of a strong central government, while the anti-federalists opposed most their ideas. Over time, the gradual development

A two-party system is a form of party system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections. As a result, all, or nearly all, elected offices end up being held by candidates chosen by one of the two major parties. Under a two-party system, one of the two parties typically holds a majority in the legislature and is usually referred to as the majority party while the other is the minority party. The United States of America is considered a two-party system. The chances for third party candidates winning election to any office are remote, although it's possible for groups within the larger parties, or in opposition to one or both of them, to have an influence

“In spite of the founders’ fears, two major-political factions – the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists were formed even before the Constitution was ratified.” Sidlow, 2015, P 143) Federalists wanted stronger national government and Anti-Federalist (Jefferson Republicans) wanted states’ rights and feared government could become too powerful. In the election of 1796 was the first time candidates from different political party systems held strongly opposed party principles and this time period defined political life as we know it. For the next twenty years the Jefferson Republicans dominated American Politics. In the 1820’s the Jefferson Republicans split into two groups, supporters of Andrews Jackson called their party the Democrats, and the other group called themselves the National Republican Party (Whig Party). During the 1840’s and 1850’s Democrats and Whigs competed for the White House and the two party system fully emerged

In the two-party system, supporters of Jackson were Democrats and supporters of his rival, Henry Clay, were the Whigs. The Democratic Party resembled the old Republican party of Jefferson, while the Whigs represented the Federalist party of Hamilton.

John Adams, one of the founding fathers, wrote that “There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution” (“Quote by John Adams”). The Two-Party system has been around since the start of America. The Two-Party system is a system that has two parties that the government, or America in this case, has that lead the government or America. At the current time, the two parties are the Republican and Democrat parties. It was created with the idea that everyone can be represented within either of the parties. Even though it does create some representation of the people, the two-party system does not create an equal policy in society because it does not allow people to get far if they are not within either of the two parties, does not allow the idea of having more than two parties, and because it doesn't represent everyone.

During the 1850s, there were unresolved issues within political parties. The decade saw the fall of one of the two major parties, The Whigs, a half of the other, The Democrats, and the making of a new party, The Republicans. The Compromise of 1850, helped by the Breakdown of the Party System, triggered other important events, Bleeding Kansas and the Fugitive Slave Law. These helped to further the strife between North and South during the 1850s, but all carry one main issue within them: slavery.

Jackson wanted to ensure that he would become President in 1828. He worked toward that goal for the four years of Adams’ presidency. This helped to pull the Democratic-Republican Party even further apart. Eventually the group that followed Jackson became the Democratic Party, and those that followed John Quincy

“The Democratic Party at its worst is better for the country than the Republican Party at its best.” This was a statement made by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1955. Lyndon B. Johnson of course was a Democrat. Is this quote true today? That is a question that can only be answered after a careful analysis of the philosophy of the Republican and Democratic leaders that help to run this nation.

Democracy in the United States is based on the indirect representation of the people by elected officials who are usually chosen by direct vote. Almost from the beginning of the United States' history, however, two parties have shared the great majority of the elected positions from the local level to the presidency. However, up until the mid-1850's when the Republican party was formed, other parties such as the Whigs, Federalists, and Anti-Federalists did not last very long. The Democratic Party has existed for much longer, tracing its roots from Thomas Jefferson's Democratic Republican Party beginning around 1792 (Encarta). The two largest parties have changed, third parties have

Even if the framers did not intent the formation of such political parties, the first ever two parties were already formed during that time. The first somewhat political parties were formed when the new constitution was being considered, the two political parties were the Federalist and the Anti-Federalist. The Federalist were those who favored the establishing of the new constitution, while the Anti-Federalist were those who opposed the ratification of the constitution.

The reemergence of the two party system in America during the early to mid-1800s was due greatly to the battles for states' rights and the economic issues of the time. These two topics were closely associated with each other and they helped contributed to the political struggle between the Democrats and the Whigs. The political divisions had occurred one part due to Jackson's veto of the re-chartering of the Bank of the United States, the Tariff of Abominations, and the disastrous effects the Panic of 1837 had on the economy. Jackson's veto of the Maysville Road Bill and South Carolina's nullification of the Tariff of Abominations had an enormous effect on the separations of political support as they pertained to states' rights. These

The Democratic party was also known as the “Jacksonians”(Lecture 10) which would begin in 1828 with Jackson's presidential victory.(Give Me Liberty pg 377) Led by Henry Clay; the Whigs would later initiate as a party to oppose the Democrats and their beliefs.(Lecture 10) The reason for the opposition of both parties was that they had different ideas; but the main reason was that the creation of the Whig party was started by a group of people which initially started with intentions to oppose Andrew Jackson’s view in the Democratic party. The Whigs disapproved of Jackson's views even more after after the attack on the national bank, and the assumption that he vetoed something for his own personal choice rather than it being unconstitutional .(Lecture 10 + GVL pg 389) Jackson believed that “hard money” should have been the real form of currency which was also opposed by the

The parties formed after the Constitution was adopted as the need to systematically search for and encourage popular support became apparent. The structure of a party allows a group of like-minded politicians to mold popular support in the favor of the candidate of their choice where alone they could only accomplish the creation of multiple less organized and therefore less politically potent factions. The nature of the political system already in place gave no value to coming in second or third in elections at any level of government, leading to the natural growth of two strong parties who battle for supremacy at every election (July 22). The winner takes all, and the opposition spends their time getting ready to try again as they wait for their next chance. Once the two parties, Democrat and Republican, were firmly settled in to the system they affected legislation to give themselves automatic ballot access and state funding, making election that much harder for other parties and thereby ensuring that it remained a two party system (July 22).