For the majority of the United States’ history, two political parties have dominated our politics: the Democratic and Republican Parties. Even though various third parties appear on our election ballots—such as the Green or Libertarian Party—the truth is that either the Republican or Democratic Party dominates the federal government and claims a majority of state governments. The restriction of the two-party system leads voters to vote based on their party affiliation, rather than individual issues, which impedes their ability to make decisions that are best for the people.
The two-party system divides voters into binary oppositions and discourages them from having differing opinions from their party about individual issues. When voters are submitting their ballots, they are choosing between packages: each party has a certain set of viewpoints. When one identifies themselves as strictly a Democrat or Republican, they are identifying themselves based on a label.
With these two parties, candidates at times appeal to voters by shifting their campaign to the center, and thus it is difficult to implement any meaningful change. For example, in the 2016 election, President Trump won his nomination and general election by leaning away from conservative views on Medicare, Social Security, and trade, according to “The Partisans Are Wrong: Moving the Center Is the Way to Win” by the New York Times. In the 2024 election, he won the presidential election again by campaigning in areas in which the Democratic Party leaned left over, according to the same article.
The two-party system also fosters hostility between voters. As of 2022, 72% of Republicans view Democrats as “immoral,” and 63% of Democrats think the same about Republicans, according to the report “As Partisan Hostility Grows, Signs of Frustration With the Two-Party System” by the Pew Research Center. As voters view politics as a competition, campaigning efforts are focused on overpowering the other party, and so the idea of “us versus them” polarizes the country.
This hostility often leads to violence. Political violence spikes when people believe that their party is “under attack,” and it heightens when societies are highly stressed, according to the article “The Rise of Political Violence in the United States” by Rachel Kleinfeld. The overall increase of political violence in the country within the past few years, such as the infamous raiding of the Capitol five years ago and Charlie Kirk’s assassination, is partly due to a highly divisive political system. Violent acts create greater political tension, perpetuating the cycle of division within the country.
The big question is, can the U.S. break free from the two-party system that is so deeply rooted in our politics? Even voters who are dissatisfied with both parties may vote either way because third parties have seldom won U.S. elections. Although the answer to the question is uncertain, it is clear that American politics are fundamentally broken.
