POLS 304
16 Oct. 2019
Blog Post 2 (Two Party System)
The two-party system in the United States of America has
been an integral part of our political culture since the country’s inception in
the 1700’s. Since then, our country has accepted this system as an inevitable part
of how our nation’s leaders are chosen, nominated, and elected into office. Now
days, when it comes to our contemporary national congress, both parties have spent
an incredible amount of money and resources in an attempt to seize majority
control in both the House and the Senate. This attempt to seize majority power
in our legislative branch has led to a situation of heated competition. In
fact, in recent history, we as citizens of this nation have seen our national
Legislator become a partisan battle ground in which both parties and their members
are seemingly polarized to an extent that the nation has not seen since the era
of reconstruction following the Civil War. Authors of the book, The United
States Congress, describe this polarization in our contemporary congress, “We
live in a world in which partisan polarization in Congress is greater than
anytime in modern history … there are certainly plenty of activities on Capitol
Hill that are fraught with partisan rancor and finger pointing,” (p. 5015).[i]
But does
the two-party system contribute to this polarization? And does party driven polarization
have an effect on legislative policy making? In my mind, although these
questions may be hard to answer, it is clear that the two-party system, at
least to some degree, perpetuates the congressional divide as well as hinders the
member’s ability to work together and draft legislation.
Below
is a visual representation of how divided our representatives have become along
party lines throughout history.[ii]
It is important to note, that this idea of political parties
having a negative influence on our society and government can be traced all the
way back to the man himself, George Washington. In his farewell address, the
very first President of the United States of America gave an explicit warning about
the dangers of political parties and their possible impacts on the citizenry of
this country and their democratically elected representatives. For example, in
his address Washington states, “Let me now … warn you in against the baneful effects
of the spirit of party … The alternate domination of one faction over another,
sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in
different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is
itself a frightful despotism,” (p.13).[iii] As
can be seen by the strong language used by President Washington the fear of
factions/parties dividing the country has been imminent since the birth of this
democracy. And I believe in Congress today we are witnessing Washington’s fears
being played out in front of our very own eyes.
Moreover, this hostile divide between the two parties that
is being witnessed within the national legislator seems to be having negative repercussions
on the policy issues facing the nation. Some of the most important issues
facing the nation include immigration, healthcare, climate change, war, debt,
gun control, etc. all of which need to be addressed in some way by our representatives.
However, the two parties have created such a stigma around these kinds of
issues to the point where we as citizens are only fed binary absolutes in terms
of solutions to these issues. In other words, when discussing the major issues
facing this nation, the two-party system perpetuates either a “liberal”
solution and a “conservative” solution with no room for open discussion or
understanding. Author of article, “The two-party system is destroying America,”
Michael Coblenz articulates that one of the major problems with the two-party
system, “is the way this skews the discussion of the issues facing the nation …
This creates the ludicrous idea that every public policy problem has two, and
only two, approaches … the “national”
debate presents every issue as a simplistic duality, which trivializes
everything.”[iv] This
strong but articulate claim speaks to some of the side effects that are produced
by a two-party system. Thus, instead deliberating and actually finding the best
solution to these issues, our representatives are stuck between the “duality” that
is presented to them by the two-party system.
In fact, our representatives are so afraid of the political ramifications
that come with working with members of the opposing party, that they have
reverted to unorthodox policy making. Instead of working through the
established structure by which bills are drafted, sponsored, endorsed, voted, and
passed through congress, our representatives are now more and more often turning
to unorthodox or secret methods of deal making. For example, in the article, “Making
Deals in Congress,” Authors Sarah Binder and Frances Lee suggests that, “transparency
often imposes direct costs on successful deal making. First, public attention
increases the incentive of lawmakers to adhere to party messages, a step rarely
conducive to setting aside differences and negotiating a deal,” (p. 63).[v] As
highlighted in this quote, the two-party system and their paradigm messaging,
forces representatives to make deals behind closed doors in fear of the possible
political ramifications that come with working/compromising with members of the
other party in drafting legislation. Thus, this two-party system inhibits legislative
transparency and hinders our representatives from being able to work with one
another on policy issues.
[i] Adler,
E. Scott, Jeffery A. Jenkins, and Charles R. Shipan. The United States
Congress. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2019.
[ii] “Political
Polarization in the American Public.” Pew Research Center for the People and
the Press, October 11, 2016. https://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/.
[iii] Wahington,
George. “George Washington's Farewell Address.” U.S. Senate, January 19, 2017. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/Washingtons_Farewell_Address.
[iv] Coblenz,
Michael. “The Two-Party System Is Destroying America.” TheHill. February 1,
2016. https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/267222-the-two-party-system-is-destroying-america.
[v] Binder,
Sarah A., and Frances E. Lee. “Making Deals in Congress.” Solutions to
Political Polarization in America, 2013, 240–61.
https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781316091906.018.
The graph that you used in this post was very interesting. The amount that it changed from 2004 to 2014 is mind-blowing. I'm sure that it has changed since 2014 and it will continue to widen as we move forward. This was a very well written article and you presented a lot of good points!
ReplyDeleteGood job with your blog. The information being presented is very clear and direct.
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