(5) The Two Party System

(5) The Two Party System

1. Reasons for a Two Party System

   • FPTP - Support for 3rd parties is widespread and shallow, 3rd party candidates lower majority needed for winning candidates
   • Big tent parties
     • Democrat left
     • Republican Right
   • Minimal need for protest voting - primaries make parties more accountable to electorate
   • Two Party system
     • A party system in which two major parties regularly win the vast majority of votes in general elections, regularly capture nearly all of the seats in the legislature and alternately control the executive branch of government

2. Challenges to the two-part idea

   • Homogeneity over policies
     • e.g. Clinton’s, ‘the era of big government is over’ could have been a Republican policy
   • “As of today there are two republican parties separated by the issue of abortion” Mark Shields (Washington Post)
   • USA has a 50 party system – party politics are highly decentralised

3. The One Party system? (RED two part system) (BLUE one party system)

   • Republican
     • Democrats beening involved in a protracted and contentious battle for healthcare reform, and seen little return within the first year for the $787 bn Economic Stimulus Package signed into law by President Obama
     • TEA (Taxed Enough Already)
       • Opposed growth of big government and taxes
       • Against Obama's Economic Stimulus Package and Changes to US healthcare
     • Brown, moderate Republican, led a campaign that questioned the Dem's Healthcare Reforms and the over-spending by the fed govt to rescue the US economy
       • National Republican Senatorial Committee chose not to offer support to brown - dissatisfaction with Massachusetts Party - helped with Tea Party activists
     • Republicans in Congress had tred to use 91 different efforts to block a vote on healthcare reform
       • Republicans were nearly unanious in their oppostion to the $787 bn ESP
   • Democrat
     • Obama Signed Nuclear Non-proliferation treaty called START
     • Obama repealed anti-homosexual policy in the US military - "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
     • Joe Manchin, Democrat Senator West Virginia - 2010 election ran a campaign called "Dead Aim"
       • Walked around with a load rife
       • Wanted to "take on this administration", "Cut federal spending", and "Repeal the bad parts of Obamacare."
     • Dennis Kucinich Democrat, until the end refused to support Obama Care not liberal enough
     • Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak, refused to support the bill too liberal
       • Opposed Fed Funded Abortion
   • Democratic
     • In 2009 election for House Seat in New York, Tea Party attack Republican for being insufficiently conservative
       • Republican (Scozzafava) pulled out and endorsted Democrat (Bill Owens) who went on to win.
     • Withdraw all US troops in Iraq War by the end of 2011
     • Killed Osama bin Laden 2011
     • Both oppose unemployment
   • Republicans
     • Republican conference 2010 - voted against "purity test" - voting against the Obama-Care and being against gay marriage
     • Both need support of Grass Roots Movements
       • Democrats - "Occupy Wall Street"
       • Republicans - "Tea Party"

4. Party decline (One Party System)

   • In the 1950s,
     • when conservatives played a dominate role in both of the two main parties especially when resisting the extensions of Civil Rights
   • In the 1970s,
     • Failure of the main parties due to lack of clear ideology in either party
   • Why no clear ideological diffrence?
     • The diversity of US society, political party broad to accommodate as many as possible
     • The use of primaries to nominate candidates - ideological party boss can't influence vote
     • Separation of powers - same party member but rival power interests
   • Opinon poll evidence, demonstrates that the electorate are moderate and tolerant, support similar views on important issues

5. Party renewal (Two Party System)

   • In the 2000's
     • Republican increasingly conservative, Democrats heavy influenced by its left wing
   • National Party HQ in Washington has allowed an increased importance in fundraising, keeping databases on supporters and identifying vulnerable districts - help with money and volunteers
   • Superdelegates in Democrat National Convention allows them to have 20% of choosening rights
   • Reforms in Congress, Strenghed the control of the Republican leadership over party vote (whiping)

6. Conclusion

   • Broad-Base Parties have been criticised for excluding the weak and vulnerable from policy-making, thus becoming vehicles for the wealthy and social elite.