Politics
Every country that upholds democracy is ruled by a leader elected by the people. When talking about democracy, we cannot overlook the role played by political parties in governance. Political parties are comprised of people with similar views and goals. The politics of a country can either be based on a two-party system of a multi-party system. Each system has its advantages and demerits. The U.S. operates under a two-party system. The issue of political polarization has made it hard for other political parties to be formed in the U.S. do political leaders campaign based on the differences between these two parties? Do Americans base their voting decisions on whether someone is a democrat or a republican alone? The article by Dimock & Wike (2020) sheds light on the two-party politics and political polarization in the U.S.
Dimock & Wike (2020)’s article is based on the nature of America’s political divide. Joe Biden made his first speech where he assured the citizens of his commitment to uniting the nation by looking beyond the political differences between Democrats and Republicans. America’s political divide has proved to be exceptional. The differences between the political views held by the two parties are quite significant. In a study conducted on the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, a difference of 47% was observed between supporters of the ruling party and opposers who felt that the government hadn’t done enough in dealing with the pandemic.
In chapter nine, concepts of political parties, their roles, the two-party and multi-party system are discussed. The chapter highlights that party membership and party identification are two different concepts. While party membership requires registration, party identification is more about loyalty and affiliation. The act of registering and voting for a particular leader speaks of a citizen’s affiliation to a given party. In the U.S., citizens’ loyalty to their parties goes beyond voting.
In conclusion, the U.S. has been governed through the two-party system for many years. The political differences between these two parties are so significant that it is reflected in the way citizens support or oppose government initiatives. Whenever election campaigns start, every leader is keen on promoting their views and showing the voters how futile their opponents’ efforts are. This has further widened the gap between these two parties. In my opinion, the two-party system promotes division.
References
Dimock, M., & Wike, R. (2020, November 13). America is exceptional in the nature of its political divide. FACTTANK. News in the Numbers.