America has a political party problem.

If you ever took a U.S. History class, you might remember that George Washington once warned our country about the dangers and adverse effects of political parties. And sure, archaic and clearly unheeded advice as that it was, there was a definite reason for ole George to give such a caveat in the first place. Political parties have divided Americans and seeded hostility in the American people for as long as they were around.

And yet, despite the various obvious drawbacks, they do a lot of good as well. Political parties have the unique ability to ramp up incentives to find new and innovative solutions to the issues that plague government and people. The motivation to be the party that has solved the big issue topics like healthcare is supposed to be an influential factor in bringing out the best solution. But here we are, within this two-party system, still suffering from overall greater issues, many of which stem from something more influential than just the divisive nature of political parties.

If you step onto a college campus, you are likely to find young minds from various backgrounds and walks of life with similarly varying political mindsets. And on a college campus like Rutgers, you’ll especially be surrounded by a lot of “bleeding heart liberals.” It’s easy to see how this occurs, partly because of the metropolitan surrounding areas, the diverse and multicultural student body, and the emphasis of young and “woke” generations on issues that can be typically pigeon-holed as liberal. And while that is great, even college campuses present a form of the same political party divisiveness that ultimately deters a body of people from finding common good.

There is a human tendency to seek similar ideas amongst each other: to surround ourselves with what is the same and what is easy. Political parties are inherently a large manifestation of this need. We find ourselves surrounded by the same ideas because we put ourselves in those positions. When other groups contrast with what we’ve predetermined as correct, we can justify our own side through a form of “groupthink” and then everyone is back to where they started — same issues, highly divided, and no closer to solutions.

I offer these observations as a criticism of political parties in America, not because I think they should be removed or replaced. Far from it. But rather, because I believe that there needs to be a conscious effort from every individual to attempt to look outside of what he/she believes to be correct. A die-hard liberal or a die-hard conservative looks at the other side and says, "that’s all wrong." And despite what might be believed, you don’t need to be a moderate to take a step back and observe and listen and open your mind to the concept that maybe just maybe, your side doesn’t have all the answers. While the competitive nature of political parties is important for stimulating an environment for problem-solving, it creates an unintentional need to best one another, at all costs. The feared result is that a party wins its intentions, passes the Bill that will give itself recognition, but at a cost that is staggeringly high.