In a time of Trump, Cruz, Kasich, Clinton, and Bernie, is it time for more political parties?
Politics at the national level and even the state level could be said to be an absolute mess. For some people, like myself, it is incredibly interesting and fascinating. Politics is something many of us consume like any other TV show. We love it. Some find it too confusing and messy, however. Could this be fixed by a newer political party? Some say that they simply don't care about politics anymore. They refuse to vote and say their voice doesn't matter. Could this be fixed by more political parties than just two?
It's either Red or Blue, Republican or Democrat. Yes, there are other parties. Some of you out there may be thinking; "What about the Green Party, Conservative Party, Working Families Party, or Libertarian Party?" Yes, these do exist and are important. They have a role in our political system.
However they are minor, and overshadowed greatly by the Republican and Democratic lines. If you want to be a President, Senator, or Congressman in this country, you really should be a Republican or a Democrat.
This splits America into two camps. Two spheres. This is divisive. We all know that. George Washington himself, our first president, warned against the formation of political parties. The splitting into two major parties creates a system of power by which two groups essentially control our entire political system. Elected officials have a hard time going against their own party leadership. If they plan on getting re-elected, they better please the party leadership so they can guarantee funding.
Now, this, some ay say, could be fixed by getting money out of politics and by overturning citizens united. However, that is an entirely separate case to be made. Having only two parties concentrates power, pits Americans against each other in two camps, and overall prevents much from getting done in Congress and the Senate. We find ourselves in political deadlocks when two groups of negotiators simply can't come to an agreement. There is no large third voice being heard.
The U.S. is ready for more parties.
First of all, look around at your fellow peers. It seems that everyday more and more young voters, if they register to vote at all, register independent. The attraction of political parties isn't very high, at least among us in many colleges. People don't want to feel bound by a particular party. They want to have more choices, be more independent.
Even greater, the parties themselves are losing their grip on their own members. Look at the current presidential election.
On one side, we have Donald Trump and the Republicans. This is a striking example of a lack of power in the party leadership today. Donald Trump, and Ted Cruz have pulled the party farther to the right. Many voters have expressed their huge support for them. Their views are strikingly different from those of the party leadership, John Kasich, Marco Rubio, and many of the party's congressmen and Senators. This is a clear split in party interests.
Now it is completely normal for parties to have different interests and collect together with mutual support and assistance. Yet today we are seeing blatant disrespect one side of the party (mostly from Trump) to the leadership. Many in the "old guard" of the party so to speak, even want to find a way to block Donald Trump.
This could be argued as the reason Kasich is still running even if he can't secure the necessary delegates for the nomination. He might be able to keep Trump from getting the necessary fifty percent and thus lead to a contested convention.
On the other side we have Bernie Sanders and the Democrats. Now he isn't showing the blatant disrespect for the party or its members. However, his views could be argued to lie vastly to the "left" of a large portion of the party that could arguably be represented by Hillary Clinton.
He is drawing more and more young and independent voters to vote and engage in democracy. He is pulling much of the party to the left and some of his supporters greatly dislike the other candidate.
Could it be beneficial if Trump and Cruz, as well as Bernie Sanders had their own fully formed and powerful parties to run for. Would people's views be better represented if moderate Republicans could nominate a Rubio or Kasich under the "Republican" label, more conservative voters could nominate Trump or Cruz under a more conservative party, and Clinton could run as a Democrat while Sanders ran under a more liberal party line. This could be extended throughout the political system to Congress and Senate, as well as in the states and lower levels.
Yes, the Tea Party does exist, yet it is not its own party. They are conservative individuals that are still registered and run officially as Democrats. We could work to expand third or fourth party organizations as a way to further represent people.
This is a great time to do this. This is immense interest on both sides that would allow for the momentum necessary for party creation and success. If Sanders supporters even jumped onto the existing Green party line and Trump/Cruz supporters jumped onto the Conservative line, this may even help the problem.
We need to always work to improve democracy and represent people. Having just two parties concentrates power and prevents many voices from being heard. It creates deadlock and frustration. More active political parties could create a better democracy. Coalitions would need to be formed between parties and common ground may be easier to find between four parties than with two.
