Political parties define beliefs and positions of potential voters on important issues and use strength in numbers to win elections. The US has two major parties, with various third parties having marginal influence. Parties represent different fields of thought and help voters align with their personal beliefs. They also seek qualified candidates to represent their platform. Third parties have had notable effects on national elections, but smaller parties often take controversial positions or feature fringe candidates.
Believe it or not, political parties serve a purpose other than sparking 95% of all discussions ever started since the beginning of time. They help define the beliefs and positions of potential voters on important issues and use this strength in numbers to win the election of candidates who share those views. Currently, the United States has two major political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. There are also various third parties, but their political influence is generally considered marginal at best.
Simply put, political parties serve the same purpose in the political world as denominations or sects serve in the religious world. If an individual were the only person alive on an island, his or her word would be considered law. Once a second person arrives, however, differences of opinion almost inevitably arise. As more and more people arrive, these differences could divide the inhabitants into different fields of thought. Living together on the island would still be a priority for everyone, but there would always be differences of opinion on how to achieve this.
On a larger scale, political parties would represent all of those different fields of thought. Some parties are made up of very liberal members who believe that a larger national government has an obligation to provide essential services to all citizens. Others are made up of very conservative members who believe a smaller national government should allow the private sector to provide such assistance. It is political differences like this that create the need for at least two political parties, one more progressive and the other more conservative in nature.
Political parties also help define specific issues and positions that go hand-in-hand with their broad-ranging conservative or liberal leanings. The Democratic Party, for example, may take a specific official position on a controversial issue, such as abortion rights. The position of the Republican party may be pro-life. This process continues for any number of important or controversial issues. Individual voters seeking to align themselves with a party can compare each party’s position or platform and decide which is more in line with their personal beliefs.
Another purpose of these groups is strength in numbers. The United States is not a true democracy, but rather a representative republic. Instead of a logistical nightmare of 300 million people running for elected office every few years, several political parties are actively seeking qualified candidates with the skills and belief structure needed to represent their party platform while serving their terms. Not all political candidates are in complete agreement with their party’s position on individual issues, but it would be fair to assume that a Democratic candidate would be moderate to liberal in lean, while a Republican candidate would be moderate to conservative in his thinking.
The two largest political parties have been accused of stifling the voices of other groups with far fewer resources. However, there have been third parties that have had notable effects on the outcome of national elections. Third-party candidates such as Ross Perot and Ralph Nader have had the ability to siphon votes away from major political party candidates and make voters aware of their parties’ platforms. Many smaller parties, however, regularly take controversial positions on issues such as marijuana legalization or feature fringe candidates as a grassroots political exercise.
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