Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Like in every election, people overwhelmingly vote Democrat or Republican. Why is that? What has the two parties done for the US in the last 20-30 years?
I also have yet to hear about either party mention smaller government and lesser governmental interferences in people's private lives.
Last edited by West of Encino; 11-20-2012 at 10:29 AM..
Like in every election, people overwhelmingly vote Democrat or Republican. Why is that? What has the two parties done for the US in the last 20-30 years?
The problem isn't that we only have a two party system, the problem is both parties worry to much about their base instead of all americans. We would have had a grand bargain already if both sides weren't so hard headed about stuff they care about. Republican should let go trying to cut taxes all the time, and trying to increase the military budget, and democrats need to understand that we have to cut entitlements.
Because that is how are election system is set up. We have a first past the post system which encourages maximizing coalitions as such the end result will always be 2 parties. Moving towards a centrist equlibrium for the purpose of being competative.
To draw out an example of the problem say you have 3 competative parties.
Party A is center left.
Party B is center right.
Party C is right.
if you have an election
Party A gets all the left/center left votes. This can be as low as say 40%
Party B gets all the center right votes. Say 35%
Party C gets all the right votes 25%
The result is that in that scenario despite 60% being right leaning voters the left leaning candidate wins with 40% of the vote because her voters are unified. After a while the only natural thing to do would be for the right leaning parties to merge to win. Thus why we have a two party system.
Because that is how are election system is set up. We have a first past the post system which encourages maximizing coalitions as such the end result will always be 2 parties. Moving towards a centrist equlibrium for the purpose of being competative.
To draw out an example of the problem say you have 3 competative parties.
Party A is center left.
Party B is center right.
Party C is right.
if you have an election
Party A gets all the left/center left votes. This can be as low as say 40%
Party B gets all the center right votes. Say 35%
Party C gets all the right votes 25%
The result is that in that scenario despite 60% being right leaning voters the left leaning candidate wins with 40% of the vote because her voters are unified. After a while the only natural thing to do would be for the right leaning parties to merge to win. Thus why we have a two party system.
In political science, Duverger's law is a principle which asserts that a plurality rule election system tends to favor a two-party system. This is one of two hypotheses proposed by Duverger, the second stating that "the double ballot majority system and proportional representation tend to multipartism."
Americans are stupid! There is one, ONE, political party here masquerading as 2, and most stupid voters don't even realize it or care. Why do you think that out of over a dozen candidates for president there were only 2 in the debates? DUH!
So we get the Obama vs. Romney, Republican vs. Democrat bs from the simple minded morons that make up the majority of American voters.
That's why nothing changes for the better and nothing will change for the better until the simpleton America voters wake up, which will probably not happen anytime soon.
It's disheartening to me that people don't care about the Constitution or a Constitutional government. They're content with a war-mongering intrusive government! Our Founding Fathers lived in a different era, but the principles will still work today, if applied.
Quote:
Originally Posted by West of Encino
Like in every election, people overwhelmingly vote Democrat or Republican. Why is that? What has the two parties done for the US in the last 20-30 years?
Last edited by SpencerMtn; 11-20-2012 at 10:18 AM..
The problem isn't that we only have a two party system, the problem is both parties worry to much about their base instead of all americans. We would have had a grand bargain already if both sides weren't so hard headed about stuff they care about. Republican should let go trying to cut taxes all the time, and trying to increase the military budget, and democrats need to understand that we have to cut entitlements.
Well...well...well nighttrain we agree on something. Except I still think taxes should cut.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpencerMtn
Americans are stupid! There is one, ONE, political party here masquerading as 2, and most stupid voters don't even realize it or care. Why do you think that out of over a dozen candidates for president there were only 2 in the debates? DUH!
So we get the Obama vs. Romney, Republican vs. Democrat bs from the simple minded morons that make up the majority of American voters.
That's why nothing changes for the better and nothing will change for the better until the simpleton America voters wake up, which will probably not happen anytime soon.
Like in every election, people overwhelmingly vote Democrat or Republican. Why is that? What has the two parties done for the US in the last 20-30 years?
Must you really have to ask?
Too many Americans love to be gullible tools for the authoritarians in this two head-one-body-system. Too many become embroiled in this strange tribalism. All the while ignoring the destruction done by them. Attempting to seek solutions outside that political paradigm, will on result in insult and ridicule for not going along with their poison. ( hint: Recall chris matthews' "Ass-hatery" post elections comments on third party voting or the neoconservatives bashing libertarians for not being good little useful idiots by falling behind Romney.)
Its either that or many Americans are secretly masochists.
Last edited by Tk101; 11-20-2012 at 10:32 AM..
Reason: grammar
I'm for the green party not only are many of them very intelligent but they are actually caring, that and I support the fact that they would like to actually break up the "Too big to fail" companies !!
Like in every election, people overwhelmingly vote Democrat or Republican. Why is that? What has the two parties done for the US in the last 20-30 years?
It’s because we have a first-past-the-post, winner take all system. Third parties are viable when you have run-off elections or proportional representation.
On the other hand, countries with a large number of micro-parties, like Israel, can be ungovernable as well.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
