History of Politics in the American Government

The United States is a multiparty system, although for most of its history, there have been only two dominant parties. Among the Western, democratic postindustrial nations, the United States is alone in its two-party system. According to Parker the structure of American politics has made the formation of successful third parties all but impossible. First, party identification (i.e., the affinity for one party over another) is very strong and often passed down to subsequent generations. Second, elections in the United States are decided by winner-taker-all or plurality. Third, elections are based on single-member districts; proportional representation does not exist in the United States. Fourth, political parties are creatures of the states, and rules governing parties, ballot issues, and fund-raising are decided at the state level, making it very difficult for third parties to form. Last, the American labor movement is relatively weak. Unlike in Western European countries, labor in the United States has been unable to form a long sustained political party (Parker, 78).

Parker says that cultural factors also limit the development of third parties. Most voters in the United States are moderates, and candidates must tailor their appeals to capture these voters. Furthermore, there is a large middle class in the country who, in spite of fears about their economic futures, are relatively satisfied. As such, third parties, which often form in response to societal unrest or anger about various issues, have difficulty attracting followers.

In spite of these factors, however, a number of third parties (also called minor parties or protest parties) have formed throughout America's history. Some political scientists posit that their formation is good for American politics as they promote political participation, popular sovereignty, and redress of grievances (Edsall, 19).

The Framers did not make provisions for political parties in the Constitution even though they had arrayed themselves into loosely formed parties (the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists) by the end of the convention. Indeed, in No. 51 of the Federalist Papers, James Madison ominously warned of the danger to republican government if parties or factions were formed. Yet it became quickly apparent that there were two dominant views about how the United States should be governed. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, championed a vigorous federal government, a strong executive who could speak on behalf of the nation, and protective tariffs. Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, were concerned with what they saw as a concentration of power in the hands of the federal government, extolled the virtues of agrarianism, and promoted states' rights. The two sides were so at odds that they presented their views to the public in the Federalists Papers, a series of 85 essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, extolling the virtues of the new Constitution. It is Hamilton's idea that the nascent country supported, and those republican ideas can still be seen in party politics today (Hershey, 89).

Political scientists acknowledge that there have been five distinct party systems. The first party system ...