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Third Party Politics in the United States

March 10, 2011 By

Today, United States politics is dominated by two political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. For this reason, the US political system is referred to as a two-party system. The two-party system has been in place for more than a century due to the influence of the single-seat plurality voting system for congressional elections and the winner takes all system for presidential elections.

There are, however, many smaller political parties in the United States although their influence is very limited. Any American political party other than the Democratic Party or the Republican Party is known as a third party. This term can also be used to describe write-in candidates and independents. Although there are many third parties in the US with a variety of ideologies, only three of currently them have a voter registration of more than 100,000. These are the Constitution Party (paleolibertaian, paleoconservative and Conservative Libertarian), the Libertarian Party (laissez-faire and Libertarian) and the Green Party (eco-socialist, progressive and standing for green politics. [Read more...]

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The United States Constitution

March 8, 2011 By

At the centre of American political culture lies the United States constitution. Not only is the constitution the supreme law of the United States, it also provides the framework for US politics and government in the US and outlines the relationship that the American government has with its states and people.

In 1776, America declared its independence from Britain. It was another 11 years before the individual American states came together to form the United States of America in 1787. It was at this time that the most important men in America met at a convention which would produce the constitution.  The United States possesses the oldest constitution that is still in use today and the original document, which was handwritten by Jacob Shallus, can be seen in Washington DC’s National Archives and Records Administration.

Although the United States constitution was adopted by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, it only took effect once it had been ratified in 1789. It replaced the Articles of Confederation at this time. [Read more...]

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The President of the United States

March 4, 2011 By

The President of the United States is the USA’s head of government and head of state. In the US political system, the president is the leader of the executive branch of the federal government and his main role is to enforce the law. He is also the commander-in-chief of the US armed forces.  Other responsibilities include proposing laws and annual budgets to Congress. The president has the power to veto bills which have been passed in the Congress but if two-thirds of Congress vote against the veto, it can be overridden.

The powers of the federal government and the president have increased significantly since the United States was founded. From the original role of signing or vetoing bills passed by Congress, the president is now responsible for the majority of domestic and foreign policy in the United States of America. Today, the president of the United States is often referred to as the most powerful person in the world.   

Barack Obama, the current president of the United States, is the forty-fourth president. Until now, forty-three different presidents have served a total of fifty-five four-year terms. In 1951 the US political system adopted the Twenty-second Amendment which prevents any American politician from being elected president for more than two full terms. [Read more...]

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The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Two-Party System in US Politics

March 2, 2011 By

Two-party systems are often considered to be more stable than multiparty systems and it is thought that political stability can benefit economic growth. While the same two parties continue to dominate US politics, ideas that are unconventional or uncommon fail to have any political influence, preventing rapid change in governments and policies.

Another advantageous feature of having a two-party political system in the United States is moderation. In order to win an election, both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party must appeal to the middle, finding common positions on many issues and gaining large numbers of voters as a result. This encourages both of the major parties in the US political system to be moderate, preventing either of the parties from shifting too far to the political right or left.

Many consider the simplicity of a two-party political system to be an advantage. The system is simple for voters as they only have two parties to decide between and it is also simpler to govern. There is more harmony and less unruliness in a two-party system than in a multiparty system. The US two-party system also avoids hung parliaments which can be a feature of multiparty systems. [Read more...]

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Political Ideologies in the United States

February 25, 2011 By

Ideologies in US politics vary greatly. However, for the majority of American citizens, most political ideologies are derived from classical liberalism. Ideas such as individual liberty and limited government, for example, are popular with most Americans. Unlike many other countries, there are only two major political parties in America and their core beliefs are very similar due to the moderation that the two party system in US politics encourages. The Democratic Party, who tend to represent liberal ideals, lean slightly to the political left and the Republican, who generally favour conservative ideals, lean slightly to the political right. The two dominant ideologies that exist in American politics today are conservatism and liberalism.

American Conservatism

The main principles behind American conservatism are that the government should provide security and safeguard freedom but that there should be little government intervention in peoples’ lives beyond this. [Read more...]

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Prominent Political Families in America

February 22, 2011 By

Although an important ideology in American politics is republicanism, which rejects inherited power, there are a few families who have achieved great success and fame throughout the nation’s history:

The Kennedys

Members of the Kennedy family held elective offices in Washington DC for 64 for years, from John F. Kennedy’s election into Congress in 1947 until Patrick J. Kennedy left Congress in 2011. John F. Kennedy was elected President of the United States in 1960 and his younger brothers, Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy, each gained a prominent position in the federal government shortly afterwards. The Kennedys received a great deal of publicity due to their glamour, youth, wealth and personal lives. The Kennedy family had the potential to become the most powerful of all in US politics but tragedies, sometimes referred to as ‘the Kennedy Curse,’ ended the lives and political careers of several family members early. These included 2 assassinations and 4 aeroplane crashes along with the infamous Chappaquiddick incident. [Read more...]

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Famous American Politicians- Past and Present

February 17, 2011 By

Barack Obama

Born on 4th August, 1961, Barack Obama is a native of Honolulu in Hawaii. He is the 44th and current President of the United States, assuming office on 20th January 2009 after winning the presidential election in November 2008. He was previously a Senator for Illinois. Obama made history in US politics when he became the first African American to be elected President of the United States.

Abraham Lincoln

The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, was born 12th February 1809 and died 15th April 1865 when he was assassinated. Lincoln led his country through the American Civil War. Abraham Lincoln, sometimes known as ‘The Great Emancipator’, was strongly opposed the expansion of slavery and issued his Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. He also promoted the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution which abolished slavery. [Read more...]

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Definition of Political Activism

February 14, 2011 By

Political activism is action taken by a person or people on behalf of a political cause which falls outside of what is conventional. Common forms of activism include rallies, canvassing, public protests, marches and public meetings. There are, however, many other forms of political activism of varying extremes.

As there is no clear definition of what constitutes political activism, people have different ideas of what it really is. From a simple conversation to a violent attack, there are many differing forms and levels of political activism. Although actions involved in political activism can vary greatly, they all go beyond normal political convention such as voting and election campaigning in a democracy. [Read more...]

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