Tuesday, August 2, 2016

The Malfunction of the Two party system.

(1.1)>>The American two party system is in dire straights . The last few days radio talk was devoted to the "system" , many of issues with Hillary's e-mails , and Trump's lack of restraint regarding what he says . Yes, Hillary lied , but Trump has a big mouth . (1.1.1)>>Trump said the "election is rigged". He 's onto something . The public opinion of our government is low.Voters can respond in a couple of ways. The first is to stay away, and not vote. Off year elections have dismal turn-out, typically around 25% of eligible voters. This isn’t the sign of an engaged or enthusiastic electorate, and isn’t a good sign for a democracy. A second common response is to reject either party. The current two-party political system has encouraged the rise of the most extreme candidates, taking rational moderates out of the national conversation,The current two-party system gives too much power to the extremists in each party. Much of that is actually institutional in nature. So, for example, the primary system means that in a lot of states, independent voters are essentially unrepresented in choosing the two candidates who are going to appear on the general election ballot.  In this election , the heated rhetoric between Trump and Hillary is no exception . The demand for " Change " that catchy word that Pres. Obama wiggled his way through the last eight years in reality has maintained the status quo. I've often asked my self . I am better off than I was eight years ago ? (1.2)>>our nations two party system has slipped into chaosPeople on both the left and right are fed up with the current political system, though for vastly different reasons. Conservatives, for the most part, are angry that Republican politicians have been unable to stop Obama. Their fury over Obamacare spurred the creation of the Tea Party. Disaffected conservatives took to the streets in outrage, as much at their own party as with Obama. Conservatives are also angry that Republicans campaign on promises, like defunding Plan Parenthood, but never follow through. Many conservatives are sick of Republicans, but that doesn’t mean they’ll vote for a Democrat. (2)>>They’re expressing their disdain by embracing Trump.Liberals are angry that Democrats haven’t been able to change what they see as a rigged system that allows corporations to dominate government. They wanted to see bankers go to jail after the crash of 2008. They’re furious about Citizen’s United, which they see as allowing corporations to buy elections. And they’re angry at Democratic politicians (like Hilary Clinton) for being too cozy with Wall Street. That’s why many are embracing the boisterously anti-Wall Street Sanders.Conservatism will continue to decline in the coming decades. Those 20 somethings that were feeling the burn will be 30 somethings by 2024. As a result both parties will more towards the left. If the republicans win in 2016, conservatism will decline faster. But regardless, conservatism has peaked.If Clinton wins, Sanders will still be leading election of downticket progressives and getting progressives into state level party leadership positions. Corruption issues will NOT go away-but house cleaning may happen more closely as Clinton supporters die off and millennials mature and get into office.Trump and Clinton both have low approval ratings.  If the current election cycle cause a collapse of a major party on the national level (much more likely for the Republicans, though the Democrats aren’t immune, and their turn might be coming up) then the local party structures will be intact and that is where election laws are made.Major third parties in America have included the Socialist Party, Libertarian Party, Anti-Masonic Party, Know-Nothing Party, Constitution Party, Green Party and Free Soil Party. While third-party candidates have never held presidential office, they have ran and won numerous smaller positions at the state and local levels. Third parties have also advocated for issues such as women’s suffrage, the abolition of slavery and workers’ rights, challenging incumbent parties to put reforms into effect.There are more than 100 national third parties in the U.S. today, but most lack the ballot status in most states to make a bid for president. The “winner takes all” system of the U.S. electoral college also favors the two-party system. In recent years, the presence of third-party and independent candidates such as Ross Perot in the 1992 election and Ralph Nader in the 2000 election have drawn attention to the need for election and party reform.


NOTES AND COMMENTS:

(1.1)>>The American two party system is in dire straights .I feel like there should be more that two parties in the system of government in America. This is because the politics seem to be centered around making the other party look bad and minimize their point of view. Instead of should be focused on what the people who they are representing want. The job of politicians is to focus on the people and doing what the majority of the population feels is important and push forward these ideas. Instead it seems the politicans are forwarding their party and what the party thinks is important, and not the people. This makes progress very slow and the people lose their voice. Politicans put their party needs over the people they are representing.(1)>>our nations two party system has slipped into chaos .The nation faces all sorts of serious problems, from growing inequality to spreading international terrorism, but the bitter fight between Democrats and Republicans has largely ground government to a halt. Partisans on both sides are so angry they can barely speak with the other, much less work together. The most extreme are convinced that members of the other party are treasonous and purposefully harming the nation. This isn’t just a perception. A recent Pew Research survey found that 36 percent of Republicans thought that liberal policies are “a threat to the nation’s well-being.” 27 percent of Democrats feel the same way about conservatives. They don’t just think they have better ideas or their opponents are misguided and honestly believe that the other side is more interested in partisan gain than the well-being of the nation. Many of the more extreme partisans simply refuse to work with the other side. The result is that the two parties have the nation’s capital, and many state capitals, in a death grip. (1.1.1)>>Trump said the "election is rigged". The two major political parties have a strangle hold on the election process. Other political parties have to struggle with insane ballot access laws in the states; and, do not get equal time during the General Election with access to the debate process.  (2)>>They’re expressing their disdain by embracing Trump.  I expect Trump will be impeached and convicted and removed from office in his first year. He will do something outrageous and blatantly illegal. The process will be supported by a bipartisan Democrat/Republican coalition. Trump chose to run as a Republican, not as an independent, because it was the best way to get exposure. Third parties do not do well in the US; they tend to act only as spoilers.

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