| For a number of years now, respected pundits have | | | | map of the United States continue to choose |
| lauded the American two-party political system as an | | | | congressional and presidential candidates along party |
| excellent balance between the dictatorship of a | | | | lines because no viable alternatives are in sight. These |
| one-party system and the instability of a multiparty | | | | dedicated factional adherents are stuck in the rut of |
| system. Yet the two-party system has caused our | | | | the two-party system. Economics has long vied with |
| country great harm. The Republican and Democratic | | | | fundamental moral convictions as a major factor |
| parties have divided the American people over | | | | determining political affiliation. In the US today, richer |
| fundamental moral values, they have failed to rectify | | | | individuals (who generally dominate rural areas) tend to |
| longstanding national problems, and their existence | | | | vote Republican, while poorer individuals (who generally |
| chiefly benefits special interest groups, politicians, and | | | | dominate the cities) tend to vote Democratic. These |
| mega-corporate executives. Most unfortunately of all, | | | | choices are based largely on the economic and moral |
| however, the two-party setup does not represent the | | | | policies that the parties stand for and on the hope that |
| people of the United States. | | | | new candidates will do a better job than their |
| Many people believe that political parties are essential | | | | predecessors. It is true that some Republicans and |
| in a democracy such as the United States. These | | | | Democrats in Congress keep their campaign promises |
| individuals claim that since a democracy encourages | | | | and actually work hard to deliver significant pro-life |
| dissent and disagreement, it is only natural that such | | | | victories or greater socioeconomic equality, and it is |
| differences of opinion will find expression in organized | | | | those few exceptions that keep hope alive. |
| factions. But this strain of thought clashes with the | | | | On the other hand, contented middle-class individuals |
| judgment of our nation's founders. In his Observations | | | | (who generally dominate suburbs and small towns and |
| on History, Benjamin Franklin wrote that parties | | | | comprise a significant minority of the American people) |
| engender confusion. Alexander Hamilton, James | | | | tend to hold a more independent, traditionally-minded |
| Madison and John Jay warned against the evils to the | | | | outlook and are more likely to spread their votes |
| general public that a "spirit of faction" would cause. | | | | around based on fundamental moral convictions as |
| And George Washington refused allegiance to any | | | | well as their common-sense perception of local and |
| political party during his eight-year service as first | | | | national needs. These are the "swing voters" to which |
| president of the United States. | | | | enterprising candidates of both parties direct so much |
| Despite these early statements against partisanship, | | | | of their campaigning energy. |
| opposing factions emerged at the end of the 1700s | | | | The degree of distinction between the two parties is a |
| representing two different opinions about the role of | | | | matter of controversy. To figure this out, it is helpful to |
| the federal government. The Federalists urged a | | | | distinguish between theory and practice. In theory, the |
| strong central administration that would dominate the | | | | Republican and Democratic factions are ideological |
| states and ensure national unity, while the Republicans | | | | opposites, with Republicans focusing on traditional |
| believed that the individual states should have more | | | | values and responsibility while Democrats are |
| power. In fact, the form of government officially | | | | grounded in progressive values and opportunity. But in |
| established by the Constitution was a federal republic, | | | | practice, thanks to the endemic corruption of the |
| so these parties were emphasizing the importance of | | | | system, there is little difference between parties. |
| either national or state power. Alexander Hamilton | | | | Republicans turn out to be not really Republican, and |
| found himself in the Federalist camp, whereas Thomas | | | | Democrats turn out to be not really Democrats: both |
| Jefferson sided with the Republicans--although neither | | | | sets of politicians operate together in a hazy and |
| prominent national founder held the rigidly partisan or | | | | confused middle ground defined by special interest |
| doctrinaire outlook typical of many American politicians | | | | groups. This has been clearly demonstrated on a |
| today. Moreover, the chief disagreement of these | | | | number of occasions, such as the overwhelming |
| early parties was over the distribution of power within | | | | Congressional approval for war in Iraq in 2002, the |
| the United States government; their members agreed | | | | Republicans' passage of a bill that would have |
| on most moral, economic, social, and foreign policy | | | | provided federal funds for embryonic stem-cell |
| issues such as slavery, domestic trade, the family, and | | | | research involving abortions in 2006, and the refusal of |
| isolationism. | | | | Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to consider |
| During the 1800s, the parties evolved and grew further | | | | impeaching President Bush. All of these decisions were |
| apart, especially over the issue of slavery. Federalists | | | | driven by mega-corporations, which stood to profit |
| changed their name to Republicans and opposed | | | | immensely from them. Even though President Bush |
| slavery and the secession of the South, while the | | | | vetoed the embryonic stem-cell act, soon afterward |
| heretofore Republicans became | | | | he accepted limited access to contraceptive pills for |
| Democratic-Republicans and declared support for | | | | minors in order to mollify the big business executives. |
| slavery and secession. At this stage, one party was | | | | Some might point to these occasions of crossing party |
| championing a grave injustice which most Americans | | | | lines as examples of bipartisanship. However, selling |
| instinctively understood was evil. The | | | | one's fundamental principles to money-hungry |
| Democratic-Republicans received backing primarily | | | | American firms does not make for true bipartisanship. |
| from wealthy Southern landowners, who insisted on | | | | Real bipartisanship involves consistent agreement on |
| keeping slaves for cheap labor. | | | | fundamental, non-negotiable moral values such as the |
| After Republican president Abraham Lincoln waged | | | | right to life and frequent compromise on the wide |
| the Civil War, declared emancipation, and reunited the | | | | range of negotiable issues such as national security, |
| South, the Democratic Party remained the faction of | | | | economic policy, environmental protection, domestic |
| Southern landlords' continued rebellion against the North | | | | poverty relief, and foreign aid. But instead of the way |
| and repression of Black political rights. However, in the | | | | things should be, the pressure of the unrestricted |
| late 1800s and early 1900s, the Democrats also gained | | | | free-market ideology has inverted values. Republicans |
| support from blue-collar workers in Northern cities as | | | | and Democrats treat the negotiable issues as the |
| the Industrial Revolution created a new underclass. | | | | most crucial of all and generally are absolutely |
| Meanwhile, Republicans attracted backing from the | | | | unbending on them, whereas the fundamental moral |
| new class of wealthy Northern capitalists and from | | | | values elicit disgraceful compromises and persistent |
| supporters of Black civil rights nationwide. | | | | disagreement. After all, big business tycoons do not like |
| Around the turn of the twentieth century, the | | | | to have their enormous profits curtailed by the Ten |
| importance of economic and foreign policy issues | | | | Commandments, and they demand a totally |
| increased. The Republican Party came to stand for | | | | unregulated market in order to reap those profits. |
| Northern farmers, retention of the gold standard, | | | | The two-party setup in the United States has severely |
| fiscally disciplined government, and isolationism, while | | | | divided our nation. Having names and labels for |
| the Democratic Party represented Southern | | | | different political persuasions can be helpful, but they |
| landowners and Northern laborers, a flexible money | | | | have too often led to pigeonholing and name-calling |
| supply, growth of the federal government, and foreign | | | | which hampers a free exchange of ideas. "Republican" |
| engagement. During the Cold War, the two parties | | | | and "Democrat", "conservative" and "liberal", "right" and |
| achieved a significant level of bipartisanship, agreeing | | | | "left" have degenerated into terms used to ostracize |
| on the necessity of confronting Communism and | | | | and vilify the opposition and to stifle discussion of |
| promoting freedom abroad. Another major change | | | | topics deemed politically incorrect. A private citizen or |
| occurred in the 1960s, when Democratic president | | | | political candidate who opposes the war in Iraq should |
| Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 | | | | not be dubbed a "radical leftist" any more than a |
| into law. From then onward the Democratic Party took | | | | private citizen or political candidate who advocates |
| up the "liberal" causes of civil rights and urban workers, | | | | illegalizing abortion should be denounced as a |
| leading the "conservative" faction of farmers, limited | | | | "right-winger". |
| government and big business--the Republican Party--to | | | | Moreover, the true meanings of the terms |
| dominate the South. | | | | "conservative" and "liberal" have been obscured. In |
| Another element was added to the American political | | | | modern parlance, a "conservative" is someone who |
| landscape with the social upheavals of the 1960s and | | | | defends fundamental moral values and wishes to |
| the Supreme Court's decision of Roe v. Wade which | | | | preserve traditional national ideals, and a "liberal" is |
| legalized abortion in 1973. When a number of | | | | someone who disputes fundamental moral values and |
| Democrats who had favored the abandonment of | | | | wishes to radically change our country around. But |
| traditional social and moral guidelines came to realize | | | | these meanings are inadequate. The words originally |
| the bitter failure of those upheavals, they converted | | | | referred to political approaches, not to a person's moral |
| into social "conservatives" and found a new home in | | | | values or lack thereof. "Conservative" basically means |
| the Republican Party. President Ronald Reagan | | | | someone who applauds the status quo, while "liberal" |
| emerged as the standard-bearer of these new | | | | means someone who wishes to effect change. |
| Republicans, who established their party on the firm | | | | Neither conservatism not liberalism is good or evil per |
| foundation of God's Law and strove to restore our | | | | se; it depends on what specific policy you wish to |
| nation's identity as a Christian country. | | | | maintain or to alter. Continuing a bad policy such as |
| The end of the Cold War signaled the arrival of two | | | | torture of terrorist suspects is just as detrimental to |
| more simultaneous factional changes. One was | | | | our national well-being as changing a good policy such |
| President Bill Clinton and his group of "New | | | | as the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem-cell |
| Democrats", who championed unrestricted globalization | | | | research involving abortion would be. Beneficial policies |
| and free market economics alongside social spending. | | | | need to be maintained and harmful policies need to be |
| The other change had been planted during the Reagan | | | | changed. Thus in the original sense of the words, few |
| administration, hibernated under the Clinton | | | | if any human beings could be described as completely |
| administration, and blossomed fully after the events of | | | | conservative or completely liberal. |
| September 11, 2001: the ascendancy of | | | | Political factions tend to be driven by ideologies that, in |
| neoconservatives within the Republican Party. Led by | | | | their members' pursuit of particular goals, obscure |
| President Bush, these individuals likewise championed | | | | rather than clarify the truth. Indeed, truth itself has been |
| unrestricted globalization and free market economics, | | | | politicized. Inconvenient truths (such as the inability of |
| but they also demanded an aggressive military | | | | embryonic stem-cells to cure diseases) are derided as |
| response to "Islamic" terrorism with vast increases in | | | | falsehood, while falsehoods that make a few people |
| military spending and in the size of the federal | | | | rich (such as the impossibility of conducting a dialogue |
| government, as well as cuts in social spending and | | | | with terrorists) are glorified as absolute truth. Nowhere |
| foreign economic aid. | | | | are these destructive elements of partisan politics |
| We can learn important lessons from this condensed | | | | more evident than in the meteoric rise of the |
| review of American partisan history. One of the | | | | neoconservative ideology following the terrorist |
| reasons for the constant switching back and forth | | | | attacks of September 11. This intolerant, extremist, and |
| between parties appears to be that the country has | | | | totalitarian belief system seems to have become a |
| different needs at different times. The American | | | | religion for many people, yet it is a deception that |
| people chose Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln | | | | worships the false gods of national security and an |
| because of his firm stand against slavery during a | | | | unfettered free market. It was cunningly crafted by a |
| critical time in the nation's history. They selected | | | | handful of rich American tycoons to justify an |
| Democratic runner Franklin D. Roosevelt and his | | | | aggressive foreign policy that enables them to engage |
| increased government spending to mitigate the effects | | | | in the age-old practice of war profiteering, to expand |
| of the Great Depression. In 1980, they chose | | | | their globalized business operations across the world, |
| Republican candidate Ronald Reagan in reaction to | | | | and to exploit more and more human beings without |
| economic stagnation and moral decline. And in 1992, | | | | hindrance. In contravention of history, it insists that |
| American voters picked the Democratic contender Bill | | | | terrorism is an act of war rather than a criminal tactic |
| Clinton as a result of economic recession. | | | | employed to draw a government's attention to real |
| But though our country has different needs at different | | | | grievances, and that only all-out armed force can |
| times, political parties are not the proper instrument to | | | | "defeat" terrorism. Its view of the terrorist threat is |
| satisfy these needs. According to George Washington, | | | | based on mistaken assumptions, numerous fallacies, |
| the constant alternation of two parties in the federal | | | | and blanket denials of many important facts that |
| government would be a "frightful despotism". The main | | | | contradict their view. |
| reason for this alternation, especially in the past few | | | | Although it masquerades as patriotic, the |
| decades, is that neither party is adequately solving the | | | | neoconservative ideology and its loyal adherents have |
| key problems America faces. | | | | done tremendous harm to the American political |
| Two factors explain this failure. First, each party | | | | landscape. Neoconservatives have viciously attacked |
| represents some of the policies America needs. For | | | | their opponents, twisted moral values, and used false |
| example, the Republican Party traditionally stands for | | | | guilt to silence opposition. They are utilizing the ancient |
| the right to life of each human person from conception | | | | strategy of divide and conquer to destroy American |
| to natural death; a free marketplace; limited | | | | public debate and ultimately to dominate the world. |
| government; a strong (but not bloated) national | | | | Their ability to find common ground with Americans of |
| defense; secure borders; fiscal responsibility; and strict | | | | other opinions on negotiable issues is nil. In the pursuit of |
| interpretation of the Constitution. The Democratic Party | | | | greed and power, they are willing to exacerbate |
| traditionally stands for the right of the poor to | | | | partisan divisions among the American people and |
| government assistance; the rights of ethnic and | | | | make them forget their nonpartisan heritage. |
| religious minorities to an equal place in our society; | | | | According to our nation's founders, it would be better |
| regulation of big business and trade; protection of the | | | | to have no political parties at all. Individuals should form |
| environment; multilateral nuclear disarmament; and | | | | their opinion on each individual negotiable matter |
| increased foreign economic aid to impoverished | | | | through a careful review of all the relevant facts and |
| countries. However, the US really needs both sets of | | | | without pressure from a corporate-controlled media, |
| policies. We need pro-life laws and multilateral nuclear | | | | comfortable politicians, wealthy pundits, celebrities, or |
| disarmament, tax cuts and deficit reduction, a free | | | | mega-corporate leaders. If that were to happen, if |
| market and social security nets, not one or the other. | | | | Americans were to discard ideologies and agree on |
| The second factor explaining the failure of the | | | | the fundamental moral values, they would find much |
| two-party system is corruption. When a new president | | | | common ground on the negotiable issues. Instead of |
| is elected, people anticipate that he will get things done. | | | | constant bickering and division, we would begin to |
| When he fails to meet even reasonable expectations | | | | experience true reconciliation and unity. |
| and his administration becomes plagued by scandal (as | | | | With each Congressional partisan victory and each |
| has happened all too often in recent decades), people | | | | new presidential administration, the newly elected have |
| turn with hope to the other party, which generally does | | | | vowed to make a fresh start precisely because the |
| not improve matters much. This is because most | | | | previous faction led America to a dead end. The |
| members of both parties have been corrupted by | | | | Democratic Party is now taking advantage of the |
| special interests. Our last three presidents have been | | | | myriad failures of the Bush administration and of |
| mega-corporate moguls whose ownership of major | | | | Congressional Republicans to shore up their image as |
| industries presented flagrant conflicts of interest. In | | | | the faction that America desperately needs, the party |
| addition, wealthy and vocal lobby groups have bullied | | | | that will rescue Americans from the clutches of |
| our senators, representatives and president into | | | | right-wing insanity and deliver than a brighter future in |
| enacting policies that benefit a few large companies at | | | | 2009. For Americans weary of Republican mistakes |
| the expense of the average American citizen. | | | | and desirous of substantial changes in many political |
| For example, President Bill Clinton was elected in 1992 | | | | areas, the carrot held out by Democratic candidates |
| on a platform that featured tax cuts, economic growth | | | | looks tempting. It would be easy to accept this carrot |
| for everyone, and an ambitious social welfare program. | | | | and elect Democrats to Congress and the presidency |
| Although the economy did grow, Clinton broke other | | | | alike. But if Americans choose this easy route next |
| promises by instituting the largest tax raise in American | | | | year, they will find that it leads to a dead end. A |
| history, keeping social spending to a minimum, and | | | | Democratic triumph next year will simply turn out to be |
| permitting corporations such as Wal-Mart, Microsoft, | | | | a repetition of recent political history. How long will |
| and McDonalds to reap the lion's share of gains. Then | | | | Americans dance to the tune of this dishonest and |
| in 2000 President George W. Bush was elected on a | | | | corrupt two-party scheme? Choosing the easy route |
| platform that featured the right to life, tax cuts, | | | | will not get us anywhere. Instead, we should make |
| free-market economics, secure borders, and fiscal | | | | known loudly and clearly our intense desire for |
| discipline. Although Bush has generally held to his | | | | candidates whose integrity is unsullied by a web of |
| pro-life pledge and did sign into law some token tax | | | | political connections and whose records are unsullied |
| cuts, in September of 2006 he declared support for | | | | by corruption (such as "Average Joe" Schriner, Mick |
| the Plan B contraceptive pills for minors. Furthermore, | | | | Huckabee or Sam Brownback for president), and then |
| President Bush has allowed big businesses such as | | | | write the name of one of those candidates on the |
| Wal-Mart, Microsoft, McDonalds, Halliburton, Boeing, | | | | ballot in state primary elections and again in the |
| Verizon Wireless, and News Corporation to choke the | | | | November 2008 election. Otherwise, Americans eight |
| "free" market; has pandered to illegal aliens; and ran up | | | | years from now will again be whining about the |
| the largest federal budget deficits and national debt in | | | | dishonesty, corruption and ineffectiveness of |
| American history. Both presidents ended up serving | | | | Washington, D.C. |
| the interests of mega-corporations first and foremost. | | | | The "frightful dictatorship" and corrupt farce that is our |
| The two-party political system does not accurately | | | | two-party system should be dismantled. Parties give |
| represent opposing viewpoints of the role of the | | | | us temptations to attack opponents, become |
| federal government as it did in the young United | | | | demagogues, and garner followers, distracting us from |
| States. Though it was a bad idea to begin with, since | | | | seeking the true good of the country. If we |
| the latter part of the last century the system has | | | | nevertheless wish to belong to a particular group of |
| become decrepit with corruption and has fallen sadly | | | | Americans with a clear identity, let us unite with all |
| out of touch with the average American. Most of the | | | | Americans of good will. Instead of saying, "I am a |
| Republican and Democratic candidates allege certain | | | | Republican" or "I am a Democrat", let us rediscover the |
| principles and make attractive promises during their | | | | heritage bequeathed to us by our wise and farsighted |
| campaigns, but upon entering office compromise | | | | national founders and try to grasp what it really means |
| overtakes principle like a weed and promises are | | | | to say, "I am an American." The United States was |
| thrown to the wind. Unfortunately, the current corrupt | | | | established by our founders as a nation that is too |
| political climate is hostile to honest, traditionally-minded | | | | great to be defined by just two colors. Interestingly, the |
| candidates with unwavering principles from Middle | | | | American flag contains some red and some blue, but |
| America such as "Average Joe" Schriner, Mike | | | | the color most evenly spread throughout the flag is |
| Huckabee and Sam Brownback. In general, only those | | | | white. White can be thought of as a mixture of all |
| individuals who habitually cater to--or are susceptible to | | | | political shades, and thus as a symbol of unity. Unity on |
| manipulation by--hawkish pressure groups have a | | | | the basis of the fundamental, universal moral truths |
| chance at federal public office. | | | | enshrined in the hearts of all Americans and willingness |
| Despite the manifest failure of the modern Republican | | | | to compromise on negotiable issues is what America |
| and Democratic parties to deliver, however, | | | | needs now more than ever. |
| well-defined groups of American voters across the | | | | |