The American two-party system has been active in America for a long time. In the 1820s the original Democratic party split into two: the modern Democratic party and the Grand Old Party. This was when the two-party system really started in America.
This system has grown to become more exclusive and polarized. Party identity became prevalent during the 2020 presidential election and the 2022 midterms. Party identity has been a factor in American politics for a number of years, however with the 2016 and 2020 elections, impeachment trials, the Jan. 6 insurrection and further investigations into former President Donald Trump and other political figures, the polarization of political parties has taken charge of the way our officials are elected. This mindset is killing democracy.
Many voters in the US will only vote for a candidate that belongs to their party, rather than voting for a candidate that supports legislation that reflects the voter’s morals. In reality, 70% of Republicans support legal abortion, and roughly 20% of Democrats oppose legal abortion according to Pew Research Center. This is just one of many examples of party members dissenting from the traditional ideology of the party.
To vote is to cast your support towards someone you believe can benefit this country. Voting should be based on your morals and hopes for the country, not who identifies as conservative or liberal, a constitutionalist or progressive or a Republican or Democrat.
While Idaho has traditionally been defined as a “red” or Republican state, on paper Idaho would seem more progressive. It was one of the first four states to grant women suffrage, it is the only state to have had its state seal designed by a woman and largely supports green energy and environmental protection. These values are not often reflected in the candidates the state chooses to support.
With the 2022 midterm election behind us, many media outlets are claiming Generation Z has come to the polls in full force to vote Democratic. However, the true intention of Gen Z is to vote politicians into office who reflect our morals.
While it is true, the current Democratic party has sought to codify abortion, protect LGBTQ+ rights, close the gender gap, create stricter gun laws and take action against climate change, the hope is that if a Republican were to run for office with these goals in mind they would be just as supported by the entirety of our country, not just Gen Z. While, this is the hope, it would be unwise to expect it to be true, with many people refer back to party identity at the polls.
Governments, like Finland, that have multiple political parties have seen success in political cohesion and societal unity. The Finnish government has five political parties, meaning there are five perspectives being represented in their policy making.
With the U.S. operating with only two major parties, there are only two major perspectives represented in our political system. There are other parties in American, like the American Independent, Green and Peace and Freedom parties, but these all act as minor parties have never been represented in major offices.
In short, the U.S. political system is extremely lacking in representation of its constituents’ political beliefs. By expanding U.S. political parties to include more diverse perspectives, areas like Idaho, whose politics aren’t as cut and dry as a two-party system supports, would be able to fully represent its citizens’ political beliefs.
Mackenzie Davidson can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @mackenzie_films