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Two Party Skepticism |
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I’m not sure our two party political system works for the people. Though I have voted for Democrats during my relatively short voting career, I must admit that I remain deeply skeptical of this political dichotomy. It doesn’t make sense to me that two parties could divide the complex issues of the world up into two pieces and have it be consistent with my views even a majority of the time. What if I think a classically “right-wing” issue is in fact the correct solution to a problem? What if neither party takes a position I believe in? While political parties play a huge role in politics, I’m not sure of their benefits to me. I think the people should be asking what political parties do for them.
Why do political parties exist? Why don’t candidates simply run on their own good name and form caucuses once they are elected? From an average voter’s standpoint, political parties are supposed to make voting easier. If you agree with a party’s ideology, then you can more easily vote for “the good guys” by voting a straight ticket. In theory, political parties have done the vetting work for you, so you can rest assured that any declared candidate agrees with a party’s stated views. That’s the theory anyway. Does this work in practice?
The short answer is yes, to a point. Party platforms are laid out in only the broadest of terms, which means there is a lot of room for devilish details. For example, one of the Democratic Party’s stated goals for 2006 is energy independence. Here’s what they say:
We will create a cleaner, greener and stronger America by reducing our dependence on foreign oil, eliminating billions in subsidies for oil and gas companies and use the savings to provide consumer relief and develop energy alternatives, and investing in energy independent technology.
Energy independence puts America in the driver’s seat to pursue affordable and efficient energy solutions that will benefit all Americans, improve America’s security, reduce the burden on American families, and help clean our environment.
American families should not have to pay the price for a failed national energy policy. They deserve an energy policy that creates a cleaner and stronger America that reduces our dependence on foreign oil and also creates new jobs for American workers. By clearing the pathways to innovation, investing in our workers and infrastructure, and providing American consumers with broader, more responsible choices, the Democratic plan will provide the tools to help move America forward, toward real energy security for the 21st century.
That sounds like something I could support, right? Well, maybe. If you read closer, you’ll notice that nowhere is a type of alternative energy mentioned. Do the Democrats support solar and wind power? Do they support increased farm subsidies for ethanol? Do they support (gasp!) nuclear power? These specific stances might be deal-breakers for you as a voter, but from this statement, you really don’t know. The Republican party has similar problems. Here is their stance on taxes:
To ensure America’s tax policies help the nation’s economy remain the most prosperous in the world, the President has proposed:
- Reforming the tax code, as the President believes that America’s taxpayers deserve, and our future economic prosperity demands, a simpler, fairer, more pro-growth system. Taxes should be applied fairly, and reform should recognize the importance of homeownership and charity in our American society. As a first step in reforming the code, the President has created a bipartisan panel to advise the Secretary of the Treasury on options to reform the tax code.
- Restraining spending by the Federal Government.
- Making his tax cuts permanent, both for individuals and for small businesses; all the tax relief enacted over the past four years, including the tax relief benefiting America’s small businesses, is scheduled to expire over the next several years. Raising taxes on small businesses will hurt economic growth and job creation.
Sounds good, right? Well, how exactly are Republicans reforming the tax code? Who is getting those tax cuts? How much of a cut will they get? Where exactly will the government make up the money they are losing by cutting taxes? What programs will need to be cut? Again, the answers to some of these questions could be deal-breakers to potential voters, meaning that neither the Democratic nor Republican platforms fully tell voters how their leaders are going to act on the issues that matter to them. This inconsistency of beliefs is evident in the candidates we have elected. Some Blue Dog Democrats elected in 2006 are strong supporters of gun rights, whereas conservatives often go RINO hunting to seek out those representatives who are Republicans In Name Only.
Clearly, political parties help candidates get elected and exert influence once they have been elected. The fundraising operations of these organizations cannot be underestimated, and if you have a voting bloc of people united by a label, it makes it easier to get what you want done in the halls of power. However, for the voter, political parties offer at best an inconclusive way of choosing candidates. Yellow Dog Democrats and lifelong conservatives who wouldn’t dream of voting any other way are perhaps deluding themselves, as their chosen candidate might not really believe what the voter thinks they believe based on their party affiliation. For this reason, I find it misleading when party advocates tell people not to vote for third parties because that is akin to “throwing your vote away.” If party ideology doesn’t guarantee a like-minded candidate, why should people vote the party line?
It all boils down to knowing your candidate. No matter what their label, before you vote for someone you have a duty to know their positions. If you disagree strongly enough with the position, don’t vote for the candidate. Explore third party or opposition options. You might find someone who closer fits your ideology. For you as a voter, the party line is an elusive and untrustworthy thread by which to make your choice. Don’t fall for party bullying and don’t believe that just because someone is red or blue, they must be right. Nothing is black and white like that, certainly not our country’s issues, and hopefully not your vote. If you are going to exercise your right to vote (and I hope that yo do), please take it upon yourself to vote for candidates you believe in. It doesn’t take long to research, especially with the magic of the Internet, and you may be surprised by the party of those you end up agreeing with.
It can be demonstrated that First Past the Post elections (as in the US) are likely to produce a two party system, while Proportional Representational systems produce a profusion of numerous indistinguishable parties.
Never make a decision on the basis of a mathematical oddity.