How America’s Voting System Is Killing Democracy
By Bobin Park
As most people are aware, America has a two-party system. The Democrats, with their left-winged principles on rights, reform, and internationalism and the Republicans, with their right-winged principles on authority, tradition, and nationalism. This country is divided and we all know that, now more than ever. With the election coming up in November, we all have to make a choice. But while we tend to look at small factors that provide speculation in these elections, we need to look at the fundamental element that takes place at the root of our nation.
Party polarization has been repeatedly pointed out by politicians, members of the legislature, and your local news. However, no matter how many times it gets coverage, people still don’t understand the importance of polarization. Party polarization has been spreading in both the House and the Senate for over 10 years. The rates are continually increasing, by both the Democrats and the Republicans.
Liberal-Conservative partisan polarization by chamber. Picture from Jeff Lewis/Voteview
In simple terms, polarization is basically the contrast of drastically different beliefs. In American politics, political polarization stands for the growing dissimilarity between Democrats and Republicans. Today’s government is divided between the two parties more than any other time in history, excluding the Civil War, which many historians have claimed will happen in the span of 10 years. However, the fact that party members have to stand by the principle backed up by fellow members means that they cannot reflect singular opinions on the matter. The consequence of disagreement is no longer being a part of your party.
The Electoral College is basically the reason why such drastic measures can be taken. It is basically a popularity vote, which is why you see billionaires pouring thousands into their campaigns every year. The proper way to win, is by winning the majority. However, a candidate doesn’t even need a majority to win. A majority, by definition, is when the nominee has over 50% of the votes. A plurality is when the nominee has the greatest number of votes among the candidates. The term “majority rules” should be rectified by the term “plurality rules.
The Electoral College is basically why the Democrats are not the major party when they have gotten more votes in 6 of the last 7 presidential elections, 2 of the last Senate elections, and the 2018 house election. Having more people vote for you and not getting into office undermines the popular vote. The Electoral College made it available for the Republicans to control the presidency, the Senate, and, now possibly, the Supreme court. Trump never got a majority but still won the plurality in the Electoral College. He lost the popular vote to Hillary in 2016 by 2.9 million votes yet he still beat her with a hundred more votes in the Electoral College. However, in the popular vote, less than 14 million voters cast their votes for Trump.
Now, the desperate need for voter pulling is evident in every newspaper headline. Enforcing ID laws, changing voting locations, claiming mail in-voting is rigged. These may be familiarly associated with one party: the Republicans. These far-right parties have been pushing for rigorous tactics to defend their seats in the government. Yet, surely, one of them would speak up about such unfair and discriminatory ways. The problem is, no one does. You have to go along with the party or you won’t get any votes from the primary voters when you run for office. This is the problem inside these parties. Members worry about being kicked out of the party for not following along with their parties’ advocates. Especially, Republican extremism is getting a lot of flak for even being legitimized. Trump, who, obviously is a far-right member of the party, is basically rounding the position of the entire Republicans into “Trump’s party.” Members who have spoken out against Trump, like Utah Sent. Mitt Romney, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, and many who have formerly been in office as part of the Republican party, are publicly ousting Trump and declaring their opposition. For those who are still in office, they are facing the threat of becoming kicked out of office for their re-election.
The Democrats face the opposite side of the burning stick. They need more votes to overcome the disadvantage of geographic inadequacies. The Electoral College is infinitely more beneficial to people in less populous states, the main reason why popular votes and votes in the actual election are different. Take Joe Biden, for instance. The Democratic party is too far-spread that, in order to keep voters, they compromise on their ideals and their endorsements. From Obama to Warren, every Democrat has continually endorsed Biden because they can’t afford for the Republicans to win. Biden, the only moderate whose sole focus is to beat Trump. And it’s selling. As much as Republicans love their conservative ideals, they hate Trump. Mainly because of what they’re uniting against, instead of what they’re uniting for, Biden is managing to pull a lead over Trump in the national polls by 10 percent.
In a two-party system, they need to have a broad appeal to the most number of people. Yet, the two-party system is killing off every eligible candidate for Presidency. The winner-takes-all tactic is why voters stop voting for the candidates who reflect your values and they start voting for the candidates who can actually pull in the votes. But when this happens, it’s basically just two major parties clashing against each other even though 57% of Americans want a third party.
You would think America has a fundamental basis for an explanation as to why we have a two-party system. Instead, this is the very opposite of what the Founding Fathers had proposed. Quote George Washington, on the matter of political parties, “… To the execution of the laws… with the real design to … counteract … are destructive of this fundamental principle.” His successor, John Adams claimed that “a division of the republic into two great parties… concerting measures in opposition to each other…is to be dreaded as the great political evil.” Alexander Hamilton called political parties “the most fatal disease” of federal policies. James Madison, wrote that the function of a “well-constructed Union” should be “its tendency to break and control the violent of faction.”
On every television station, all you see is coverage on the election, Republicans versus Democrats, and Trump’s new tweets. However, you need to be aware of the very problems our nation offers when you adhere to the foundation of federal policies. Voting should neither be an act of unification under a common enemy, nor should it be a consequence of relenting to the candidate who is more likely to win the election.
Learn more
Analysis of party polarization by Harrison
“Presidential elections have been too close to count” by Elving/npr.org
Winner takes all creates much anticipated controversies by Bernd