George Washington’s farewell address is often remembered for its warning against hyper-partisanship: “The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism.”
John Adams, Washington’s successor, similarly worried that “a division of the republic into two great parties… is to be dreaded as the great political evil.”
The good news is that nothing in the Constitution requires a two-party system, and nothing requires the country to hold simple plurality elections.
The elections clause of the Constitution leaves states to decide their own rules, and reserves to Congress the power to intervene, a power that Congress has used over the years to enforce the very plurality-winner single-member districts that keep the two-party system in place and ensure that most elections are uncompetitive.
If the country wanted to, it could move to a system of proportional representation for the very next congressional election. All it would take is an act of Congress. States could also act on their own.
America is truly divided... But it can be fixed! https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/two-party-system-broke-constitution/604213/?gclid=CjwKCAjw_Y_8BRBiEiwA5MCBJju72QkWNtnm5YgYu8db2UU_nUyNmQNbVu1fqCpUs_FcLnEUdgaUyBoCNxAQAvD_BwE
But even if American voters are fed up with the two-party system — 68 percent said in 2018 the two major parties don't represent their views and that a third option is needed... But could they ever actually agree on a candidate?
WE NEED TO FIND A TEAM (a President & V.P.) AND BACK THEM ✊🏾
IS THIS A PLATFORM YOU CAN GET BEHIND?!... https://www.gp.org/platform
IT ACTUALLY INCLUDES REPARATIONS AS A PART OF THEIR POLICIES AS WELL AS ADDRESSING HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION & THE ENVIRONMENT.
(The current parties have no problem destroying the planet for profit)
John Adams, Washington’s successor, similarly worried that “a division of the republic into two great parties… is to be dreaded as the great political evil.”
The good news is that nothing in the Constitution requires a two-party system, and nothing requires the country to hold simple plurality elections.
The elections clause of the Constitution leaves states to decide their own rules, and reserves to Congress the power to intervene, a power that Congress has used over the years to enforce the very plurality-winner single-member districts that keep the two-party system in place and ensure that most elections are uncompetitive.
If the country wanted to, it could move to a system of proportional representation for the very next congressional election. All it would take is an act of Congress. States could also act on their own.
America is truly divided... But it can be fixed! https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/two-party-system-broke-constitution/604213/?gclid=CjwKCAjw_Y_8BRBiEiwA5MCBJju72QkWNtnm5YgYu8db2UU_nUyNmQNbVu1fqCpUs_FcLnEUdgaUyBoCNxAQAvD_BwE
But even if American voters are fed up with the two-party system — 68 percent said in 2018 the two major parties don't represent their views and that a third option is needed... But could they ever actually agree on a candidate?
WE NEED TO FIND A TEAM (a President & V.P.) AND BACK THEM ✊🏾
IS THIS A PLATFORM YOU CAN GET BEHIND?!... https://www.gp.org/platform
IT ACTUALLY INCLUDES REPARATIONS AS A PART OF THEIR POLICIES AS WELL AS ADDRESSING HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION & THE ENVIRONMENT.
(The current parties have no problem destroying the planet for profit)