American history has had a domination of two major political parties; the republican and the democratic parties. Series of federal elections held in the United States have been won by either of these parties. The same political groups occupy almost all positions of states governors, state legislators and members of congress. Their dominance does not mean that they are the only active parties in the United States, but there are more than thirty others, referred to as third parties.
When discussing or analyzing the role of political parties in America, it is simply talking much about the republic and the democratic parties. Political parties in the United States help in organizing the electoral system through voter education.[1] In this nation, political parties are most obligated to voter interaction as compared to the electoral system itself. This role is served by parties because each and every party aims at maximizing its potentiality by making sure that no vote is lost because of the voter’s illiteracy.
The followers of a certain party follow the prescriptions and the directions of their affiliations, meaning that voter education depends on the parties. By performing this function, the political parties assist the electoral system in discharging its responsibilities. Their voting procedure in this state is very complex because it applies modern technology, indicating that voter education is very necessary for efficiency to be attained in the whole process.
As the situation stand sin America now, democratic and republic parties are developing strongest roots ever witnessed in history. To absorb the change in peoples ideology and maintain trust, the electoral system should be made transparent and efficient, a duty dedicated to the political parties. In series of past federal elections, democratic and republican parties have intensively carried out thorough voter education, fast driven by the competition to win the majority and ascend to power.
Instilling voter education basically implies organizing voter choices. Organizing voter choices means that leaders compatible with expectations of the voters are clearly brought into board by the political parties. As political parties present their manifesto, their candidature and their leaders achievements and professional qualifications, citizen get the true picture of the voting exercise. The picture is obtained by weighing the contents of the manifestos and the visions of the various aspirants.
The availability of variety alternatives organizes voter’s choices because they take time to learn from political rallies and eventually rest upon the candidate of their best preference. The last year’s election race between Barrack Obama and John McCain seriously influenced the choices of Americans.[2] Both leaders presented themselves to the Americans through their manifestos and influence through the political rallies. Through their respective parties, they influenced the choices of their voters, and finally most of the population fell on Obama and chose him.
Additionally, political parties in the United States play a great role of organizing the government. It is extremely hard for government to work appropriately without alternative parties. Today we have the Democratic Party in power, and acting as a sole and highest ranked political party.
Republicans are on the hand very alert looking at the way the Democratic Party rules. In case of any suspected or anticipated government malpractice, the republicans signal not only Americans but even the whole world. In America, it may be assumed that it is only one party in power, ignoring the fact that the state has undergone a dualistic form of governance for along time. As one party rules, the other sounds as referee. Republicans are sound alarms to the democrats, implying that they are ruling together, as both have jurisdictional rights.
This is supported by the fact that the republicans also occupy some various positions of senators and governors.1 In policy development, the opposition party still has influence. McCain was a presidential aspirant last year but he is of now a senator, together with his party affiliates, who present the party in governance criterion of the United States. America is now facing one of the worst economic declines in history, a situation that can tear away the governance through failure in providing the population.
Although the government may be trying all possible means to maintain stability in the nation, presence and audibility of the Republican Party keeps it on the run and pushes government’s response to citizen’s immediate needs.
The role of political parties in the United States is therefore not distinctive, because the dominating political culture maintains a very close relationship between the ruling and the outside political elite. In any government, distribution of resources of the country is a sensitive area which can result to adverse effects.[3] If resources are not fairly distributed, the gaps between the rich and the poor can be enlarged, meaning part of the population will survive in very poor conditions as the upper class enjoys.
During the current health and economic difficulties, the government may sideline rural communities and execute unfair systems of governance. Access to health facilities and housing form biggest challenges for Obama’s presidency as of now. When closely analyzed, housing and health facilities are basic needs, which should be provided unconditionally with the most flexible prices. Faced with these situations, the government has to be awakened up from time to time to make sure the society is hardly hit by the happenings.2
Political parties in the United States have also played significant role that may not be common within any other political system in the world. This distinctive role is preparing future leadership. Through observing and consulting last elections and political structure, leaders have ascended to power through a particular chain which is followed by almost every leader. Whoever has ever been a leader in the United States and especially the president, must have ever been a senator at a time, and possibly a governor too.
This means those who ascend to power using their respective political parties usually hold experience in leadership. For this reason, some historic presidents in the state have bad reputations of poor governance, because they adapt a form of governance they have ever witnessed in the politics of the state. In analyzing the achievements of a certain president, it is a matter of comparing his leadership with another.
This implies that we hardly have new leadership tactics within the political arena of this nation. Because it is a super power nation, political parties play good role of defining and demonstrating leadership and administrative qualities to aspirants long before they ascend to power.[4] Ultimately, any candidate who ascends to power leads using the ideology of the respective party, meaning the party rules. Here, the role of political parties can be preparatory and anticipative, irrespective of the current status of the party.
[1] Webb Paul, 2002. Political parties in advanced industrial democracies. Oxford: Oxford University Press; pp.23
[2] Aneringer Charles, 2009. Political parties of the Americans, Canada, Latin America and the West Indies. New York: Greenwood press; pp.28
[3] Sundquist James, 2003. Dynamics of the party system: Alignment and realignment of political parties in the United States. London: Brookings Institution; pp.27
1 Webb Paul, 2002. Political parties in advanced industrial democracies. Oxford: Oxford University Press; pp.39
[4] Becker Carl, 2007. The history of political parties in the province of New York. New York: University of Wisconsin press; pp.19
2 Aneringer Charles, 2009. Political parties of the Americans, Canada, Latin America and the West Indies. New York: Greenwood press; pp.61