GOVT 1313 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Natural-Born-Citizen Clause, Voting Rights Act Of 1965, Maurice Duverger
14 Nov 2016
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We think of the united states as a two party system-thus two main parties compete for power. Americans see this as an important aspect to the health of a democracy. Party competition wasn"t always accepted- in the early years parties were seen as threats to the social order. In 1796 farewell address washington shunned partisan politics. Those in power often view the formation of parties as acts of treason that merited punishment. By the mid 19th century the american political system was dominated by the big political machines. The parties inspired enormous voter loyalty, controlled electoral politics, and through elections exercised immense influence over government and policy in the us . Electoral politics has become a candidate centered affair in which individual candidates for office build their own campaign organizations. This means that the voters make choices based on the individual candidate rather than party affiliation .
