Is It Time For A Third, Fourth, Fifth Political Party?
In business competition is good. Choice is good. So why do American voters have their choices restricted to this or that?
I realize there are more than just two parties. We have the Green Party, Constitution Party, to name just a couple.
But these outside parties rarely gain any traction against the big TWO.
Enter Ross Perot
The entrance of Ross Perot as a candidate in the 1992 election was the furthest any third-party candidate had up to that point.
Perot got enough support to put him on stage in the presidential debates of that year with Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush. Perot ran as an independent.
The resulting vote gave none of the nominees a 50 percent majority.
Advantages of a Multiparty System
The biggest advantage is of course, choice. The more options the better the outcome. Cream always rises to the top. But is that always true in politics?
A third party could carry their votes over to either Republicans or Democrats depending on the issue on the floor.
Would that open them up to corruption or manipulation?
Disadvantages of a Multiparty System
Currently any bills that come before congress are either a yea or nay situation. Would more parties bring a third or fourth point of view or would the Green Party and Democrats side with each other against Republicans and the Conservative Party viewpoints?
Would more parties increase the current gridlock and endless debate that frustrates us all
That sounds a lot like a two-party system.
Some Final Thoughts
Equal representation under the law. That says nothing about how many parties or people it would take for equal representation to take place in our current system.
Would states need more senators? More representatives?
Politics make for strange bedfellows as someone once said. I’m just curious as to how big the bed has to be to benefit the American taxpayer.
What are your thoughts on three or more political parties? Comments below.