The "Two Party System"

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I count 38 active political parties that have fielded candidates in recent national elections:

DIRECTORY OF US POLITICAL PARTIES

America First Party
American Party
American Heritage Party
American Independent Party
American Nazi Party
American Reform Party
Christian Falangist Party of America
Communist Party USA
Constitution Party
Democrat
Family Values Party
Freedom Socialist Party
Grassroots Party
Green Party of the United States (Green Party)
The Greens/Green Party USA (G/GPUSA)
Independence Party
Independent American Party
Labor Party
Libertarian Party
Light Party
Natural Law Party
New Party
New Union Party
Peace & Freedom Party
Prohibition Party
Reform Party
Republican
The Revolution
Socialist Party USA
Socialist Action
Socialist Equality Party
Socialist Labor Party
Socialist Workers Party
Southern Party
Southern Independence Party
U.S. Pacifist Party
We The People Party
Workers World Party

(And I didn't bother including another 13 parties that have as yet neither fielded nor endorsed any candidates.)
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I think a good question is being "begged" here: Given the number of active political parties in the US, why are we dominated by two parties? are there elements (legislation, media choices, others) that push us to remain limited to two truly viable options, or is this simply reflective of voter choices in this country?

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I'll throw out 2 reasons - $$ and the press.

Why did people hear of Ross Perot? Because he had the bucks to make himself known through campaign ads, and the press loved him because he was quirky. These are 'qualities' that people like John Hagelin (the Natural Law Party Presidential candidate of 2000) just don't have.

Plus, tradition (oops, there's a third reason). We're used (well, most of us, anyway) voting either Democratic or Republican. We might see other candidates on the ballot, and we might see other endorsements for the candidates we like, but when the time comes, we tend to pull the lever either for Republicans or Democrats. I'm not saying this is right, but I think these are the reasons.

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I confess that I'm an offender when it comes to voting by party. There is a fear that voting independent is a wasted vote, that it would take away from a marginally acceptable candidate that could win, or add to the chances of a candidate I wouldn't in my worst nightmares want to be in office. That is what Dubya was for me, the worst coming true.

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If you look at that this there are at least 6 parties listed that represent the "Socialist" contingent in the US. Now, the Socialists probably make up less than 3 or 4% of the total US population yet they are fractured amongst 6 or more parties? These "parties" can't have more than a few thousand members when they split up that much. What are the odds of them all being in any one voting district? Without a majority vote somewhere they'll remain on the fringes.

Along with the $$ Jes mentioned I think the major "other parties" ned a significant portion of the major parties being dissatisfied with their chosen party. Perrot grabbed a large portion of the vote because there were a lot of Republican's who were concernd with the parties shift towrd the religious right. Nader did the same thing and drew most of his votes from Democrats that weren't happy with the Gore/Leiberman ticket their party produced.

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How many of these parties are national?
How many have candidates for all the seats in Congress? Or for at least 75% of the seats?

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dream2020 made a good point.
Since all elections in the US are "winner takes all", the third parties are more like a "none of the above" vote; a vote "against", not a vote "for". There is little to be won by the independent voter.

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AARGH!!!!!

Please, please, please, PLEASE people!!!!

As we all should have learned in 7th Grade Civics class, the only "WASTED" vote, is the vote not cast.

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Actually, I think, the American two-party system is a pseudo-two-party system, because each party provides only a loose framework within which shifting coalitions are formed.
(At least seen "with European eyes", since in comparison with European political movements, American parties have appeared as two varieties of one liberal party, and within each party can be found a wide range of opinion, going from the right to the left.)

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Walter, IMO the biggest difference between American (and most of South American) politics and European (and Mexican or Japanese) politics is that in the former, the candidate is crucial; and in the latter, the party is crucial.

In American or Brazilian politics you see legislators forming all kinds of alliances, depending on the issues. Elsewhere, there is some party discipline to be expected.

In the first "model", parties are more like loose confederacies of interest groups, and charisma plays an more important role. In the second "model", the party bureaucracy plays a key role.

How can a such bureaucracy keep their jobs?
By ideologically defining party boundaries.
By having candidates pledge allegiance to the party, not their constituency.
By having the central government finance them.

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I don't know how we would develop them but I think we need four parties; 1-economic liberal and social liberal, 2-economic conservative and social conservative, 3-economic liberal and social conservative, 4-economic conservative and social liberal. Since none of these classifications have iron clad definitions, there would have to be compromises within the parties, but at least most people would have a choice closer to their own philosophies than they do now. But as I said at the start, I have no idea how to get there.

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i would prefer a benevolent dictatorship with no parties

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That I find hard to believe! Shocked

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I too like the benevolent dictator idea, but I'm not available for the job, and I don't believe anyone else is qualified.

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i am quite serious

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i'm running for that position, where's the application?

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pueo: i said benevolent

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i can become benevolent after i get rid of all the people who annoy me.

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oh, ok then the jobs open

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I vouchsafe/uphold/admire/adore this
from
Walter

"Actually, I think, the American two-party system is a pseudo-two-party system, because each party provides only a loose framework within which shifting coalitions are formed.
(At least seen "with European eyes", since in comparison with European political movements, American parties have appeared as two varieties of one liberal party, and within each party can be found a wide range of opinion, going from the right to the left.)

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The "Two Party System"

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