By Zach Beyler
It is no uncommon occurrence on social media outlets, on posts pertaining to political topics, to see people intimate that both of the United States’ political parties are terrible, bad, corrupt, and generally recalcitrant toward the American people. Many of my own associates have told me that they only vote for one party because “at least it is not as bad as the other,” but that they still think that political parties in general are counterproductive to national health. The advice of George Washington to avoid political parties, has been taken to heart but not in hand. The United States remains firmly rooted in a two-party political system, and for the regular voter, that fact is considered lamentable. The two-party system, however, is not as terrible as the prevailing common thought makes it seem. Having well-established political parties is a beneficial part of the nation’s political identity. We have little to fear from political parties and much for which, because of their influence, we can be grateful.
Political parties are neither immortal nor infallible. Even before the nation was formed as such, it was broken into two ideologies – Federalists, which advocated for the ratification of the Constitution; and Anti-Federalists, which were concerned that the new government would exercise too much power over the people. These two groups evolved into legitimate political parties following the formal adaptation of the Constitution – the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republic Party. Since then, parties have been born and have died out; they have switched ideologies and changed the essence of their identities. Examples of these parties include the Whigs, the Progressive Party, the Bull Moose Party, the Republican Party, and fringe parties such as the Tea Party, the Green Party, and the Libertarians. The Democratic Party, the nation’s oldest remaining political party, adopted an ideology in the 20th century that was almost completely opposite to that which it had previously espoused. The United States has been home to many political parties, and likely, will be the home of many more before the sun sets on its day.
The fluid nature of political parties is owed to their composition. Perhaps the simplest way to look at a political party is to understand that they are entities which allow like-minded people to congregate and create a platform to advance their views on how the government should act and what the government should do. Because human beings are themselves so diverse, any coalition of people must consist of compromise. While political parties might present a united front, the reality is that they are often indecisive on which agendas to advance. The driving force behind party unity is the presence of an opposing political party. This means that if one party fractures, the other party will be unopposed. While this might signify initial dominance in elections, that dominant party will soon splinter into smaller parties, each with its own political emphasis and agenda. Many people fear political parties because of a vague, half-concocted belief that a political party could assume unfettered control over the government. Because of the massive size of the two-party system, this underlying reason people fear political parties is impossible.
Moreover, political parties accomplish considerable good. They provide a unified base to advance policy, where otherwise it would be nigh on impossible. Imagine a Congress where representatives advanced only their own ideas. It would be impossible to pass any laws. But because political parties create a unified base, legislators are able to sacrifice minor goals for the more important ones with which fellow party members agree. Political parties also limit corruption in the election system. For example, the opening of primary elections in political parties was one of the contributing factors to the elimination of political machines, which were primary sources of voter fraud. On a broader level, political parties provide voters an orientation point to begin their “voter evaluation.” When voting, it is important to remember that parties do not necessarily embody all of the attributes or ideologies that we ourselves as voters hold most dear. The words of Dallin H Oaks, a former justice of the Utah Supreme Court, illustrate this point: “There are many political issues, and no party, platform, or individual candidate can satisfy all personal preferences. Each citizen must therefore decide which issues are most important to him or her at any particular time [. . .] it may require changing party support or candidate choices, even from election to election.” (Oaks, Liahona May 2021, 108) Political parties are broad tools with which voters can begin orienting themselves.
Political parties ought not to be feared. The common fears people have about the power of political parties are impossible realities. Political parties cannot assume long-lasting, unchallengeable control of the government. They are a necessary part of a government institution inasmuch as they form a basis for collective opinion and policy advancement.In the words of John A. Aldrich, “in America democracy is unthinkable save in terms of a two-party system.” (Aldrich 1995, 206) Instead of fearing political parties, Americans should look for the benefits thereof, remember that parties are to be viewed only as guides in determining how one should vote, and then exercise their civic duty by voting as their individual consciences direct them. As they do so, they will find greater satisfaction in exercising their prerogatives as voting citizens.
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