Many wish for the president to be elected on
the basis of the popular vote; however, we are
stuck with the Electoral College. Many
Republicans disagree with Trump as the face of
the GOP, as do many Democrats with Hillary
Clinton. The media has really shone light on
the election system. Two parties, two sides, red
and blue. But is there a chance for a third
party, something to balance out these two
extremes? Many would say that the Libertarian Party is our third party, or even the
Green Party. However, this is not the case.
In the British system, there are three major parties: the Conservatives, Labour,
and the Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats typically side with the Labour Party,
which is usually at odds with the Conservative Party. However, candidates and political
parties are not usually dinner table conversations. People in the UK do not typically
know how their friends and colleagues vote in elections. Political campaigns last one
month, not two years. People vote for party, not for candidates. And they vote based on
a party platform, not on what the media manipulates with soundbites. The media works
on a need-to-know basis, which is the polar opposite of American media. Aside from the
differences, the UK works with a bicameral legislature. The parties debate in order to
pass legislation.
Why can’t we be more like the UK, you may ask. Here’s the simple answer. Three
parties would be good for American politics. It would round out the extremes and
people would be able to get along again. We can all agree it's gotten out of hand.
However, a three-party system is not realistic. Our whole political system is based
on two parties. Two houses. You’re either Democrat or Republican in order to retain
those seats. The Electoral College gives votes based on party majority. Third-party
candidates exist right now only to bring awareness to fringe topics. In the recent
election, representatives of the Libertarian Party wanted to bring attention to legalizing
recreational marijuana usage, while the Green Party wanted to bring attention to
climate change. If we had three major parties, everything would have to be revised and
reformed. We would need a new way to present nominees in the primaries and even the
general election. The House and Senate would have to be revised in order to give seats to
third-party candidates. Most of all, there would need to be campaign finance reform.
Both parties hold all the money, making it impossible for third parties to have any
power. For legislation to pass, there would need to be reform regarding bipartisanship.
A three-party system is a good idea. However, without huge reform it is
impossible. The purple ghost of a potential third party seems to haunt us now more than
ever.