Two Party System: The Lesser of Two Evils Is Still Evil

It should be illegal to witness yet another Biden-Trump matchup. Considering their wild unpopularity, the question begs to be asked: how can these two be the main-stream options? In a democracy, ought the main candidates be ones that at least offer a semblance of representation for the people? Seemingly, this has become a foreign concept in The United States. 

The two-party system in America has its roots in the nation’s founding. Although many of the founding fathers consistently warned of the dangers of partisan factions, parties had already begun to form by the late 1700s. Early debates between the divided political elites - Federalists, led by Hamilton; and Anti-Federalists headed by Thomas Jefferson - centered around the power of the federal government. Centuries later, the two-party system remains entrenched in American society due to the way elections are held in the nation. Since the U.S. system of representation is based on who wins the most votes in each district, not necessarily a majority of votes cast and each distinct area is represented by a single member, the tendency for a winner-takes-all system to promote a two-party organization naturally emerges. 

The American political landscape has been shaped since the 1800s by the two major parties that we know of today: Democrats and Republicans. Although their beliefs and views have shifted over time, one thing has become abundantly clear: both parties are rife with corruption. This may have been inevitable with a two-party hegemony, but since the Citizens United case, the intensity of deceit has taken a whole new level. Instead of bringing forth candidates that champion the causes that members of the party believe in, the two parties benefit from prioritizing candidates that generate the most revenue (i.e. are bought out by corporate interests). This allows for both the DNC and RNC to remain funded from their respective lobbying groups while continuing to elect candidates that will then reinforce those corporate interests in Washington D.C. The champions of these polarizing elections then become indebted to the rich who fund their campaigns, rather than to the constituents they were elected to represent.

Since the U.S.-elected officials are held accountable to the people funding their campaigns, they consistently dishonor their commitments to their constituents, leading to increased voter apathy. Although the presidential elections draws the most voters to the polls, it still falls short of garnering significant eligible voter participation. From 1904-2016, voter turnouts have varied from 66% to less than 50%. It is becoming increasingly apparent that Americans are unhappy with the two-party political system. According to a 2022 Pew survey, only 32% of American adults feel that the two primary political parties adequately align with their views. 

These polls don’t come as a shock when we look at the Democratic Party’s recent events. Starting in 2016, the Democratic National Convention was accused by thousands of Democrats of rigging the primary election in favor of the establishment candidate Hillary Clinton. Donna Brazile, the Democratic National Committee's interim chairwoman, said Clinton's team essentially took over day-to-day operations of the DNC - rigging the system against her popular opponent Senator Bernie Sanders. The DNC’s desire to ensure a status-quo candidate who maintains the party's ties with big donors has led them to continue to favor Joe Biden, even amidst discontent from their own supporters. 

Today, most Americans are unhappy with the two presidential candidates put forth by both parties for the 2024 election. Both parties heavily rely on “the lesser of two evils” mentality to push through their unfavorable candidate. Their fear-mongering is undemocratic at its core. In a healthy, functioning democracy, the candidates put forth by parties should be ones that the majority of the party is enthusiastic about. How many more rematches of incompetent sell-outs must the American people witness before we realize change is needed for the future of this country? 

At the end of the day, institutional change will take time. A restructuring of campaign finance rules or a shift to a multi-party system is not close on the horizon. However, the American people still possess large amounts of power. It’s time to vote on our conscience and to stand up to the propaganda pushed on us by the DNC and RNC. Vote for the candidate you truly believe in: embrace the third parties we do have. If Americans show up in droves casting a large minority of the vote to these third party candidates, we can send an effective message to the elite political players. 

It’s time we as the people hold our political system accountable and let them know that we deserve more. We want true representation.