A political party is a group of people who share a common viewpoint on major issues and endeavor to implement laws advancing this viewpoint at the national or local level. It’s made up of people who act as representatives and advocates for the interests of voters who share their views.
The United States has two main political parties, though this two-party system is not defined in the Constitution. Other parties exist, and some would-be politicians run for office with no party affiliation. These groups and individuals have limited clout but can disrupt the political status quo, as was the case with Ralph Nader in the 2000 presidential election and Ross Perot in 1992.
Let’s look at how political parties shape American policy—government’s official response to an issue—and governance.
How Our Political Parties Are Designed to Work
Serving the People and Keeping the Government Running
Political parties, often in collaboration with think tanks, develop platforms that reflect their official stance on issues in the hopes of enticing likeminded voters to vote for their candidates. Success at the polls empowers the winning party to begin instituting those policies through the passage of laws, though not without effort and compromise, and sometimes while being stalled or stopped entirely by opposition from challengers and the voting public.
Before enticing voters, however, parties must attract suitable candidates to officially represent their ideology. After taking office, these individuals ideally continue to represent the interests of their supporters, performing the balancing act of representing their broader constituency, which may include people who don’t support them.
Lawmakers translate their platform into bills through the legislative process. The process happens with the support of fellow party members and (often) help from lawmakers outside their party, with opposing parties negotiating a compromise on some aspects of a bill to secure its passage. A party with a significant majority in both the Senate or House of Representative wields considerable power and can compel a president to sign a bill into law despite partisan protests.
Designed to provide checks and balances to governmental authority, the two houses of Congress share the lawmaking duties but must come to a consensus to pass laws. There is a clear division of labor: The House alone can originate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the president if there’s a tie in the Electoral College. The Senate oversees approval of presidential cabinet and judicial nominees, authorization of treaties, and management of the federal budget.
Political parties try to rally support around specific issues, appealing to their own senators and representatives as well as those of opposing parties (“reaching across the aisle”). Public outreach efforts sometimes take the form of rallies, town halls, and talk show appearances.
Political parties regularly hold caucus meetings to make sure all their members are aware of key legislation and concerns and to drum up unanimous support among their membership for their stated policy positions.
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Sources:
https://uk.usembassy.gov/role-political-parties/
https://dk.usembassy.gov/usa-i-skolen/presidential-elections-and-the-american-political-system/
https://www.ushistory.org/gov/5a.asp
https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/elections/presidential-election-process/political-parties/
https://pluralpolicy.com/blog/us-political-parties/
https://protectdemocracy.org/work/why-do-we-need-political-parties/
https://wwnorton.com/college/polisci/american-government12/core/ch/12/outline.aspx
https://www.ndi.org/what-we-do/political-parties