Welcome, to the first-ever post on my civic issues blog. The main focus of this blog will be the American election system and the many kinks which need to be worked out. For today’s topic, we will look at the two-party system in America and how voters turn a blind eye to third-party candidates.
American voters typically identify themselves as either a Republican or a Democrat, the two dominant political parties in America. However, these are not the only parties which voters can support during election cycles, there are various independant candidates and third-parties with beliefs which have beliefs that pick from both democrats and republicans.
The libertarian party supports free choice for citizens in just about every facet of life so long as you aren’t hurting others. A tagline which became associated with the party and represents their do as you please attitude was “I want gay married couples to protect their marijuana plants with guns”.
The green party is focused on ecological policies and protecting the environment. Their website states that the four pillars of the party are: “Peace and Non-Violence, Ecological Wisdom, Grassroots Democracy, and Social Justice”.
There are many other independant candidates which run every year for office and other political parties and ideologies which may suit voters’ needs. However, many protest that a vote for a third party is “throwing away your vote”, this is simply untrue. Throwing away your vote is typically what many undecided voters do every year, voting for the lesser of two evils between the republican and democratic candidates, rather than picking someone which actually represents their values. This binary system also causes voters to support and identify with policy which they don’t agree with, just becasue their party or candidate supports it (look how Trump drastically changed the views of the republican party after first being an outcast).
A vote for a third party candidate can also go a long way for the future, because if a third party recieves at least five percent of the vote, the party will recieve public funds for the next election. Millions of dollars can be directed towards new candidates and ideas, leading to more publicity and accessability for the next election cycle.
Whoever you vote for, you should make your vote count. If a democrat or republican catches your eye, vote for them. However, if neither candidate interests you, a vote for a third party might be a good idea.