Why Two Parties Dominate American Politics | America 101

Historian David Eisenbach examines America's two party system, from Republicans and Democrats to some of the fringe parties.

LIKE ABC News on FACEBOOK
FOLLOW ABC News on TWITTER:
GOOD MORNING AMERICA'S HOMEPAGE:

[MichaelO]

"George Washington was against parties"

Then I won't invite him to mine

[HorrorMetalDnD]

George Washington said he was against political parties... but then he appointed cabinet members almost exclusively from one party.

[adebowalekonstantinov]

Still didn't answer the question, he essentially said the US started as a country with no parties (no shit), and there are lots of other smaller parties as big as my town's chess club, with the hopeless prospect of "shaking things up."

[Creativity]

How do you expect to get votes when you make yourself the *Shopping party* or the *US Pirate party*

[FML]

We have a two party system Bc it’s easier to divide a country this way🤷🏽

[blakedavis]

Of course party’s are bad, people eat all your food and don’t use coasters

[Bmdc]

Yo so what's the answer to the question in your title?

[sanjanasaini]

Can a presidential system work in multi party system

[rizmacadillac]

To be perfectly honest, I ran for public office a few years ago. Naturally I chose a Party I had worked with before even if I had questions about the Party. And to be extra honest, I don't think I know anything about Politics even though I've participated. Political insiders run the Parties and American Government and it probably has to be that way. I compare my participation in politics with the many kids who play football. I know of two football families that raised 3 kids to play at University Level. In both families only two have made it in the NFL. One of the three in each family has failed. And I have not studied Football players in depth, but a lot of money goes into creating Football Players and how many athletes have studied at the Prestigious IMG Academy in Florida (an expensive Private School for Athletes.) Politics is worth a lot more money. But aside from money, I know i don't know anything about Politics or why we have two parties. Given the hatred we seem to see in the two Party System this election cycle I wonder why one group hasn't eliminated the other. So maybe Democracy works and allows free thought - at least for those with enough money.

[Pidalin]

It's weird for people from Europe, but maybe it has even some advantages, when you have 10 parties in parliament (like we), they are constantly screaming to each other and can't make any decision or compromise. But even with many parties, it turns to almost something like 2 party system after elections because they mostly make coalitions with parties with similar opinions so you have mostly ruling coalition and oposition. But when you have in ruling coalition 3 or 4 parties, even with their similarities, they sometimes have hard times to make some decision. You have one minister from social democrats, another minister from party owned by bilionare and another minister from maybe pirates or whatever. BTW that party created by bilionare is not right wing, it's really weird. :-D

[magnacristino]

and like in north korea and china there is only one party .

[khaldounmnb]

Only 8000 views---people are not interested in other parties

[JohnCamery]

Don't they civics in school any more or is that politically incorrect?

[ravikantranjan]

Can we say 2 party system just the extension of One party System (like in China)

[ijvo]

The Media could help by show more alternatives. Really.

[yjldmgb]

I'm an independent. Maga politics are so duplicitous i don't even want to get into it. But I'm definitely not for progressive politics either.

[ifixeditmyself]

We need other people running and it is time to break this stronghold.

[DM_Laf]

The US actually has only one political party! The banks, large corporations and tycoons rule the USA and in that manner they rule the World. Politicians are marionettes who work in the interests of the rich (the tycoon even sponsors their political campaign). Republicans and Democrats have exactly the same principles, It is only on issues prevalent in the press where they find disagreement. The voters focus on these issues, not realizing that the parties to which we are loyal actually work with each other. The only real reason why we have two parties instead of one is if we are unsatisfied with one of them, we choose another one and they continue their business as usual. The biggest threat for one country is their own people! "Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws”. Mayer Anselm Rothschild

[robertchaffee]

Is it not time we re-educate the public by their thoughts and beliefs whether they are thinking as a Republican, Democrat, Conservative or Independent? Would this not help
make a fair vote on the next general election? So many have lost their knowledge as to where they stand.

[martingreen]

This house of cards depends on the myth of the wasted vote!