The Two-Party System and Getting Rid of the Electoral College
Democracy in the United States is in need of an update. The electoral college is a roadblock preventing the creation of a system that will be able to reflect the Americna voice. Hopefully, American minds are not yet so simplified that a two-party system will suffice to represent all of the people. The electoral college prevents smaller parties from gaining the popular support that one would expect them to have. Of course, there are several small third parties such as the Greens, Libertarians, Constitutionals, and the American Independent Party, but these play no significant role in elections. In fact, third parties are treated as second or third class citizens by mainstreaqm voters and by the two major parties. Ralph Nader, who ran in 2004 as an independent candidate with Winona LaDuke was accused of handing the election to George Bush, because his voters may have voted for John Kerry, the democrat. This sent a clear message to every third party in the US: “How dare you give our voters choice!” Ralph Nader responded to critiscism himself: “You would never see this kind of thing in western democracies in Europe…The issues of the Green Party and the issues of the Libertarian Party are majoritarian issues.” And yet they are not brought to the table. The United States is split almost 50/50 by two parties whos minor differences are made superfluous by their towering similarities. Change is needed, and if the Electoral College is abolished, then the true and undistorted sound of American voices can be heard.
