Comments on: Tea Parties and Third Parties http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2010/05/11/tea-parties-and-third-parties/ Trying to Make Sense of Our Democracy Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:17:23 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: James http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2010/05/11/tea-parties-and-third-parties/comment-page-1/#comment-3698 James Wed, 12 May 2010 21:06:00 +0000 http://www.usdemocrazy.net/?p=7519#comment-3698 The timing of this post is interesting in light of the recent British election and its aftermath. Like in the United States generally, elections to the British House of Commons are conducted on a first-past-the-post basis. This has the effect of only requiring a plurality of votes to win elections. For this reason, there are only now two dominant British political parties, Labour and Conservative. The Liberal Democrats, now set to go into coalition with the Conservatives, are a third party built mainly from the remnant of a once major force in British Politics, the Liberal Party. In every election, the Liberal Democrats win seats in Parliament, but they usually have no imput in forming the government. Britain has a sort of curious system in which there are parties which compete only regionally. Due to a clearly-delineated base of support, these regional parties will never form the basis of a government at Westminster. Such parties, nonetheless, have a function in shaping the broader national debate in British politics. There are important dynamics which set U.S. politics apart from those of the United Kingdom. As a presidential republic, minor parties in the United States have more difficulty in projecting broad levels of influence. More significantly, however, the two-party dominant system of the United States limits the potential reach of third parties. As an major policy votes in Congress during the Obama or George W. Bush administration show, there is little actual party discipline in the U.S. system resulting in part from the "big tent" nature of the existing parties. As a result of these factors, it is difficult for credible third parties to emerge in the United States. Those which do exist, however, aim too high. Nick Clegg, who is to serve as the Deputy Prime Minister under David Cameron, led his Lib Dem party into the recent British election not anticipating to come out on top, but to increase the number of seats held by members of his party in British parliament, and to influence the national debate. Third Parties fail in the United States because they aim too high, and are too narrowly focused ideologically. If the Green Party and the Libertarian Party focused on winning governorships, or seats in state legislatures and not on presidential elections, they might one day be relevant. Until then, third parties will not matter in the U.S. political system. The timing of this post is interesting in light of the recent British election and its aftermath. Like in the United States generally, elections to the British House of Commons are conducted on a first-past-the-post basis. This has the effect of only requiring a plurality of votes to win elections. For this reason, there are only now two dominant British political parties, Labour and Conservative.

The Liberal Democrats, now set to go into coalition with the Conservatives, are a third party built mainly from the remnant of a once major force in British Politics, the Liberal Party. In every election, the Liberal Democrats win seats in Parliament, but they usually have no imput in forming the government.

Britain has a sort of curious system in which there are parties which compete only regionally. Due to a clearly-delineated base of support, these regional parties will never form the basis of a government at Westminster. Such parties, nonetheless, have a function in shaping the broader national debate in British politics.

There are important dynamics which set U.S. politics apart from those of the United Kingdom. As a presidential republic, minor parties in the United States have more difficulty in projecting broad levels of influence. More significantly, however, the two-party dominant system of the United States limits the potential reach of third parties. As an major policy votes in Congress during the Obama or George W. Bush administration show, there is little actual party discipline in the U.S. system resulting in part from the “big tent” nature of the existing parties.

As a result of these factors, it is difficult for credible third parties to emerge in the United States. Those which do exist, however, aim too high. Nick Clegg, who is to serve as the Deputy Prime Minister under David Cameron, led his Lib Dem party into the recent British election not anticipating to come out on top, but to increase the number of seats held by members of his party in British parliament, and to influence the national debate.

Third Parties fail in the United States because they aim too high, and are too narrowly focused ideologically. If the Green Party and the Libertarian Party focused on winning governorships, or seats in state legislatures and not on presidential elections, they might one day be relevant. Until then, third parties will not matter in the U.S. political system.

]]> By: Poli Sigh http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2010/05/11/tea-parties-and-third-parties/comment-page-1/#comment-3680 Poli Sigh Wed, 12 May 2010 02:50:11 +0000 http://www.usdemocrazy.net/?p=7519#comment-3680 I think the GOP is riding the Tea Party wave, which is going to result in short-term gains only. Today the Tea Party is popular with some, the GOP sees this and wants to capitalize on it. This unto itself, a party taking the pulse of (what is mainly already) their constituency, isn't problematic. What is problematic is that the Tea Party movement will implode. I think it bears a significant resemblance to the "Know-Nothing" Party of the mid-1800s. Hitching your ride to the wave isn't so good when there's a rocky shoal ahead. But I think it's all pretty debatable. I think the GOP is riding the Tea Party wave, which is going to result in short-term gains only. Today the Tea Party is popular with some, the GOP sees this and wants to capitalize on it. This unto itself, a party taking the pulse of (what is mainly already) their constituency, isn’t problematic.
What is problematic is that the Tea Party movement will implode. I think it bears a significant resemblance to the “Know-Nothing” Party of the mid-1800s.
Hitching your ride to the wave isn’t so good when there’s a rocky shoal ahead.
But I think it’s all pretty debatable.

]]> By: Steve http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2010/05/11/tea-parties-and-third-parties/comment-page-1/#comment-3672 Steve Tue, 11 May 2010 14:58:09 +0000 http://www.usdemocrazy.net/?p=7519#comment-3672 The Maine GOP adopted a platform over the weekend that was entirely written by Tea Party people. Coupled with the Bennett debacle (not conservative enough? really?) , I think this portends a trend of state GOPs taking on Tea Party positions as their mainstream ideas. I think that would be all well and good if it weren't for the stridency requirement that comes along with it. Demanding that your politicians believe absolutely everything that you do and throwing them out if they stray just once is politically naive/stupid. If this is the way the GOP is going to trend, it's going to result in a whole lot of ineffective Congress members come November, which is unfortunate for the people... The Maine GOP adopted a platform over the weekend that was entirely written by Tea Party people. Coupled with the Bennett debacle (not conservative enough? really?) , I think this portends a trend of state GOPs taking on Tea Party positions as their mainstream ideas.

I think that would be all well and good if it weren’t for the stridency requirement that comes along with it. Demanding that your politicians believe absolutely everything that you do and throwing them out if they stray just once is politically naive/stupid. If this is the way the GOP is going to trend, it’s going to result in a whole lot of ineffective Congress members come November, which is unfortunate for the people…

]]> By: mitch http://www.usdemocrazy.net/2010/05/11/tea-parties-and-third-parties/comment-page-1/#comment-3671 mitch Tue, 11 May 2010 12:20:43 +0000 http://www.usdemocrazy.net/?p=7519#comment-3671 People need to think beyond just Republican and Democrat when they vote. A third party would help break some of the deadlock in Congress. There are independents in Congress, but not enough to make a difference. Is an party like the Tea Party a good option? That is up to the individual to decide. If the people of the United States of America want change then they should get out and vote intelligently. If every eligable voter votes as they feel is best for the country then we would see a change in Congress, the White House, state and local government. People need to think beyond just Republican and Democrat when they vote. A third party would help break some of the deadlock in Congress. There are independents in Congress, but not enough to make a difference. Is an party like the Tea Party a good option? That is up to the individual to decide. If the people of the United States of America want change then they should get out and vote intelligently. If every eligable voter votes as they feel is best for the country then we would see a change in Congress, the White House, state and local government.

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