Contents
There’s no question that American politics are more polarized than ever before. But who exactly owns the current political landscape?
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The Two-Party System
The United States has always had a two-party system. The first two parties were the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Democratic-Republicans and the Whigs were the next two parties. The Republican Party and the Democratic Party are the two parties today.
The Republican Party
The Republican Party, also known as the Grand Old Party (GOP), is one of the two major political parties in the United States of America. It is the older of the two parties, having been founded in 1854. The other party is the Democratic Party.
The Republican Party is the more conservative of the two major American political parties. Its platform supports lower taxes, limited government regulation of business and industry, a strong national defense, and traditional values. The GOP is generally supportive of free-market capitalism.
The Republican Party has been historically dominant in American politics from its founding until the election of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. Since then, it has been less successful electorally, though it did control both houses of Congress for much of the period from 1995 to 2007. The party’s fortunes began to change in 2006 when it lost control of both houses of Congress to the Democrats. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first Democrat to be elected president since Jimmy Carter in 1976. In 2010, Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives but lost control of the Senate to the Democrats.
The Democratic Party
The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party’s platform focuses on liberalism, progressivism, and social justice. It is pro-choice on abortion, supports same-sex marriage, and advocates for gun control measures. The party also favors expanding the Affordable Care Act and increasing taxes on the wealthy.
Third Parties
When it comes to modern politics in the United States of America, the two-party system has been the predominant political force shaping the country’s policies and platforms since its conception. However, there has been a recent rise in traction and support for third party candidates. So, who owns USA politics today?
The Libertarian Party
The Libertarian Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States today. The party was founded in 1971 by a group of people who believed that the government was too big and invasive. The party’s platform is based on the belief that people should be free to do what they want, as long as they don’t hurt other people.
The party is currently led by Gary Johnson, a former governor of New Mexico. The party’s vice presidential nominee is Bill Weld, a former governor of Massachusetts. The party has its own presidential nominating convention, which will be held in Orlando, Florida in 2020.
The party has a strong base of support among young people, independents, and people who identify as fiscally conservative but socially liberal. The party is also popular among people who are dissatisfied with the two major political parties in the United States.
The Green Party
The Green Party is a political party that is committed to environmentalism, social justice, and non-violence. The party was founded in the United States in 2001, but it has its roots in the Green Party of Germany, which was founded in 1980. The Green Party has been successful in winning seats in local, state, and national elections in a number of countries, including the United States, Germany, and New Zealand.
Other Third Parties
In addition to the two major political parties in the United States, there are several other political parties that play a role in the American political process. These third parties include the Libertarian Party, the Green Party, and the Constitution Party, among others.
While third party candidates typically do not win elections, they can play an important role in influencing the policies of the major parties. In some cases, third party candidates have even been able to tip the balance of power in close elections. For example, in 2000, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader won more than 2% of the vote nationwide, which may have contributed to Democrat Al Gore’s loss to Republican George W. Bush in that year’s presidential election.
While third parties may not always win elections, they can be an important part of the American political process.
The Impact of Big Money
Big money has always played a role in American politics, but today’s Super PACs and Citizens United decision are on a whole different level. Theresult is a campaigns that cost billions of dollars and an elected officials that are beholden to their donors instead of their constituents. Let’s take a closer look at how big money is affecting our politics today.
Super PACs
In the United States, a super PAC is an independent expenditure-only political action committee that may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals, then spend unlimited sums to advocate for or against political candidates.
In federal elections, super PACs may not make contributions to candidate campaigns or parties, but they may engage in unlimited independent expenditures, as long as they do not coordinate with any candidate or party. Federal law defines coordination as expenditures made “in concert or cooperation with, or at the request or suggestion of” a candidate or a candidate’s campaign.
Super PACs began to emerge in 2010 following the passage of the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling by the United States Supreme Court. The court’s decision allowed corporations and unions to make unlimited independent expenditures in support of or opposition to candidates for federal office.
As of February 2018, there were 1,649 registered super PACs in the United States. According to OpenSecrets.org, as of February 2018 super PACs had raised $1.51 billion and spent $1.13 billion during the 2018 election cycle.
Dark Money
Most people would agree that money plays too big a role in American politics today. But what many don’t realize is that a huge chunk of that money comes from a small group of ultra-wealthy donors, and much of it goes to support so-called “dark money” groups that can spend unlimited amounts on ads and other activities without disclosing their donors.
This trend has only gotten worse in recent years. In the 2012 election, 84% of all spending by outside groups came from dark money groups, and in the 2014 elections, that number rose to 86%.1
What is dark money?
Dark money ismoney spent by groups that don’t have to disclose their donors to the public. This can include spending on ads, get-out-the-vote efforts, and any other type of political activity.
The rise of dark money in American politics has been fueled by a series of court decisions and actions by government officials. The most important of these was the 2010 Citizens United decision, which lifted many restrictions on political spending by corporations and labor unions. This paved the way for the creation of super PACs, which can accept unlimited amounts of money from donors and spend it on issue ads and other activities during elections.2
While super PACs have to disclose their donors, they often get their money from dark money groups, which means the ultimate source of the funds may never be known.
What’s wrong with dark money?
The problem with dark money is that it allows a small group of wealthy donors to have an outsized influence on our elections without having to disclose their involvement to the public. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for voters to know who is trying to influence their vote—and why.3
It also makes it easier for special interests to secretly funnel large sums of cash into our political system in order to advance their own agendas at the expense of the public good.4
1 https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/secrecy/summary.php
2 https://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/what-is-a-super-pac#sthash.P8vETB0r .dpbs
3 http://time.com/3595837/dark-money-2016/
4 http://nyti.ms/1GdbhGi
The Media
The media has a profound effect on USA politics today. They not only report on the news, but they also help to shape public opinion. The media can be a powerful tool for good or for bad. Let’s take a look at how the media influences USA politics.
Mainstream Media
The mainstream media is the primary source of information and news for most Americans. The mainstream media includes television, radio, newspapers, and online news sources. The mainstream media is generally considered to be independent and impartial, providing objective reporting on current events and news stories.
However, some critics argue that the mainstream media is biased in favor of certain political ideologies or points of view. These critics argue that the mainstream media is controlled by a small group of powerful interests that use their influence to shape public opinion.
Social Media
Most peopleget their news from social media, which don’t have to adhere to the same journalistic standards as traditional news organizations.
The American People
It could be argued that the American people own USA politics today. After all, it is the people who vote for elected officials, and it is the people who are affected by the decisions made by those officials. Furthermore, it is the people who have the power to change things if they are not happy with the way things are going. In other words, the American people have a lot of power when it comes to politics.
