Because US election system does not reflect the will of the population, or even the voting population. FPTP is a highly deficient system that results in the same two parties staying in power indefinitely, which is only marginally better than a single party state. So, I find it hard to blame the population for the politicians they elect in this case. US elections are a lot more constrained by the ruling class and the laws passed by said ruling class than in many European countries for example. USSR had elections too, you know. Doesn't mean there was any freedom or democracy.
Just my on-the-ground view as an American, I've seen both major parties in this country change radically in my lifetime to the point of being unrecognizable. In the case of the Republican party this has happened twice.
The USSR had only one Party, but intra-party politics were all the more fierce as a result. I'm not saying that a full or even reasonably varied spectrum of true, non-spectacular or intelligent alternatives are being presented to the American voter. Just that what a 2-party system lacks in superficial variety it may more than make up for in internecine disagreement.
The ideological spread between Joe Manchin and AOC covers most of the ground covered by center and left European parties.
> FPTP is a highly deficient system that results in the same two parties staying in power indefinitely
New Zealand has used MMP for 25 years and yet it still dithers between two major parties. Minor parties do tend to have to be incorporated into coalitions with one or the other major party, which is something, however, they’re almost always the same minor parties falling along the left right divide. Electoral systems do have an effect and they are setup to make it hard to radically change the system, however, they strengthen they don’t create the two party dynamic. Two major parties aligned with common human biases always seem to spring up when people are free to choose.
nikitaga|4 years ago
noduerme|4 years ago
The USSR had only one Party, but intra-party politics were all the more fierce as a result. I'm not saying that a full or even reasonably varied spectrum of true, non-spectacular or intelligent alternatives are being presented to the American voter. Just that what a 2-party system lacks in superficial variety it may more than make up for in internecine disagreement.
The ideological spread between Joe Manchin and AOC covers most of the ground covered by center and left European parties.
refurb|4 years ago
I mean, San Francisco uses ranked choice and they ended up through a fluke with some District Attorney who everyone hates.
You may just want to consider that although you may not like the outcome, many voters do?
crooked-v|4 years ago
nyokodo|4 years ago
New Zealand has used MMP for 25 years and yet it still dithers between two major parties. Minor parties do tend to have to be incorporated into coalitions with one or the other major party, which is something, however, they’re almost always the same minor parties falling along the left right divide. Electoral systems do have an effect and they are setup to make it hard to radically change the system, however, they strengthen they don’t create the two party dynamic. Two major parties aligned with common human biases always seem to spring up when people are free to choose.
jklein11|4 years ago
humaniania|4 years ago