The Two Party System I. America has been a two party nation for most of its history. A. The U.S. has always had 2 parties, so Americans expect that and are not welcome to the idea of new parties. *B. Single-member districts- “winner take all” elections. 1. Most offices have only one winner. a. Winner receives a plurality- more votes than any other candidate, not necessarily a majority. Candidate Popular vote % Clinton 43 Bush 38 Perot 19 b. Votes for minor candidates are often considered “wasted votes.” c. It is better to vote for the major party candidate you feel is the best choice.

C. Election laws and redistricting favor the two major parties. D. On the whole, America is an ideologically homogenous nation- They share many of the same beliefs. 1. The parties are fairly moderate, and agree on many issues. 2. There are few very divisive issues that would allow for multiple parties to exist. E. Broad Based Parties 1. Parties are competing for same voters, so they tend to have broad ideologies. 2. Parties also tend to be fairly moderate so they can attract the “independents” needed to win elections. F. Party membership is voluntary, and not permanent- you can change parties, and may vote however you like.