Political Parties

12 Pages 3068 Words

national and state legislators is the "single-member" district system -- what this means is that whoever receives a plurality of the vote is elected. Unlike proportional systems, the single-member district arrangement permits only one party to win in any given district. The single-member system thus creates incentives to form two broadly based parties capable of winning legislative district pluralities, while condemning minor and third parties to almost perpetual defeat -- not a prescription for longevity unless they can combine forces with a major party.
A further institutional nudge toward two-partyism is provided by the electoral college system for choosing presidents. Election as president requires an absolute majority of the 50 states' 538 total electoral votes. This requirement makes it extremely difficult for a third party to achieve the presidency without combining with a major party. In addition, the individual states' electoral votes are allocated under a winner-take-all arrangement. All that is required to capture a state's elector...