Two Party Political System

Paper Summary:

This paper reports that a two-party political system is one in which only two parties effectively compete for government office, and although third parties may compete, they usually have to surmount significant barriers to be placed on the ballot paper.

From the Paper:

"Anecdotal evidence indicates a tendency for Democratic candidates to attempt to shift the topic of discussion from character to policy and for Republican candidates to try to move the discussion from policy to character (Benoit 2004). For example, during the 1996 debates, Clinton tried to convert a character attack into a discussion of policy, and during the 2000 debate, Bush tried to move an attack on his health care record to an issue of character (Benoit 2004). Thus, Republicans tend to stress character, while Democrats emphasize policy."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Adams, Noah. (2000 September 19). Analysis: Differences between Republican and Democratic parties. All Things Considered: National Public Radio. Retrieved June 14 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.
• Benoit, William L. (2004 March 22). Political party affiliation and presidential campaign discourse. Communication Quarterly. Retrieved June 14 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.
• McLean, Iain; McMillan, Alistair. (2003). Two-party systems. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics. Retrieved June 14 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.
• Third-party politics probably not a factor. (2004 November 01). USA Today. Retrieved June 14 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.
• Tucker, Brian. (2005 October 31). Time is right for third party to emerge.Crain's Cleveland Business. Retrieved June 14 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.

More papers on Two Party Political System:

• Analytical Essay # 128269 : "Third Party Politics"
• Cause and Effect Essay # 93610 : "The Disadvantages of Two-Party Politics"
• Essay # 36230 : "United States Political System"

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