Political Parties

During this topic, you learned about the political spectrum and some of the terms used to describe different political ideologies. Groups of people who share similar ideologies and public policy goals tend to be members of the same political party. In order to enact public policy changes, a political party must gain control of the government. In America, this control is gained through the electoral process; therefore, a successful and influential political party must be able to win elections. Because of this, political parties focus on selecting candidates with the potential to win, raising funds, conducting campaigns, and identifying important issues. Additionally, political parties help check the potential abuse of government power, by closely monitoring an opposing party. This is especially true in the United States, which has traditionally been a two-party system. The Republican Party and the Democratic Party may be the dominant parties in the American political system, but third parties have formed throughout history to highlight specific issues or provide a voice for minority views. This may lead to a major party adopting the platform of a third party, or in some cases, a split vote in an important election.