In contrast to a system based on districts and pluralities, proportional representation countries typically have four or more parties. Even though centrist parties receive the most votes, these countries are frequently ruled by coalitions of two or more parties. As everyone’s vote counts in this system, voter turnout is exceptionally high. When it comes to electoral systems, the United States is at the far end of the spectrum, with a single-member district plurality system that has resulted in relatively small and ephemeral third parties. This leads to certain issues, such as low voter turnout, the election being a candidate-selection process, and corruption.
The fact that a president is elected by the entire country explains why the American two-party system is much more rigid. In a single-member district legislative system, there is at least some room for post-election alliances between two parties. The power elite’s domination of both political parties encourages the worst characteristics of a two-party system: avoiding problems, collusion, and focusing on the politicians’ character. There is a substantial body of political science research on how elected officials from both parties use a variety of techniques to vote their policy preferences, even when they are opposed by a majority of people and win reelection (Domhoff, 2022). The distribution of valuable experiences and goods within a community can be considered the most prominent and persistent result of the social system’s power dynamics. People in American society, for example, want to own property, make a good living, and live long and healthy lives (Domhoff, 2005). As there is no political party to establish and disseminate a platform representing their economic interests and preferences, many individuals in the United States can be convinced to vote based on their race, religion, or ethnicity rather than their social class. Therefore, the electoral system is best understood as a candidate-selection process from a power standpoint.
The United States’ election system is more complicated than most countries worldwide because it is a two-party system, and the voters do not directly participate in the governmental decision. It can lead to specific problems; for instance, during the election, the parties are more focused on the candidate’s personality, low voter turnout, and the citizens’ vote based on their race and religion, not on their political and social position. As a result, the United States’ election is considered a candidate election process rather than the parties’ election.
References
Domhoff, W. G. (2022). Who Rules America? The Corporate Rich, White Nationalist Republicans, and Inclusionary Democrats in the 2020s. Taylor and Francis.
Domhoff, W. G. (2005). Basics of Studying Power. Who Rules America? Web.