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Political Parties Term Paper
Pages:2 (694 words)
Sources:1
Subject:Politics
Topic:Political Parties
Document Type:Term Paper
Document:#16937521
dominant American political parties [...] question: Do the two dominant American political parties serve the public's interest, or just their own upper class interests? How would you change the party system so that all are truly represented?
AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTIES
The founding fathers did not create the two dominant American political parties, Republican and Democrat, to serve their own interests; they were created as instruments of the people's political and personal beliefs. Just as the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, as noted here,
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shad ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States (Vile 248).
It also guarantees freedom to choose a political party, just as it guarantees "life, liberty, and property." "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws" (Vile 251).
However, today, political parties serve a far different purpose. They create party platforms which are supposed to represent the will and wishes of their constituents, but often these platforms are blatant showcases for special interest groups and political lobbyists. For example, many pro-life groups have staunchly supported the Republican Party both vocally and monetarily, and so the Republican Party platform includes an anti-abortion platform that even encourages a Constitutional amendment banning abortion. These "pro-life" party politics come not from a majority of the public, but from a very vocal percentage of the public who support a full ban on abortion. Therefore, this platform is not beneficial to the majority of the people who do not oppose abortion, but is in the interests of those who do. This…
Sample Source(s) Used
Bibliography
Vile, John R. A Companion to the United States Constitution and Its Amendments. 2nd ed. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1997.
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