The United States of America has a two-party system with two major parties. These two major political parties are the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Other than these two, other minor parties in the U.S. are called “third parties,” such as Libertarians, Constitution Party, The Green Party, and Natural Law Party.
In the U.S. elections, parties don’t see the significant votes but the plurality of votes, which is a higher percentage of votes than the other parties. Hence, one of the two major political parties seems to win the elections every year as it gets the most plural votes. Many people, towards the third parties, tend to vote for any of the two major parties to be among the candidates who voted for the winning party. Therefore, either the Democratic party or the Republican Party wins in every election leaving behind the third parties. It is because these two major political parties have their agendas closer to the general public.
The Republican Party
The logo of the Republican Party is the Elephant. This party derived its name in 1792 from supporters of Thomas Jefferson, who supported the decentralized government. The Republican Party was first called as Grand Old Party (GOP). During the 19th century, this party stood against the extension of slavery and, ultimately, abolished slavery. Therefore, the main agenda of the Republican Party is family and individual freedom. It is “pro-life” and hence opposes the right to abortion and believes in unborn fetuses’ right to live.
The first President of the Republican Party was Abraham Lincoln, who won 18 Northern States with 40 percent of the popular vote. With Abraham Lincoln winning the election, seven Southern States quit the Union, due to which the country dropped into American Civil War. However, the Republicans safeguard the right to hold arms as articulated in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to this day.
The Democratic Party
The logo of the Democratic Party is a Donkey. It served as the country’s first major opposition party in 1796, with John Adams winning the election. The critical agenda of this party is the social responsibility that leans towards the left wing leading to progressive and ideological values. Democrats believe that a powerful government will ensure a strong society.
The Democratic Party funds healthcare facilities and social services for all U.S. citizens. It also supports the right to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights to equal treatment under the law, hence believing in the separation of church and state as stated in the U.S. constitution.
Elections
Presidential elections take place in the United States every four years:
- The elections occur, in which presidential candidates for the two parties are elected.
- When the candidates for each party are officially selected, the actual presidential election begins. After that, the election campaign begins for the two parties.
- The elected person will be sworn in as the President of the United States of America at an inauguration ceremony held in Washington, D.C.
The current President of the U.S.A. is the member of the Democratic Party, Joe Biden, serving as the 46th President from 20th January 2021.