3.2 Party Systems
Do Now:
What is more valuable? Stability or
change?
Party Systems
•Single Party System
•Two-Party System
•Multi-party System
Single Party System
A party system in which one party
controls all political power.
These systems most often exist in
authoritarian regimes, or falsedemocracies and are protected by
political might, not public opinion.
Two-Party System
A party system in which two parties enjoy
nearly all political power.
Two-Party Systems provide stability through
forced compromise. They often exist in political
bodies where public opinion is moderate.
The United States experiences a two-party system.
This system is not written into the constitution but is
created, by chance, by a system of electoral rules.
Two-Party System
The Two-Party System exists in the
United States for two primary
reasons:
•Moderate Public Political Ideology
•Duverger’s Law (First Past the Post Voting,
Single Member Districts)
Multi-Party System
A party system in which multiple
parties are able to control political
power.
These systems often include varied and
ideologically diverse parties which fight for
shares of political power. Coalitions (strategic
teams of parties) are often needed to possess
a majority of power.
3.2 Assignment
Read the article on power systems
and defend either the Two-Party or
Multi-Party System as the best
system for the United States.