Running head: Electing Candidates Will Protect the USA Democracy 1 Allowing Party Members to Elect their Candidates Will Protect the USA Democracy Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Electing Candidates Will Protect the USA Democracy 2 Allowing Party Members to Elect their Candidates Will Protect the USA Democracy Political parties represent certain ideologies that most of their members believe. However, with the political greed that currently ails our society, it is difficult to entrust a party’s candidate with these ideologies, whereas they are out to pursue their interests. Political parties should beware of being used as a tool to ascend into power. Some of the strategies include proper vetting of candidates and reviewing the time aspirants joined the party and the circumstances under which they joined the party. The USA has strong democratic beliefs. Political parties should lead by example by conducting free, fair, and credible elections to their candidates. Favoring one candidate over the other is unacceptable in our current era. Instead, the parties can emphasize how each candidate can propagate the party’s beliefs and ideologies. For instance, the recent endorsement of Joe Biden Former President Barrack Obama creates a bias at the party level because a free thinker might consider the move as a political favor (Gambino, 2020). The endorsement may help Biden win the Democrats candidature. However, there might be another candidate with better ideologies and solutions to the country’s problems. The first step parties should take to ensure fairness is by giving equal platforms to air their views. Some candidates may have the higher financial muscle, which may end up giving them an upper hand in elections. However, the parties should manage and regulate the finances of their candidates while managing their campaigns until one flagbearer is elected (Dalton et al., 2011, p 20). Such regulations will ensure that all candidates have a good platform, and the people will only have to listen to them to pick the candidate with the best ideologies. These regulations will prevent candidates from hopping from one party to another and avoiding the loss of votes from strategic voters. One might argue that it would be unfair to regulate candidates on their spending and wealth since most of them may have wealthy donors and sponsors. It is not wrong to have Electing Candidates Will Protect the USA Democracy 3 more funds and power since it even reduces the party’s responsibilities and also saves them much money. However, it is essential to consider that money quickly helps people assume power. However, power does not necessarily entail good leadership and charisma. Besides, others might argue that party committees should nominate the most suitable candidate as opposed to allowing members to elect their favorite candidate. Entrusting committees to settle on the best candidate might only work in case members are not well enlightened, or most of them are uneducated. However, the literacy levels in the USA are high, and most people can make the best choices for their party and their nation. Entrusting few members of a committee with the role of electing a candidate is difficult, and it may lead to high levels of corruption. Wealthy candidates may dubiously buy the candidature, which will not ensure fairness (Hazan et al., 2010 pg. 6). Endorsements are common in most democracies, and they help candidates to win the sway votes. However, in case the endorsed candidates do not perform as expected of them once they assume office, the blame goes the person who endorsed the candidate, and they may lose the trust of the people in the end. Democracy begins from the lowest social structures at the family level, school, and work. The majority should have their way while the minority have their say. Ensuring equal opportunities is the only way the USA will ensure that the integrity of their democracy. Besides, the loopholes of corrupt and power thirst individuals will no longer be available. The best candidates for the nation will have their shot towards leadership, with values like ethical and moral leadership carrying the day. This way, America will continue relaying an excellent example to other countries across the globe. Electing Candidates Will Protect the USA Democracy References Dalton, R. J., Farrell, D. M., & McAllister, I. (2011). Political parties and democratic linkage: How parties organize democracy. Oxford University Press Gambino, L. (2020). Obama endorses Biden for president in an attempt to unite Democratic Party. Retrieved 28 April 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/usnews/2020/apr/14/barack-obama-endorse-joe-biden-2020-election-democrats Hazan, R. Y., & Rahat, G. (2010). Democracy within Parties: Candidate selection methods and their political consequences. Oxford University Press 4
