Why America’s political parties struggle to win elections
Every four years, the American presidential primaries serve as a reminder of how ineffective, awkward, and pessimistic the major political parties have become. The media’s red-and-blue maps, the repetitive partisan standoffs in Congress, and the drama created by the polarization of the parties give the impression that they have significant influence, and that Americans are dedicated to either the Democrats or Republicans and fixated on their prospects. However, the reality is more complex and discouraging.
The largest and growing share of Americans choose not to align with either party. According to a recent Gallup poll, 43% identify as independent, tying a record set in 2014. In Gallup’s poll, the proportion of eligible voters identifying as Democrats has fallen to a record low of 27%, the same percentage that identify as Republicans. Another Gallup poll, also from this month, found that only 28% of adults, also a new low, were satisfied with “the way democracy is working in this country”.
Yet the parties are not responding by making themselves more attractive. Something is interfering with the signals the electorate sends to the organizations that supply candidates and ideas, never more so than this cycle, when most Americans have consistently turned away from the products most likely to be on offer, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
2024-01-25 09:21:46
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