The merits of the two-party system all stem from its perceived (and probably justifiably so) stability. That stability is offered by many as reason enough to avoid rocking the boat. But, as presented here, the arguments against the two-party system and, indeed, maybe against stability itself, are more persuasive. The U.S. can handle electoral dynamics associated with more than two parties, and it seems that the governing body can only

19th century, the federalist/anti-federalist schism dominated political discourse in the United States. The so-called "first party system" became less relevant as increasing numbers of citizens became politically active, leading to a greater plurality of voices and opinions. Even then, political parties had not yet become fully formed. Most elections had candidates running independently. However, the anti-federalists had become the Democratic-Republicans and they emerged as a dominant presence in the controversial

Evolution of the Two-Party System in America Most of the founding fathers of the United States were opposed to the formation of political parties considering them as "quarreling factions" that would foster corruption and hinder the public from freely judging issues on merit. Hence no provision was made in the U.S. Constitution for political parties. Yet a two-party has come to dominate the country's politics, with the Democratic and the Republican

The same thing happens when considering public officials who are Republicans and are yet more open minded than most of their colleagues. Belonging to a certain political party does not necessarily mean that one has to change his or her principles. Even with the fact that the two major parties in the U.S. have different opinions in regard to a series of matters, they seem to agree in most situations.

Jacksonian Democracy What it meant for white men, as well as for women, blacks, and Indians Jacksonian Democracy became prevalent during the 1830's and helped to shape the theory of majority rule in America. According to the essay, entitled "The Origins of Jacksonian Democracy" the main staples of Jacksonian democracy involved the concept of public interest and property ownership as the foundation of citizenship. Under the Jacksonian Democracy, only property owners had

Anti-Federalists and the Constitution in the Development of Political Parties The Development of Political Parties The Constitution and Political Parties The Changing Ideology of Political Parties Even before the adoption of the Constitution, political parties were beginning to form. Those who favored the Constitution were called Federalists, and were led by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. Another group, led by Thomas Jefferson, opposed the adoption of the Constitution and was known as Antifederalists.