As an American, would you rather 2-parties, 1-party or no parties?

[Falrinn]

I'd prefer a system in which third parties were viable.

All those people saying "let's get rid of political parties" - yeah, fat chance. It goes with the territory of representative institutions.

Yeah, you really can't get rid of political parties completely, or at least not without shredding the right to assembly and freedom of association. Although you could decrease or increase how much of a direct influence party leadership has on actual policy.

Personally I think the problem isn't even with political parties themselves, but with how our elections are structured. I personally would like to see the House of Representatives converted into a proportional representative system where people vote for parties rather then individuals. That way if half the vote in a state goes to one party and half the vote goes to the other party, then the State's delegation is split down the middle. Voters would know which individuals will be given a party's first seat, second seat, third seat...etc., and party leadership would be forbidden from changing the list of candidates within a few months of the election.

Then with single-seat elections (Senators, President, etc.), it would use a preferential system. So instead of voting for an individual, people would vote for a first choice, a second choice, a third choice, and maybe even a 4th or 5th choice. This would eliminate the spoiler effect, where a vote for a 3rd party implicitly supports the Democrat or Republican candidate someone despises the most, and allow people to vote purely on their own conscious for their first choice and vote strategically with their second or third. If 3rd party candidates start routinely winning 15-20% of the vote in the first tally, they might be taken more seriously in subsequent elections.

[GennGreymane]

in the words of the founding fathers

factions are a bad idea

well madison and washington thought so at least. hamilton and jefferson were ok with them and had them... franklin... was porking a few hookers and did not comment

[Noomz]

Sorry to exclude other countries. If you still want to respond, just reply to it and state that you're not an American. I'd like to try and keep the poll American though.

How could anyone wish for just 1 party? That's the death of democracy.

No parties seems much prefered to either of the two other choices, because it'd mean more choice. I'm not from the US though, so what do I know?

[Wildtree]

Resident Alien.... Can't vote, yet still entitled to a voice.... The poll actually sucks.
Why? It doesn't reflect the obvious other choice, many Americans would love to have.... More than 2 party's.
Every American in my surrounding, be it friends, neighbors or customers I talk to, all of them agree with the 2 party system being the problem at hand. Anecdotal? Maybe, but then again, it doesn't make their opinions invalid. And at least it's evidence that there is a certain high percentage that would like to see the gridlock broken, and not kept, or made worse through a 1 party system.. 1 party is pretty damn close to a dictatorship.. The moment that happens, I pack my stuff and am outta here..

[Masark]

Why is there no option for more then 2 parties?

Because that would require a functional voting system rather than FPTP and the electoral collage.

[LilSaihah]

I think America should become a constitutional monarchy, with congress disbanded and Arnold Schwarzenegger given all executive powers.

Also, I only just learnt that Chrome's built-in spellchecker will tell you when you've successfully spelled Schwarzenegger.

[Kujako]

I with Jefferson T. "If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all."

[Lethey Alexandros]

Abolish all political parties and and the idea of the "Professional" politician. It needs to revert back to how it was, where elected officials where typically the people who had a big impact in the community and country. People who actaully did good things for us prior to being elevated in office. Also the mud slinging needs to stop, I really dont give a flying fuck if somone smoked pot or read a book with a shadey title. Hell I dont even care if they cheated on their wife. I am just tired of hearing about pointless crap and he/she did this or that.

Hell this last election I heard almost nothing on policies and plans till the last couple months but I knew about every skeleton in the closest of the two canidates.

While we are at it can we get rid of special inrest groups and bring back voteing on issues among the people?

[Wildtree]

Because that would require a functional voting system rather than FPTP and the electoral collage.

Well... it could start with more simple things too.... For example invite more than the Presidential candidates of the two parties to the Presidential debates on TV.
That this is not the case, is kind of disturbing to me. Those other guys may not win the race. But they could at least give some very interesting twist to the whole procedure, and may raise some very inconvenient questions for the two big shots. And it would certainly not hurt the USA's democratic credibility to invite more than those two guys.

[Felya]

My girl wants to party all the time...

The more legitimate options we have in our political spectrum, the better. As is, two is simply too few to notice any major difference as they just say the same things.

One thing to consider, US does not have a two party system. We have a population that historically is unwilling to vote for an alternative to the two main parties. We actually had everything from the dental party of Vermin Supreme to libertarians in Garry Johnson to the green party running in this election. It's not the system it self that is the problem, but what happens behind the scenes with things like lobbying, that creates the situation we have. With campaign donations being so valuable, special interest chooses the two candidates to invest in. Without seeming like a legitimate threat, all other parties simply do not garner the financial support and the seeming relevance that funding confirms.

[Wildtree]

I think America should become a constitutional monarchy, with congress disbanded and Arnold Schwarzenegger given all executive powers.

Also, I only just learnt that Chrome's built-in spellchecker will tell you when you've successfully spelled Schwarzenegger.

Them damn Austrians, taking over the World.... again..... Google Chrome is theirs already, where does it stop? lol
Arnold in power.. Oh lordy.. The flag will be changed too then.. White Cross on White Background.

[Felya]

I think America should become a constitutional monarchy, with congress disbanded and Arnold Schwarzenegger given all executive powers.

Demolition Man did it. All Schwarzenegger does is create an environment where Wesley Snipes is blond. Horrible...

[Wildtree]

Demolition Man did it. All Schwarzenegger does is create an environment where Wesley Snipes is blond. Horrible...

That was Judge Dredd with Stallone, wasn't it? I mean the blond Snipes. no not Judge Dredd.. Demolition Man but with Stalone. See I'm getting confuzzeld

[Felya]

That was Judge Dredd with Stallone, wasn't it? I mean the blond Snipes. no not Judge Dredd.. Demolition Man but with Stalone. See I'm getting confuzzeld

No, that was demolition man. Judge Dredd is based on a comic book and had Rob Schneider as the costar. There is also a new one that has no people I know in it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106697/

Arnold is not actually in it. He is only reffered to as the president. Kinda how Arnold remarks on Stalone movie posters in Last Action Hero.

[Kujako]

No, that was demolition man. Judge Dredd is based on a comic book and had Rob Schneider as the costar. There is also a new one that has no people I know in it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106697/

Better to pretend that version was never made.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343727/

Was much better. Like in the comic, you never see Dredd's face.

[Lachadian]

I don't know if this has been said already, but i really hate the fact that it's only a two party system. The Democratic and Republican parties have effectively shut out every other political machine in this country. The libertarians, green party, etc. Something i have a huge problem with? The fact that the democrats and republicans run the election committee. That should be against the law, i mean how immoral is it to run your own debates, choose your own questions, and be able to control the entire television scene all while pushing out every other party that thinks differently than them? Does that sound familiar? Variety is what bring the best options, choosing between two parties that historically both have made huge errors, is not something i think will help develop us as a country further.

Another thing I personally dislike is how much these campaigns are beginning to cost, and how even though damn near every politician we've elected to office has gone against what he's said he'd do when elected (i.e. Get out of the middle east, close Guantanamo bay, become less dependent on foreign fuels) we continue to not only elect them, but RE-elect them! Don't get me wrong, i believe that though Obama-care isn't the solution to healthcare reform we need in the US i do believe that is a huge step in the right direction. It's hard to do much when pharmaceutical corporations own our congressmen and senators.

Anyway, yeah there need to be more options. I don't think a no party system would do much, parties are like the labor-unions of politics. They help create a loud and clear voice of people that share similar ideas. I firmly believe that EVERY political party deserves to have their ideas heard on an even playing field, not something manipulated by the older-brother type parties.

[Felya]

If you can find interviews with Ron Paul on why he didn't run as libertarian, a lot of it speaks of the problems not necessarily with our system. But, a problem that is rooted in financial and organizational support that make it impossible for an alternative to win.

[Masark]

Well... it could start with more simple things too.... For example invite more than the Presidential candidates of the two parties to the Presidential debates on TV.

Not going to help given the "must get absolute majority of electoral college votes" thing.

[Roose]

What we have does not work. So get rid of them all!

[flareside]

Poll should have an option for more parties. My vote is for 3 or more parties.