The American two-party system limits voters’ freedoms

By now I’m sure you’ve heard the narrative about how third-party voters cost Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party the 2016 presidential election. Unfortunately, this claim is not based entirely on speculation, nor was it dreamed by Democrats displeased with the election results who needed someone to blame. There is actually some reasonable justification behind the animosity many people hold toward third-party voters.

Since the U.S. operates on a two-party system, a vote for any party other than the main two — the Republican Party and the Democratic Party — is essentially a waste of a vote. This begs the question: How is this considered a morally admissible electoral structure in a free country? Shouldn’t all voters be able to cast their vote and know it is actually going to count and that it will influence the way the country is run?

Don’t get me wrong, the two-party system we see in the U.S. does have its advantages. It offers more stability than a multi-party system. It forces moderation since the two parties have to appeal to the median voter to win an election and it simplifies the choices voters need to make. However, with this simplicity, we sacrifice free choice and jeopardize democracy by marginalizing a percentage of American voters.

In this system, voters are forced to side with either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party, regardless of whether or not that candidate is actually who they want to vote for. The forced decision breeds a “best fit” scenario in which voters often have to compromise on issues they care about and settle for the ones they hate the least.

Third-party voters are typically left with a defeatist approach to voting. Anyone with even a mild understanding of the American voting system recognizes that a vote for the Libertarian Party or the Green Party won’t result in a win, it will only take votes away from their second choice party. Armed with this knowledge, these voters typically succumb to the pressure placed on them by our unjust system and cast a vote for a candidate they don’t support.

Beyond posing a threat to democratic freedom, this system also leads to a further divided nation. Voters in the U.S. have developed an undying loyalty to their party of choice, especially over the past few years. This has created an “us versus them” mentality that paints one party as the good guys and the other as the problem. This political divide also spills over into everyday life. People are unwilling to work with, date or even socialize with people of the opposite party and unwarranted hostility is not uncommon.

Candidates themselves are also often forced to adjust their positions on issues, in order to fit into the party they run with. In fact, party titles are really just arbitrary at this point, it hardly represents what the candidate actually supports. It merely gives them a fighting chance in the race.

In an ideal world, America could move toward a system with no political parties. Unfortunately, that just isn’t feasible. For now, we need to recognize the unjust system and start to move toward a multi-party system, if we hope to offer true democracy in our country.

Abigail Miller is a UF political science and journalism senior. Her column appears on Mondays.