Amidst a turbulent and unprecedented election cycle, pundits have been quick to proclaim the decline of our national security, our great economy and our great Nation. The real victim of this cycle, however, will be the United States’ great two-party system, comprised of the Democratic and Republican Parties. Since the Great Recession, growing angst, frustration and anger have driven the US electorate to become more radicalized, extremist, and fractured. This new divided political landscape has and will continue to create a void between the voting masses’ will and the elite who finance the two sprawling American parties. Without donations to finance both parties’ enormous operations, it is only a matter of time before the parties begin to lose influence and size.
The entrance of alternative political parties into mainstream political politics since the Financial Crisis has begun to reveal the fissures in the two Party system. Capitalizing on anger and frustration with Washington DC, these alternative parties, such as the Tea Party, Libertarian Party, and Socialist Party, have begun to gain traction. Although their nominees have never been serious contenders, their platforms have begun to infiltrate the two traditional parties, with Rand Paul’s Libertarianism and Bernie Sanders’ Democratic Socialism coming to mind. As political parties lose control of their political platforms and nomination processes, the rise of dark horses like Donald Trump will become only more commonplace. Even those who fail to fully take over a party, like Bernie Sanders, are able to shift party policy. As such, the political landscape which supported the two main parties seems to be crumbling.
Donald Trump’s decisive victory over the Republican Party and to a lesser extent Bernie Sanders’ surprising resonance in the Democratic primaries do not constitute a win for their respective ideologies, but instead a trouncing of the two party system. The millions of dollars employed by the parties and their armies of volunteers clearly no longer are able to influence the masses like they used to. Instead, social media and the technology have revolutionized the diffusion of politics. Thus, a slip in the two parties grip of political discourse is almost inevitable; in a world characterized by technological disruption and decentralization, it seems intuitive that the two party system would be the next great institution to fall, rendered obsolete and deprived of votes and financing.
The financial fate of the two party system has even begun to show this cycle. As of September 21, 2016, The Clinton campaign, backed by the Democratic party and elite voters who feel content with the platform the party was able to defend, has been able to $373.3M, far exceeding Trump’s rogue campaign’s $165.9M. As such, it is clear that fundraisers and donors feel uncomfortable supporting the unaligned and unpredictable platforms that extremer candidates like Trump bring along. The Republican party, long the ardent supporter of business, seems to have lost most of its support from corporations, entrepreneurs and the elite. As the Republican platform continues its journey to the right, it will only find itself losing more financing and support. Assuming the Democratic Party will be able to avoid a similar fate is naïve. Within itself, large amounts of voters are furious about the slighting of Bernie Sanders and his Democratic Socialism. A battle looms.
Grass roots operations, long praised as a sign of both parties’ modernizations, will also not be able to sustain the parties. As political ideologies become more plentiful and diverse, the party's’ voter base will fracture, and there will not be enough financial support from each group to maintain the bloated operations and campaigns currently executed. Lack of financial support from everyday Americans, let alone the elite, will render today’s enormous political institutions unfeasible. The result will be an inevitable downsizing and splitting of parties, with no two as dominant as Democrats and Republicans during the heyday of Consensus Politics.
To say this election cycle’s surprises, such as Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, are simply anomaly with little long-term influence would be a gross underestimation. American history shows that surprise contenders, even if they lose, leave a mark on their party and the political system. Look no further than William F. Buckley Jr.’s New York City mayoral run’s impact on the Republican party or Barry Goldwater’s longshot campaign’s precipitation of a radical shift in the Republican party. A new age of politics is most definitely upon the United States. Without the support of financing elite, it seems as if the old era of the two party system is most definitely over. Now, the heart, soul and fate of the political system lies in the hands of the masses and diverse parties, not in occulted boardrooms and conventions.
Amidst a turbulent and unprecedented election cycle, pundits have been quick to proclaim the decline of our national security, our great economy and our great Nation. The real victim of this cycle, however, will be the United States’ great two-party system, comprised of the Democratic and Republican Parties. Since the Great Recession, growing angst, frustration and anger have driven the US electorate to become more radicalized, extremist, and fractured. This new divided political landscape has and will continue to create a void between the voting masses’ will and the elite who finance the two sprawling American parties. Without donations to finance both parties’ enormous operations, it is only a matter of time before the parties begin to lose influence and size.
The entrance of alternative political parties into mainstream political politics since the Financial Crisis has begun to reveal the fissures in the two Party system. Capitalizing on anger and frustration with Washington DC, these alternative parties, such as the Tea Party, Libertarian Party, and Socialist Party, have begun to gain traction. Although their nominees have never been serious contenders, their platforms have begun to infiltrate the two traditional parties, with Rand Paul’s Libertarianism and Bernie Sanders’ Democratic Socialism coming to mind. As political parties lose control of their political platforms and nomination processes, the rise of dark horses like Donald Trump will become only more commonplace. Even those who fail to fully take over a party, like Bernie Sanders, are able to shift party policy. As such, the political landscape which supported the two main parties seems to be crumbling.
Donald Trump’s decisive victory over the Republican Party and to a lesser extent Bernie Sanders’ surprising resonance in the Democratic primaries do not constitute a win for their respective ideologies, but instead a trouncing of the two party system. The millions of dollars employed by the parties and their armies of volunteers clearly no longer are able to influence the masses like they used to. Instead, social media and the technology have revolutionized the diffusion of politics. Thus, a slip in the two parties grip of political discourse is almost inevitable; in a world characterized by technological disruption and decentralization, it seems intuitive that the two party system would be the next great institution to fall, rendered obsolete and deprived of votes and financing.
The financial fate of the two party system has even begun to show this cycle. As of September 21, 2016, The Clinton campaign, backed by the Democratic party and elite voters who feel content with the platform the party was able to defend, has been able to $373.3M, far exceeding Trump’s rogue campaign’s $165.9M. As such, it is clear that fundraisers and donors feel uncomfortable supporting the unaligned and unpredictable platforms that extremer candidates like Trump bring along. The Republican party, long the ardent supporter of business, seems to have lost most of its support from corporations, entrepreneurs and the elite. As the Republican platform continues its journey to the right, it will only find itself losing more financing and support. Assuming the Democratic Party will be able to avoid a similar fate is naïve. Within itself, large amounts of voters are furious about the slighting of Bernie Sanders and his Democratic Socialism. A battle looms.
Grass roots operations, long praised as a sign of both parties’ modernizations, will also not be able to sustain the parties. As political ideologies become more plentiful and diverse, the party's’ voter base will fracture, and there will not be enough financial support from each group to maintain the bloated operations and campaigns currently executed. Lack of financial support from everyday Americans, let alone the elite, will render today’s enormous political institutions unfeasible. The result will be an inevitable downsizing and splitting of parties, with no two as dominant as Democrats and Republicans during the heyday of Consensus Politics.
To say this election cycle’s surprises, such as Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, are simply anomaly with little long-term influence would be a gross underestimation. American history shows that surprise contenders, even if they lose, leave a mark on their party and the political system. Look no further than William F. Buckley Jr.’s New York City mayoral run’s impact on the Republican party or Barry Goldwater’s longshot campaign’s precipitation of a radical shift in the Republican party. A new age of politics is most definitely upon the United States. Without the support of financing elite, it seems as if the old era of the two party system is most definitely over. Now, the heart, soul and fate of the political system lies in the hands of the masses and diverse parties, not in occulted boardrooms and conventions.
