The American Political System: Two-Party Duopoly

The American political system is a two-party system. This means there is only one dominant political party in American politics and it controls the government. The two parties are the Democrats and Republicans.

The Republican Party

The Republican Party is a political party in the United States. It was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists, most notably former President Abraham Lincoln, who won the next four presidential elections. The party’s current platform supports lower taxes and less regulation, as well as stronger national security and law enforcement programs.

The Democratic Party

Since its inception, the Democrats have been known as a “party of the people” that promotes equality and social justice. In fact, many of their policies have been enacted during times when they were out of power—such as when they passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and successfully introduced Medicare in 1965.