Polarization of the Political Parties in the United States

This essay discusses the polarization of political parties in the United States and its impact on American society. It analyzes the ideologies of the Democratic and Republican parties and their effects on the masses and elites. The essay concludes with the significance of polarization and how it affects the society in general.

Running head: POLARIZATION OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES
Polarization of the Political Parties in the United States
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1POLARIZATION OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES
Political parties emerged originally to be the voice of the people. Since the representation
of everybody within a fixed territorial boundary was not feasible, a small group of people
decided to control the machinery of the State and work for the welfare of the people. They were
considered to be the medium through which the people of the concerned State could fulfill their
needs and wants. The need for political parties concretized over the ages and now, their presence
is indispensable for the working of the contemporary society1. This essay seeks to discuss about
the political parties existing within the United States and how their differences in ideologies led
to the polarization of the American politics. This essay further analyzes the impact of such
polarization of political parties on the American public. It concludes with the significance of
polarization and how it affects the society in general – both the masses and the elites. The main
purpose of this essay is to look into the effects that led to polarization of the political parties of
the United States, the extent of such polarization and how this polarization has affected both the
masses and the elites of the American society
The two main political parties existing within the folds of the United States are
Democratic Party and Republican Party2. The political ideologies of these parties can be
classified as that of the conservative and liberal, with the Democratic Party being aligned to the
left ideologies while the Republican Party is aligned to the right ideologies. The Republican
Party was founded in 1854, with the support of those propounding the elimination of slavery in
1 Wilensky, Harold L. "Leftism, Catholicism, and Democratic Corporatism:: The Role of Political Parties in Recent
Welfare State Development." Development of Welfare States in Europe and America. Routledge, 2017. 345-383.
2 Hershey, Marjorie Randon. Party politics in America. Routledge, 2017.

2POLARIZATION OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES
the world3. The platform of this Party changed through the decades and now, the Republican
Party follows a conservative ideology. The conservatives take an important standpoint with
regards to the economy and the society. Those adhering to the conservative principles believe
that the State should follow a ‘minimalist’ approach4. It means that the government of the
concerned State should not interfere in the economic activities of the State. The presence of the
private players ensure a stiff and healthy competition. They are motivated by the interest of
earning more profits and the lasses faire character of the State would allow them to carry out
their activities. Moreover, the right ideology aligned parties are very conservative in nature. They
believe that it is the responsibility and obligation of the State to uphold the values and traditions
of the concerned society and that the important customs should be followed unquestionably. This
means that the conservatives are strictly against the revolutionizing ideas of abortion, the use of
contraception and marriage of people belonging to the same gender.
The Democratic Party was established in 1828, with the support from Andrew Jackson5.
The Democratic Party is said to the oldest political party of the world. With time and changes in
leadership, the Democratic Party underwent drastic modifications. The infusion of new thinking
within the folds of the Party is the main reason for the dominant liberal ideology followed by the
Party members. Liberal ideology has its genesis in the supporters of the French Revolution. They
believe that the governments of the various States should play a more involved role in the
economy. The main objective of the private players is the generation of higher revenues and this
3 Hershey, Marjorie Randon. Party politics in America. Routledge, 2017.
4 Schattschneider, Elmer. Party government: American government in action. Routledge, 2017.
5 Hershey, Marjorie Randon. Party politics in America. Routledge, 2017.

3POLARIZATION OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES
is only possible by exploiting the poorer vulnerable people. This will only aggravate the crisis of
poverty. To prevent this, the liberals claim that it the obligation of the government to ensure that
the wealth and resources of the society is equitably distributed amongst those concerned. With
respect to society, the liberals or the ‘left wing’ aligned people believe that the government
should take concrete measures to promote the healthy benefits of using contraception and
allowing for abortion if the life of the mother and/or child is in mortal danger6. They also
advocate for same sex marriage. In essence, the Liberals try to ensure that fundamental human
rights which are the basic rights of all human beings, should be respected and upheld by the
governments of the States. It is only with the assurance of such human rights that the individuals
of the world will be able to enjoy a dignified and optimum standard of living that they are
entitled to7.
Other political parties that exist in the United States are the Libertarian party that believes
in limited government control over the lives of the people. The Green Party wants a stronger
federal government while the Communitarian Party favors the societal needs more than the
wants of the individuals. All these political parties, however, have found a shade within the
broader perspectives of either liberal ideology or the conservative ideology.
The ideological differences between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party
heightened in the beginning of the twenty first century. The partisan antipathy amongst the party
members of the two parties became so glaring that many scholars have termed it as ‘polarization
6 McBride, Dorothy E., and Janine A. Parry. Women's rights in the USA: Policy debates and gender roles.
Routledge, 2016.
7 Fiske, John, and Black Hawk Hancock. Media matters: Race & gender in US politics. Routledge, 2016.

4POLARIZATION OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES
of the political parties in the United States’8. This is evidenced from the fact that in a poll
conducted in 2014, around 27 percent of the Democrats believe that the conservative nature of
the Republican Party has an adverse consequence on the American society9. On the other hand,
nearly 36 percent of the Republicans claim that the liberal notion of the Democratic Party will
obstruct the achievement of the well-being of the United States10.
One of the major reasons for the increase in polarization of the US political parties is the
rise in consistency of the respective ideology. The new generation has a staunch approach to
their party ideology and unyieldingly follow them. For instance, in the debate on the right of the
women to avail abortion in the case where their lives are threatened, the Conservatives strongly
believes that abortion essential means killing of the fetus, which goes against the Christian
philosophy of murder. On the other hand, the Liberals claim that it is the right of the parents,
especially of the mother to determine whether they want the child. The State must be privy to the
personal matters of the human beings where their basic human rights are concerned.
The extent of polarization of the two main political parties in the United States can also
be judged from their mutual animosity against each other, simply on the basis of their political
8 Campbell, James E. Polarized: Making sense of a divided America. Princeton University Press, 2018.
9 'Political Polarization In The American Public' (Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 2018)
<http://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/> accessed 28 November
2018.
10 'Political Polarization In The American Public' (Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 2018)
<http://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/> accessed 28 November
2018.

5POLARIZATION OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES
ideologies. The animosity is so deep rooted that the American people prefer their family
members and close relatives and friends to have the same ideology as they possess. Thus, a
Democrat marrying a Republican is highly unlikely. The conservatives even go one step further
by having a preference for the type of social structure they live in11. They believe living in a
homogenous community, that is, amongst people belonging to the same race and ethnicity. The
Conservatives are usually very religious people and hence, they like to be around people who
share the same religious beliefs. The Liberals are not very particular about their social set up.
They are more forthcoming with the people of different races, unlike the Republicans. Thus, they
believe in ethnic diversity and takes a strong stand against racial discrimination.
An important area of convergence of the philosophies followed by the Democratic Party
and the Republican Party is with regards to the issue of homosexuality. The society of the United
States has become relatively amenable to the idea of same sex marriage12. In a recent poll that
was conducted, it was revealed that around 54 percent of the Republicans has the view that same
sex marriage should be allowed in the society and given legal protection13. This is a landmark
change as even a decade ago, except a minority, the Republicans were strictly against same sex
marriage. The Democrats were always in favor of same sex marriage, as, for them, the upholding
and respect of the fundamental human rights is the most essential requirement. They claim that
11 Martineau, Harriet. Society in America. Routledge, 2017.
12 Stonecash, Jeffrey. Class and party in American politics. Routledge, 2018.
13 'Political Polarization In The American Public' (Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 2018)
<http://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/> accessed 28 November
2018.

6POLARIZATION OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES
all individuals are equal and the State has the utmost obligation to ensure right to life and liberty
to its citizens.
The particular ideology of the respective parties influences the people of the United
States to a great extent. The Republicans attract the older demography because of the importance
the party ideology places on values and traditions. The elder people in the American society
believe that the only way the superiority of the American culture can be maintained is by
glorifying the age old tradition and customs followed by the US society for generations14. They
claim that since most of the people within the United States are Christians, the morals and values
mentioned in the Biblical Scriptures need to respected and followed diligently by the American
society. The conservative nature of the Republican Party will thus attract the elder people to vote
for the them. On the other hand, the demography that the Democratic Party attracts is usually the
youth of the nation. This is so because they are born in the contemporary period and they realize
the importance to adapt to the changing times. They do not place so much importance on
religious scriptures; instead, they believe that the Government of the United States must uphold
the fundamental human rights granted to all human beings. It is these Rights which will ensure
the perpetuation of the dignified the standard of living which is the basic right of all individuals.
This is precisely the ideology of the Democratic Party and thus, there is a viable chance that the
youth of the society will vote for them during the elections.
The polarization of the political parties within the United States has affected the
American people to a great extent. The masses are easily influenced by the political ideologies of
the respective parties they are attracted to. They act as the most important vehicle by which the
14 Martineau, Harriet. Society in America. Routledge, 2017.

7POLARIZATION OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES
agenda of the concerned Party is propagated in the entire society. The elite people of the society,
on the other hand, are the ones who pressurize the political parties to follow a particular course
of action. The main objective of the elites is to profit motive. Thus, they want to create a suitable
environment for success of their businesses. The political parties require huge funds as donations
for effective campaigning. These funds are provided by the businesses of the elites. In order to
ensure that there is a constant flow of the funds, the political parties yield to the desires of the
elites and frame the policies accordingly. Thus, a stark divide is glaringly visible between the
masses and the elite level.

8POLARIZATION OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES
Bibliography:
Campbell, James E. Polarized: Making sense of a divided America. Princeton University Press,
2018.
Fiske, John, and Black Hawk Hancock. Media matters: Race & gender in US politics.
Routledge, 2016.
Hershey, Marjorie Randon. Party politics in America. Routledge, 2017.
Martineau, Harriet. Society in America. Routledge, 2017.
McBride, Dorothy E., and Janine A. Parry. Women's rights in the USA: Policy debates and
gender roles. Routledge, 2016.
'Political Polarization In The American Public' (Pew Research Center for the People and the
Press, 2018) <http://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-
public/> accessed 28 November 2018
Schattschneider, Elmer. Party government: American government in action. Routledge, 2017.
Stonecash, Jeffrey. Class and party in American politics. Routledge, 2018.
Wilensky, Harold L. "Leftism, Catholicism, and Democratic Corporatism:: The Role of Political
Parties in Recent Welfare State Development." Development of Welfare States in Europe and
America. Routledge, 2017. 345-383.