Why a Two-Party System?
The Historical Basis
Framers of the constitution
opposed to a political party
system
Federalists
and
anti-federalist
formed
Electoral System
Single-member system
only one candidate is
elected to each office
on the ballot. They are
winner-take-all elections.
Plurality – the largest number
of votes cast.
Tradition
Americans accept two party
systems because it has always
been that way.
Tradition runs
deeply in human
culture
American Ideological Consensus
American people share many of
the same ideals, basic principles, and
patterns of belief.