Intro to American Politics

Lindsey Prutch

Intro to American Politics

Assignment 2

        Political parties are a link between society and politics. They take the wants of the public and they essentially put them into specific categories of general needs of the public. They take the demands that the public has and puts them into specific programs and policies, ensuring that people have multiple choices to make when voting. Parties help to recruit specific candidates for one side or the other. Essentially, a political party is somewhat of a team for a candidate. It gives them a platform and basis of beliefs to which the public can look. Demands of the people are often conflicting, political parties seek to bundle these demands into one platform. When people think of political parties they have a shaped view of the general beliefs behind it, and this is a large function of parties. Because there are opposing parties, they also seek to balance one another out when the opposite one is in office.

        It is worth it for a candidate to join a political party for many obvious reasons. Because of the popularity of political parties in our governmental system, specifically Democrats and Republicans, it allows the candidate to be recognized with a set of beliefs that is familiar to the public. They have their own specific beliefs as a specific person, but joining a political party shows the people which direction they are leaning more towards. Joining a specific party does change the way that the public views them. For example, if there were a candidate that was on both sides of the political debate, and therefore not in a specific party, he may be heard, but odds of him getting far into the running are slim because of his lack of affiliation. Then, even if he feels directly in the middle of the two arguments, he is forced to pick a side. After this, he will be identified as one or the other, even if he has beliefs on both sides. Unfortunately, to keep his standing in one party or the other he has to conform to at the very least a high number of beliefs and interests of the side he has chosen, because it does not only depend on the people he is attempting to get to vote for him, but the people that are already involved in the chosen side. He needs the support of those in the specific party to maintain his position. Although it comes with its downfalls, it is virtually impossible for one to be successful in politics if he does not affiliate with a party. Political parties come with a sense of credibility for people. They have been in our system, and if a candidate does not affiliate himself with anyone there is a lack of trust that is present. People are uncertain of the intent this person has. When in a party, they can be spoken for by people in that party that the public already trusts, helping to advance their career. For this reason, to help his career, one must look past the constraints and affiliate himself with one party so that he is recognizable to the public.