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Political party

 

Government policy is made by elected officials who are members of political parties. In the United States most elected officials are members of either the Democratic or Republican party, though occasionally members of smaller parties are also elected.

 

Political parties are organizations that wish to achieve control of the process of government. They differ from interest groups that only want to have an influence on government policy through lobbying or education of the public. A party gains control of government by getting more of its candidates elected to office than its opposition parties do. In Great Britain, for example, more

Conservative party candidates won representation in Parliament in the elections of April 1992 than did Labour party candidates. The Conservatives, therefore, were able to have their leader—John Major—continue in office as prime minister. They were also able to decide which programs the government should adopt, and they had enough votes in Parliament to pass their legislation.

 

Political parties are the products of representative democracy. During the centuries when laws were made by kings and their advisers, parties could not exist because there were no elected officials. Parties began to emerge in Europe and North America in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when elected legislatures became a dominant force in government.

 

In the earliest decades in which political parties existed, their memberships were quite small. In the United States and England, for example, most citizens were not allowed to vote. Party membership, therefore, consisted mainly of landowners, members of the nobility, factory owners, merchants, and other wealthy individuals. By the third decade of the 19th century in the United States, and somewhat later in Europe, the right to vote was extended to include most white males. When more people could vote, party memberships increased. By the middle of the 20th century, after women had gained the right to vote in most nations, political parties became more dependent upon mass support.

 

In the 20th century political parties have spread throughout the world, largely in imitation of Europe and North America. Large parties have arisen throughout Africa. Many of these have a base of support in ethnic or tribal groups. In the Middle East party affiliation often depends upon membership in religious organizations. This is true in Israel as well as in Islamic countries.

 

Party Systems

 

The number of political parties a nation has depends upon historical circumstances. Some countries have several parties, all of which may be represented in the government. Other countries function effectively with only two major parties. In some countries, most notably China, Cuba, and several African states, there are one-party systems.

Two-party government

 

The United States, Canada, and Britain have two-party political systems, while most other democracies have multiparty systems. This does not mean that only two parties exist in Canada, the United States, and Britain—there are several in each country. It means that only two parties have consistently been strong enough to contest effectively for control of government.

 

Two-Party Contrasts

 

Great Britain and the United States both have, in general, two-party systems of government. They do not operate in the same way, however. In Britain elections are held for members of Parliament. After the election the leader of the winning party is named prime minister. This individual thus serves both in Parliament as a legislator and in the Cabinet as an executive and policymaker.

 

This cannot happen in the United States because of the constitutional separation of powers. A president cannot serve in Congress while in office. It is therefore possible for the presidency and the Congress to be controlled by different

parties, a situation that cannot occur in Britain. This control of the Congress by one party and the presidency by another has generally been the rule instead of the exception since World War II. The disadvantage of the American system is the deadlock that can develop between the president and the Congress over policy when each is in the control of a different party.

 

2. Ответьте на вопросы к тексту:

1. Are most elected officials in the US members of Democratic or Republican party?

 

2. How does a party gain control of government?

3. Are political parties the product of democracy or monarchy?

4. When did parties begin to emerge?

5. Who were the party members in the late 18^th and early 19^th century?

 

6. How did party membership change in 20^th century?

7. What does two-party political system mean?

 

8. What is the difference between a two-party system of government in Great Britain and in the USA?

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