Post date: Nov 16, 2016 4:31:25 PM
Why Didn't We Listen to George Washington?
Claire Benevento-12 Before leaving office after his second term as president, George Washington warned against the creation of political parties because they had the potential to create divisions and strife. But did his fellow Americans listen to him? Of course not.
Instead, they started a trend of competing political groups, which are still going strong/creating harsh divisions among Americans.
It is easy to see why people tend to organize into political groups. Having an established party and set of ideals makes it much easier for people with similar ideas to come together and nominate candidates. The two parties at the time were Democratic-Republicans, who supported the idea of a small government, and Federalists, who wanted more government involvement.
So, what would happen if our political system was not based on parties with established platforms? For one thing, candidates would have to come up with individualized platforms. There would be no saying, “I’m Republican, so I’m pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment,” or “I’m Democrat, so I’m pro-gay rights and women’s rights,” or “I’m Libertarian, so I’m pro-freedom.”
Abolishing political parties would also cause significant changes for voters. People used to voting for a certain party would have to put more thought into filling out their ballot. People who had trouble deciding which political party was the least of several evils might find a candidate they could vote for in good conscience. Everyone would have to carefully consider options; there would be no assuming. Not having political parties would make for much more thoughtful voters.
The most helpful difference is that people would not disagree solely on the basis of party. The government could accomplish so much more if politicians could make decisions without the bias that comes with being a member of a party. Also, citizens could not classify and hate each other based on being in different parties.
Oh, and there is probably no way that we would have had such a disgusting election season.