Why the two-party system isn't going anywhere

Every election cycle, we rediscover our frustration with the two-party system.

Republicans complain the Republican Party isn't conservative enough. Democrats complain the Democratic Party isn't progressive enough. Independents complain neither party represents them.

Then comes: We need a third party.

It's an appealing idea. More choices sound better than fewer choices. Competition is supposed to improve outcomes. Why should politics be any different?

Americans certainly like the idea. Gallup found that 62% of Americans believe the country needs a third major political party. But the same survey revealed something far more telling: only 15% of Americans say they are "very likely" to vote for a third-party candidate. Most also admit they would abandon their preferred third-party candidate if it became clear that candidate could not win. Nearly six in 10 worry that voting for a third-party candidate would either waste their vote or help elect the candidate they like least. 

Despite constant complaints about Republicans and Democrats, the two-party system remains the most practical way to govern a nation of 340 million people with vastly different interests, beliefs and priorities.

Critics often point to Ohio's ballot-access laws as evidence that Republicans and Democrats have stacked the deck against political competition. To gain recognized political-party status, a new party must meet vote thresholds or gather thousands of signatures distributed across the state. Independent candidates must also demonstrate substantial public support before appearing on statewide ballots.

Those requirements certainly don't make life easy for a new political movement.

If Ohio eliminated every ballot-access requirement tomorrow, the two-party system would almost certainly remain. The reason is simple: voters ultimately reward coalitions, not factions.

America's political parties are not ideological clubs. They are governing coalitions.

The Republican Party includes conservatives, libertarians, populists, business leaders, defense hawks and religious voters. The Democratic Party includes moderates, labor advocates, progressives, environmental activists and a host of other factions.

The parties force competing interests to negotiate, compromise and build consensus before Election Day rather than after it.

In countries with numerous political parties, elections often produce fragmented governments where no single party can govern alone. Coalitions must be assembled after the election, and those coalitions frequently collapse when political interests diverge.

Americans already complain that Washington moves too slowly. Imagine trying to pass a federal budget with five or six competing parties all demanding concessions before agreeing to govern.

The result would not necessarily be more representation but more gridlock.

Ohio voters understand this instinctively.

When voters enter the voting booth, they aren't simply choosing the candidate they like best. They are choosing the candidate they believe can actually win and govern. That's why third-party candidates rarely gain lasting traction.

Gallup recently found Congress has a 10% approval rating while 86% of Americans disapprove of its performance. If voter frustration alone could create a successful third party, one would already exist. 

The biggest political movements of the past several decades didn't create successful third parties. They transformed existing parties.

The Reagan movement reshaped Republicans. The Tea Party reshaped Republicans. Donald Trump reshaped Republicans. Bernie Sanders pushed Democrats significantly to the left on economic issues.

The most effective way to change American politics has been to persuade one of the existing parties to adopt new ideas.

A political party capable of winning statewide elections in Ohio must appeal to suburban voters, rural voters, urban voters, working-class families, business owners and countless others.

Ohio's ballot-access laws often receive criticism, but they also reflect an important principle. Candidates and parties should demonstrate a meaningful level of public support before receiving a place on the ballot. Reasonable requirements help ensure elections remain focused on serious candidates with genuine backing.

On Election Day, voters generally know what Republicans stand for and what Democrats stand for. The parties provide an organizing structure that helps voters evaluate candidates and hold elected officials responsible for results.

If Republicans fail, voters know whom to blame.

If Democrats fail, voters know whom to blame.

Accountability becomes far more difficult when responsibility is spread among multiple parties constantly negotiating shifting alliances.

For all its frustrations, the two-party system remains the most practical way to govern a diverse nation and a diverse state like Ohio.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they want a third party. Only 15% are strongly willing to vote for one. Congress is viewed favorably by only 10% of the public, yet voters continue to work through the existing parties rather than abandon them. Americans may dislike the two-party system, but they continue to choose it because it remains the most practical vehicle for turning ideas into governing majorities. 

Voters need the parties to do a better job listening.

Rob Scott is the Kettering Clerk of Court, an attorney and a small-business owner. Contact him at rob@robscott.us.