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Week 4 Discussion: Political Parties
Please choose one of the following questions and react to it briefly in the discussion boards.
Discussion question options:
- Would the US be better off with a viable third party running candidates in the 2022 congressional elections or the 2024 presidential election? Why? What would these candidates stand for? If not, why would it be bad (or not impactful) to have viable third party candidates?
- How much power should the voters in a party have over who the presidential nominee is for that party? How much power should party elites have? Do you think party elites should have had more or less power in deciding the nominee in 2016 and 2020 (for both Democrats and Republicans)?
- Do you think that increasing partisan polarization is harmful for the United States? Why? If not, why not?
Week 4 Discussion: Political Parties Answer
Do you think that increasing partisan polarization is harmful for the United States? Why? If not, why not?
I think that increasing partisan polarization is harmful for the United States. For one, extreme polarization leads to frequent conflicts and opposition. The two parties and their supporters will refuse to see the good points of the opposing position. They will refuse to compromise even if it will lead to the best solutions to the problem.