Sunday, October 7, 2007
Role of Minority Parties in a Democracy
The minority party is a necessity in a democracy. A minority prevents the dominance that would be assured with a one party system. The government's system of checks and balances ensures that even if a party has dominance in both houses of congress, there are tools, such as filibustering, that members can use to maintain that system. Additionally, even if a party has control of both the House of Representatives, the Senate and has the Presidency, the minority party can still prevent a bill from passing. Also, the minority party can often help sway moderates or independents to vote a certain way on a particular issue. Also, the minority party contributes to the democratic process as it allows for dissenting opinions on issues.
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Having a minority party is definitely an asset to our political system. Looking back on the 'Federalist Papers' it was apparent that Hamilton and his backers wanted minority groups to have their say and not have the majority running the show. Granted this was so the numerical-minority of the affluent men he was within would not be outruled, but it was put in place to protect minority views none the less. Without the checks and balances within government and the voice for the minority factions it is possible that the government could be corrupted.
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