The disadvantages of a two-party system of government

THE DISADVANTAGES OF A TWO-PARTY SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

Introduction

A two-party system is the type in which only two parties are allowed by law to operate as political parties. In other cases however, the law allows others to also operate by the others are overshadowed by activities of the two major parties to the point where it looks as if only two parties are in the country.

DISADVANTAGES

Entrenchment of one political tradition

One of the disadvantages that countries practicing a two-party system face is that there is the fear that one political tradition may dominate the political landscape for a very long time. If this happens, it leaves no room at all for the other political tradition to come to power though the idea is to let them alternate in a competitive manner.

Could degenerate into political instability

Another disadvantage of a two-party system of government is that it could lead to political instability. After one political tradition has dominated the politics of the country for a long time and the other political tradition finds itself constantly in opposition no matter their campaign efforts, they may resort to other unorthodox means to gain political power which can lead to political instability.

Voters can be less analytical

In a country which practices a two-party system of government, some of the electorates vote in a certain direction because most supporters of the party are voting in that direction. The electorates do not assess the various candidates based on their qualification, background, what they have done in the past and whether when put in similar positions; they can achieve same level of success. They just vote because the candidate has been endorsed by the party. This does not allow electorates to critically analyze the people put forward by their party.

Limitation of voter choices

Another disadvantage of a two-party system is that it limits the scope of choice for the electorates. The system has a way of reducing almost every issue to two unyielding camps. This way, other views are completely relegated to the back bench. If there were more parties, more alternatives would have been available for the voters to choose from. This system also forces the supporters of the party to vote for any candidate that emerges as the presidential candidate of their party whether they like him or not.

 

It discourages free-thinking

Also, a two-party system does not allow people to think independently. In a de facto two-party system, where other smaller parties exist, people consider a vote for a third party as a waste of votes especially when the third–party fails to win any parliamentary seat or the presidential slot. This does not encourage individuals to think independently.

Parliamentarian may lose their independence

In many two-party systems, there is strong party influence, overseen by the party whip. It is a game of numbers so any loss of a party vote could have serious repercussions. For this reason, parliamentarians have to be whipped into line. They are not most of the time allowed to vote according to their own assessment of issues and conscience. Under such a circumstance, the parliamentarian tends to lose his independent thinking.

ALSO READ:
The advantages of a two-party system

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