What is the importance of a two party system?

Answer 1

The "two-party system" has more to do with public perception, and very little to do with an actual established system. One speaks of the "two-party system" because most elected officials are members of one of the two major parties. Unfortunately, this perception causes most people to overlook candidates and ideas from other parties. A person will often support a candidate or party that doesn't line up with his or her own ideals simply because he or she isn't aware that there are more options than the two that are most often presented.

Answer 2

Unfortunately no, its not a particularly democratic way to run a country.

True democracy requires that every opinion is taken into account. This can only happen in a multi party system. By where if you feel strong enough about a particular subject (say free and fair health care for everyone), you can if you wish form your own party, and stand for election. If you get voted in, then that is the will of the people that they want free healthcare, and your views will directly count. If you don't get voted in, then its not what most people want as they voted for things that concern them more like keeping taxes lower by not paying for your healthcare system.

Answer 3

One cannot say that 2 party system is better. A party system is not something a country can choose. There is no general answer to the question. A highly and diversely populated country will need a multi party system to present the views of most of the population, while in a sparsely populated country, multi party system will only create a mess and lead to political instability.

Answer 4

A two party system has worked well for the US. It avoids many of the pitfalls of a parliamentary government where there are multiple political parties and various types of party alliances are often required to form a majority in order for the government to operate. In such situations, radical compromises may be required. The citizens in such a situation are not consulted regarding these various alliances, and unfavorable responses to the new party alliance may occur. In Israel today for example, the Prime Minister was forced to make an alliance with another party which demanded that the Israeli head of its Defense department had to be given to the leader of another party in order for the alliance to be finalized. A members of the prime minister's own party who held that position was in fact "replaced".In other parliamentary governments, such as in the UK, there is a two party system, a Labor and Conservative party which allows for efficient government operations.