Politics 101: United States Government

By: Ozwald Balfour

The two party political system in the US means that one or the other party runs the government and the country based election results. Additionally, in some states or regions of the country, one of the parties may be dominant for a period of time. The southern states, now Republican, were firmly Democratic in the 1960s. Utahans were once Democrats. Political winds always bring change.

Voters change sides too. Hispanics voted for George W Bush in 2000 then for Obama 2008. President Lincoln freed the slaves and Blacks voted Republican until Democrats supported Civil Rights laws ending racial discrimination in the 1960s. Republicans never regained the Black vote.

We The People

Remember Ross Perrot's Reform Party? Well, it was more of a movement than a party. Some Republicans argued that George H Bush lost to Bill Clinton because of Perrot's Third Party factor. What goes around comes around. Ralph Nader and the Green Party may have cost Al Gore the Presidency in 2000. As important as those two electoral events were, the leaders and parties of the 'Third Right or Left' are soon a foot note in the political history books and in the minds of the people. Now it’s the Tea Party’s turn.

The US political system is unique in the 'The more things change the more they remain the same.' Political change in the rest of the world is certainly more dramatic, even traumatic. In some countries winning is everything because the losers may be forced in to exile. In the US losers just threaten to leave but they never do. Where will they go, if freedom is what they cherish?

What are the solutions to our present and future dilemmas? For starters, (1) Adherence to the Constitution, (2) Respect for the Rule of Law, (3) Civility, (4) Exercise Your Right To Vote and (5) Fundamental Fairness in Representative Democracy. Above all, love of God and country.

Ozwald Balfour is Executive Editor of ViralPress.Com, an independent news and information service on line. Balfour earned a degree in International Communications – Media & International Politics from the University of Utah (1984). He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Film Institute. Balfour’s interest include travel, politics and media.