You will always have two parties in first past the goalpost elections, like you have in America.
Even if you had proportional representation so you'd get more parties, they'd all collapse into two major coalitions, that happens in European parliaments.
We used to have regional political parties, back before they were absorbed into FDR's new deal coalition along with all the TR style progressive republicans and became democrats.
Not quite right. The first national parties were back back by the election of Adams, after Washington had his two terms. Hamilton organized the Federalists and Jefferson the Democratic-Republicans. You had regional variations, so to speak, in party ideology. Southern Democrats were conservative but Northern big city Democrats were liberals, until Nixon converted them to Republicans. Likewise, Rockefeller Republicans in the northeast were more liberal and these days are the libertarianish liberals in Vermont and Maine.
There's a decent book on this called "The Partisan Sort" that makes a pretty good argument for how Democrats got more liberal and Republicans more conservative.
Duverger's Law.
You will always have two parties in first past the goalpost elections, like you have in America.
Even if you had proportional representation so you'd get more parties, they'd all collapse into two major coalitions, that happens in European parliaments.
Never heard of it. I'll have to research that and get back to you with questions or thoughts about it. Thanks
We used to have regional political parties, back before they were absorbed into FDR's new deal coalition along with all the TR style progressive republicans and became democrats.
Not quite right. The first national parties were back back by the election of Adams, after Washington had his two terms. Hamilton organized the Federalists and Jefferson the Democratic-Republicans. You had regional variations, so to speak, in party ideology. Southern Democrats were conservative but Northern big city Democrats were liberals, until Nixon converted them to Republicans. Likewise, Rockefeller Republicans in the northeast were more liberal and these days are the libertarianish liberals in Vermont and Maine.
There's a decent book on this called "The Partisan Sort" that makes a pretty good argument for how Democrats got more liberal and Republicans more conservative.