In this article you will learn about the Two Party System in Political Science.
Two Party System
It is a party system in a state where there are either only two nearly equally popular political parties or two main political parties with several minor and less influential political parties. It is also called as Bi-Party System. Another feature is that each of the two parties gets the opportunity and power to rule from time to time.
In some political systems where there are only two political parties, the alternation of power takes place like the swing of the pendulum from one (party) to the other party (second) at regular intervals. In some other political systems with bi-party systems, the two major parties share power from time to time but occasionally the other minor parties also get the chance to rule in the company of one of the two major political parties. In other words, in a state with a two party system, the minor parties can, at times, get some chance to share power with either of the two major political parties. The USA, United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg and Ireland have Bi-party system.
In the UK, the two major political parties are the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. The ruling power keeps on shifting from one party to the other. The Liberal Party, now known as the Liberal Democratic Party, and some other parties are of minor importance. Likewise in the USA, the two major political parties are the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. There are several other political parties, but these play only a minor role in the political process.
Merits of Two Party System
1. Ensures Real Majority Rule
2. Easy Choice for the Votes
3. Very useful for a Parliamentary form of Government
4. Stable Government
5. Continuity in Politics
6. Strong Government
7. Orderly Politics
8. Easy to fix Responsibility
9. Ensures Responsible behaviour of the Ruling Party
10. Opportunity for a Change of Government
11. Less chance for Authoritarianism
Thus, there are several merits of Bi-party system. Many scholars regard it to be the best type of party system, particularly for the working of a parliamentary form of government.
Demerits of Two Party System
1. Cannot be possible in every state
2. The majority party can misuse its power
3. Limited Choice
4. Division of Nation into two sharp groups
5. All sections of society do not get proper representation
6. Legislature gets divided into two parts
7. Unduly big importance of the leader of the majority and the leader of opposition
8. Role of smaller parties becomes meaningless
Thus, there are several demerits of the bi-party system.
However, it is accepted by all that the merits of the two party system are more than the demerits. It is regarded as a better party system than the one party system and the multi-party system. Several political scientists even describe the bi-party system as the best system. One party system is the worst. It is undemocratic. Multi-party system is a source of political confusion and disorder. A Two party or Bi-party system is therefore the best.
This article on Two Party System in Political Science is contributed by Dipshikha Anand. If you like LawStudyPoint.com do follow us on our Twitter handle.