Podcast Episode 105: Political Parties

Inquiring listeners want to know: has the United States always had a “two party system” and is that system codified in the Constitution? The answer is no to both, though there have always been factions in American government. Our “national” focus on American politics precludes us from looking to state and local solutions to problems and also distorts our understanding of the American political system. I give you a history lesson on American parties and a structural look at why general government seems to create a “two party” climate.