The American Electoral System Has Intensified The Polarization Of Contemporary American Political Parties

Political polarization is the most obvious feature of contemporary American politics,with the Republicans increasingly leaning conservative and the Democrats increasingly leaning liberal,the distance on the ideological spectrum between the two parties is widening,while partisan homogeneity within each party is increasing.Party polarization also dominates mass polarization,and as political elites polarize,mass polarization and party identification are strengthening.The history of American parties reveals that party polarization has frequently occurred throughout American history,it shows new features currently,such as increased partisanship,increased importance of moral issues,and a spatial distribution of party polarization.As party polarization deepens,parties are competing with each other more and more intensely in elections.American electoral system,by its own characteristics,is also exacerbating the already existing party polarization.According to the electoral systems of presidential and congressional elections,the parties in America are relatively "loose." The parties are not accountable to the government,candidates tend to be over their parties,extremists tend to be more likely to gain support.In the pre-election,the voters are often committed partisan voters whose preferences are usually more extreme than those in the general election.The candidates tend to pander to the partisan voters.In addition,states controlled by different parties will enact laws that help their own parties to win and create an electoral advantage.These measures are intensifying political polarization.Election rules such as "sore loser" laws,gerrymandering,and voter ID laws create advantages for extremists,increase partisan homogeneity,and intensify electoral competition between the two parties.In the context of party polarization,it has become increasingly difficult to reach consensus among both the public and the elites.American society and politics are becoming divided.At the same time,political polarization has led to a "more accountable two-party system," in which parties must improve their policy representation in order to win majority support.With the strengthening of party discipline,parties have become more consistent in their claims.The reform of the U.S.electoral system is imperative to mitigate the trend of party polarization and to ensure healthy competition in elections.