Political parties are here to stay
In a nation divided, in many cities and states, we find politics at the core of seemingly endless distress. At the same time, a discussion is emerging about the possible (negative) impact the two-party system, namely partisanship, has on the state of the union and its citizens.
Are political parties dangerous to democracy? In 1796, George Washington thought so, and U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), now in his fifth term, seemed to agree in a recent Philadelphia Magazine feature on the Bucks County congressman.
In his 1796 farewell address, Washington said political parties would undermine national unity and invite foreign influence, thus threatening democracy. And today there is a growing cadre of people also decrying the two-party system and blaming partisanship for the hyper-political state we are in. (In my small sampling, I didn’t hear any support for dismantling the two-party system.)
While unlikely to happen, bypassing the two-party system is a serious matter, something we, and politicians, party workers, and voters should think about, beginning with the purpose of a political party, which is to win elections. The Bucks County Republican and Democratic parties work toward that end year-round. The parties are well organized and welcoming. Our county’s political committees operate at the grassroots level with elected committee people who elect a party chair with clearly outlined duties. Parties are structured entities that recruit and vet candidates, raise money, and involve citizens in the process.
Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick was ranked five times as the most bipartisan member of Congress, based on his willingness and ability to work across-the-aisle. However, he is quoted by the magazine writer as “dreaming” of the elimination of political parties, or nonpartisanship. (And may it always be a “dream.”)
If it were possible to wipe out the two-party system, that would create a vacuum in the way we conduct the business of elections. I suppose the idea is that candidates will not run under the banner of a political party.
In Pennsylvania, school board and judicial candidates follow a process intended to dilute partisanship. Those candidates may cross-file, i.e., file petitions for the Democratic and Republican ballots in the spring primaries — a noble, nonpartisan idea that attempts to eliminate consideration of the candidate’s partisan leanings.
We see that in Bucks County’s November 2025 general election, judicial candidates for the county’s Court of Common Pleas cross-filed, that is, ran to appear on on both ballots. School board hopefuls could similarly eschew political affiliation. Yet all were “affiliated.”
Democrats and Republicans certainly have different perspectives and goals for governance, so all voters want to know more about the candidates before casting a vote. One of the many responsibilities of the political parties is disseminating candidate information on candidates they vetted and worked to elect. Parties also raise and fund campaigns and, most importantly, meet the duty to report all campaign finance information.
But if it were possible to eliminate political parties and their specific role in running elections, there would remain a need for an organization, candidates, and funding. For one, campaigns are expensive; obscenely so. It’s realistic to assume if the would-be nonpartisan candidates did not have the means to finance their own campaigns, special interest groups, or billionaires with a particular (unknown) ideology or goal most certainly would emerge to fill the gap.
And it’s unlikely these groups will offer a platform for citizen involvement in the process, which the founders envisioned. While these new groups may have no distinct political identity, they have a mission to win and achieve political power, just like Republicans and Democrats.
It’s interesting to note there is nothing in the U.S. Constitution about political parties. Apparently, the founders did not foresee a need or development of political parties. Today, we have fierce political partisanship and turmoil, with public “participation” occurring on the streets amid influencers with murky missions. George Washington wouldn’t know what to make of it.
It’s remarkable to see the two-party system has held up these many years, problematic as some believe it to be. But that is a consequence of elections.
Pat Wandling hosts Speak Your Piece weekdays at noon on WBCB 1490.
