Anthony Downs wrote An Economic Theory of Democracy, a book discussing his ideas about our political government. His questions why the US has a two party system and bases his answer on the normal distribution curve. A normal distribution curve is a propability distribution that describes data that clusters around a mean or average. It looks like a bell curve- actually it is a bell curve. There are four "assumptions" of Downs.
Four Assumptions of Downs
1. Two party systems provide stable and effective gov where society has a large measure of i ideological consensus.
2. In two party systems, it is “profitable” for parties to resemble one another; not in a multiparty system
3. In a society with ideological equilibrium, the number of parties and ideological positions will stabilize over time and perpetuate itself
4. In a two party system, it is rational for each party to encourage voters to behave irrationally (non-ideology) by making party platforms vague and ambiguous
In Actual Terms You'll Understand
(United States as Example)
(United States as Example)
1. Because the United States has a "large measure of ideological consesus" (most Americans are moderates) the two party system is stable and effective....enough. (We have a two party system - Republicans and Democrats)
2. It's profitable for the parties to resemble each other. Imagine the normal distribution curve. If the middle (the big hump) is the mean (moderate) and on either end is Republican and the other Democrat, half of the curve is Republican and the other Democrat. It would be profitable if each side tried to move toward the middle of the curve. Profitable as in gaining more voters.
3. The United States has been a two party system since the 1850's... I think it's stabilized over the last 150 years.
4. By making broad and vauge platforms, neither party is alienating voters.
Downs makes sense, but why we really care is a mystery to me.
2. It's profitable for the parties to resemble each other. Imagine the normal distribution curve. If the middle (the big hump) is the mean (moderate) and on either end is Republican and the other Democrat, half of the curve is Republican and the other Democrat. It would be profitable if each side tried to move toward the middle of the curve. Profitable as in gaining more voters.
3. The United States has been a two party system since the 1850's... I think it's stabilized over the last 150 years.
4. By making broad and vauge platforms, neither party is alienating voters.
Downs makes sense, but why we really care is a mystery to me.
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