Political Parties and Interest Groups

Political parties contribute a vital part in American politics by keeping the government accountable to the citizens. Throughout the history of America, great political parties have always put their principles above personalities and candidates. They have a mechanism that acquires institutionalized resources to maintain their coalitions and performance. There are divergent opinions and viewpoints on whether political parties in America are getting stronger or weaker. My perspective is that American political parties have abandoned their fundamental mandates of defending democratic ideals and citizens’ interests. Presently, American parties are becoming weaker and merely function to moderate politics. There are concerns of extreme polarization in the Senate and an arguably ineffectual Congress. Besides, political parties have missed out on their mandate to ensure elected officials prioritize national interests. Undue influence by interest groups compromises the provision of services to Americans. Interest groups dictate the public opinion and, in turn, compromise political parties from enforcing checks and balances in America’s leadership. Interest groups favor specific policies while compromise fundamental and genuine concerns of Americans.