162 PART Two • The PolITIcs of AmeRIcAn DemocRAcy
Republican overreach. The Republican House elected
in 2010 included a large contingent loyal to the Tea Party
movement. These legislators were pledged to oppose
any compromise with the Democrats—even though
the Democratic Party still controlled the Senate and the
presidency.
The uncompromising spirit of the Republicans received
its greatest test in June and July of 2011, when House
Republicans refused to lift the nation’s debt ceiling unless
the Democrats accepted large cuts in spending. President
Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner
reached a compromise at the end of July, but the threat
to the nation’s ability to meet its obligations damaged the
popularity of everyone concerned.The 2012 elections. In 2012, Obama was reelected by a
clear margin—four percentage points in the popular vote.
We show the state-by-state results in Figure 7–2 on the
following page. While the voters favored the Democrats,
the results were hardly a crushing blow to the Republicans.
Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate, had done well.
The Republicans lost seats in Congress but remained in
control of the House.
Still, exit polls showed that Hispanics now cast 10 per-
cent of the vote, a new high, and Obama won 71 per-
cent of that vote. Some political observers argued that the
Republicans should modify their immigration policies in
an attempt to court Latinos. Others pointed to a deeper
problem. Government programs are widely popular among
most Hispanics, and also among the growing population of Asian Americans. Republicans
were simply not doing well with groups that were growing in numbers—an ominous
portent for the future.why hAs The
Two-PARTy sysTem enDuReD?
There are several reasons why two major parties have dominated the political landscape in
the United States for almost two centuries. These reasons have to do with (1) the historical
foundations of the system, (2) political socialization and practical considerations, (3) the
winner-take-all electoral system, and (4) state and federal laws favoring the two-party
system.The historical foundations
of the Two-Party system
As we have seen, at many times in American history one preeminent issue or dispute has
divided the nation politically. In the beginning, Americans were at odds over ratifying the
Constitution. After the Constitution went into effect, the power of the federal government
became the major national issue. Thereafter, the dispute over slavery divided the nation,Governor Susana Martinez (R., N.M.) addresses
the Republican National Convention in 2012. Why do
political parties often choose governors as presidential
candidates? (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images)LO6: Give reasons why the
two-party system has endured in
America, and evaluate the impact
of third parties and independents
on U.S. politics.
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