American Political Parties Political Parties Essay

Regarding the rights of seniors, the Affordable Care Act closed the so-called 'doughnut hole' that did not cover a specific middle range of Medicare drug coverage and the Democrats have strongly resisted attempts to privatize Social Security (What we stand for: Social Security, 2011, Democrats).

As is obvious from my analysis perhaps, I side with the Democratic Party. The Republicans have failed to provide any meaningful strategies for healthcare reform, and I have personally seen people in my family struggle with their insurance companies to pay for various procedures. Insurance companies, unless regulated by the government will strive to not cover care rather than to do so, because they are profit-making organizations.

The discrepancy between the rich and the poor has widened during times of extended Republican executive and legislative rule because of the strong emphasis on deregulation and cutting taxes. Even wealthy public figures like Warren Buffet have stated in public that the rich pay proportionately fewer taxes in America than in other major industrialized nations. Regarding national defense, the Democratic Part has shown greater willingness to work with other governments so it does not have to shoulder the burden of being the world's policeman alone. Also, a nation cannot be strong if it is increasingly difficult for the middle class to thrive and prosper. Although I will affiliate myself with the Democratic Party, I am suspicious of the two-party system in general.Rather than foster productive debate and dialogue, the current system seems to encourage polarization and entrenchment, as the party out of power tries to stymie the party in power from taking proactive steps to remedy current problems. Some of the most interesting and effective leaders of recent date, such as Mayor Michael Bloomberg, have only loosely affiliated themselves with a national party and have been willing to propose effective legislative solutions based upon issues rather than the need to adhere to a specific ideology or to get elected with party support. American voters must have the courage to vote for innovative and iconoclastic political voices if there is to be any meaningful change in the nation.

References

2008 Republican platform: Economy. (2011). National Republican Party.

Retrieved September 3, 2011 at http://www.gop.com/2008Platform/Economy.htm

2008 Republican platform: Health care. (2011). National Republican Party.

Retrieved September 3, 2011 at http://www.gop.com/2008Platform/HealthCare.htm

What we stand for: Healthcare. (2011). Democrats. Retrieved September 3, 2011 at http://www.democrats.org/issues/health_care

What we stand for: National Security. (2011). Democrats. Retrieved September 3, 2011 at http://www.democrats.org/issues/national_security

What we stand for: Social Security. (2011). Democrats. Retrieved September 3, 2011 at http://www.democrats.org/issues/retirement_security.....