Party government, also known as responsible parties, is an idea supported by people who believe that strong government could be efficient to deal with economic and social problems at national levels. This “party government” is significantly different from the traditional American limited government, including a clear statement about principles, accountable candidates, differentiated campaigns, and responsible officeholders for party programs.
For the United States to create responsible party government, there are three major prerequisites. Strong presidents such as Reagan and Bush can make the public recognize the gap between parties and have control over the Congress on bills and policies. However, such powerful presidents would bring a “presidential government” instead of responsible parties. The external environment also contributes to party government, especially at the time of crisis. The crisis would bring both parties
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For a globalizing world, people who favor the strong party government suggest that responsible parties are essential for problems such as global warming and terrorism.
However, the advantage of party government cannot compensate its disadvantages. First and foremost, the nature of party government would increase the conflicts in American politics. The party government does represent the majority, meaning that there is potential for some minorities and interests groups are not properly represented. This would lead to further conflicts in politics. Also, when legislators are fixed for party positions long enough, it is possible for them to lose the incentive to represent public citizens, making the entire system more rigid and less efficient for providing solutions to