I'm not just falling back on this question, I think that the minority party is an interesting thing to research because its important... how much do they really matter? What is the role of the minority party in a democracy?
First of all, I think that minority parties become more important when the majority party isn't as large. For instance, in the Senate currently, the democrats are the majority party, but by less than two seats. If they controlled 10 more seats, they would have a much stronger majority and the role of the minority party would be weaker. I believe this is true because as the majority gets larger, it requires fewer votes from the minority party in order for a bill to be passed, or for a veto to be overridden (if that's a word). Larger minority parties force compromise between the two parties.
With that said, I believe that the minority party, even when it is small, is very important to a democracy. First of all, it gives a voice to the electorate who's party may not have won the majority vote. Secondly, it helps to shape policy with its votes in the legislature. Thirdly, it helps fight corruption. With two parties our system is plagued with corruption, can you imagine what it would be like if there were no minority party to "check" the actions of the majority? I believe that in this sense, and the others listed above, the minority party has a very important role in a democracy.
Our book points out that the length of time a party has been the minority plays an important role, but I would like to disagree with that. I think that regardless of how many years a party is the minority, it is still going to push its policy and fight to be elected. If that were the case, Republicans would have given up on running for House seats back in the 1950s, since it was nearly 30 years before they took control again (according the graph on page 147 of the book).
Do you think that the minority party is important in democracy?
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I also believe that the minority party is important in our government. You make some very good points. One being that the minority party represents the people of America that’s party is not in power. There is always a need for some sort of opposition whether it is big or small. If there were only one that had complete majority rule then our government would become even more corrupt than it almost certainly is now. The minority party also does help shape legislation, which is important because the people in the minority of the country still deserve to have their ideas and views represented in government and legislation. The minority partying in government has its role and it is an important one that should not be underestimated.
I agree with you. The minority party is really important in a democracy. They have what I believe to be the most important power of all, the power to filibuster. If they feel strongly enough against a piece of legislation or a confirmation in the senate, they can use this technique and still need 60 votes to end a filibuster. I also agree with you that the difference between the minority and majority is important. With only 2 votes representing a majority, that makes the minority even more important
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