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⚡️Civics Thread:⚡️ What is a political party? Do we want them? Why? 
A political party is a
⚽️🏀🏈⚾️team of people
trying to control government👨⚖️🇺🇸
by winning elected office.
⚽️🏀🏈⚾️team of people
trying to control government👨⚖️🇺🇸
by winning elected office.
Note that a political party's team members do not necessarily need to agree about policy. They just need to agree to work together to win power by winning elections.
Political parties are essential to democracy.
They help voters hold the whole government accountable for its actions.
Instead of voting against a single incumbent, voters can vote all the members of a party in order to show dissatisfaction with govt action.
They help voters hold the whole government accountable for its actions.
Instead of voting against a single incumbent, voters can vote all the members of a party in order to show dissatisfaction with govt action.
Competitive political parties help hold politicians' feet to the fire and reduce corruption.
Voters don't have the time or bandwidth to investigate every single candidate for every single office. Parties give voters a useful shortcut to help them make decisions.
Sometimes parties have clear positions on issues that are distinct from competitors.
Sometimes they don't.
Whether they take clear positions depends on who is active in internal party politics and who can help it win elections.
Sometimes they don't.
Whether they take clear positions depends on who is active in internal party politics and who can help it win elections.
Reforms that try to reduce the influence of political parties often backfire, empowering radical interests or personal factions.
Stay tuned for more on political party coalitions tomorrow!/end
Stay tuned for more on political party coalitions tomorrow!/end
