For too long, the American two-party system has forced voters to take sides. Democrats have paraded as the "left" party, but in actuality, they represent a far more centrist ideal. It is time for a third, truly left party to be instituted, and with the support of powerful politicians such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, together we can establish a system that is considerably more just and allows the voices of the people to be heard.

The current two party system is an affront to democracy and a direct attack on the power of the people. It silences the voices of those who need to be heard. People with different views need to be able to speak their voice without being muffled or suppressed by corrupt and biased organizations that don't agree with their views.

In the 2020 presidential race, we see this firsthand. We watched as Bernie Sanders climbed towards the nomination, as the left finally came close to power, and we watched as it was snatched away again. And so the left has turned dejectedly toward Biden, disappointed and forced to suppress their opinions and support a candidate they did not choose.

This is not democracy. This is not the will of the people. This is the will of those with money, with power, and with influence. We need a solution that benefits the common people. We need a multi-party system.

When these parties assume too much power, they overpower the voice of the people. With a duopoly controlling the levels of government, we can hardly say this is a democratic system of government. 

This two party system has caused animosity and loathing between each group. Each side will relentlessly fight for power. Their main priority is not to represent the people, which should be the utmost priority for a democratic system, but to defeat the other party. 

Instead of causing this hate and dissent by dividing us up via parties, why not create a multi-party system allowing us to express our views without being silenced? The divide in American politics is evident, and it is dangerous for our unity and strength as a nation and as a democracy.

But would a multi-party system work? Let’s look to our friends in Europe to answer that. Ireland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, and Poland are just some of the many countries that have instituted a multi-party system. Nearly all of these countries rank higher than the United States according to the World Democracy Index. 

And not to mention, the United States ranks 25th, and is categorized under “Flawed Democracy.” Most Americans already support this. According to a poll conducted by Gallup, 57% of Americans believe that a third party is needed. 

We understand, of course, that there are other parties in American politics. But these parties are fundamentally flawed in that they do not have the support or power the duopoly has. The goal is to push more independent or left-leaning Congressmen and women to break from the Democratic Party and push for a third, more mainstream party, or even to join and lend support to these other parties.

By slowly splintering off from the two major blocks, the people will have more choice and more power. With the support of politicians like Bernie Sanders, there might be a way to promote a third party to be a viable candidate in national politics. Combined with anti-corporate funding policies and ranked-choice voting, a multiparty system could be a viable tool in reshaping the American political landscape. 

The American people deserve to be heard. They deserve a choice. They deserve their voices and their views, their goals and their beliefs, to echo throughout Capitol Hill, to be noticed. And as long as we are bound by the shackles of a two-party system, we do not have true democracy.

Sources:    World Democracy Index - https://worlddemocracyindex.com/ || Gallup Poll - https://news.gallup.com/poll/244094/majority-say-third-party-needed.aspx Written by Soham Bhattacharya, Kavin Ganesan, and Aparna Prabhakar