Do you believe parties in the US should become more similar or do you

believe democracy needs parties that are very different even if that results

in polarization?

In America, there has been an increase in polarization between two

dominant cultures which are represented by the ideologies of the two main

political parties. Even though ideologies seem incompatible, I believe,

polarization is an opportunity for democracy and it is not necessarily a

problem itself.

When politics is polarized between two political parties, voters have clear choices. Parties

have clearer agendas about what they stand for and this situation help voters to hold parties

accountable for their performance. For example, voting for a Democrat means more liberal

direction and voting for GOP means a more conservative direction.

Dworkin (2006) argues that Democracy can be healthy with no serious political
argument if there is nevertheless a broad consensus about what is to be done. It can be

healthy even if there is no consensus if it does have a culture of argument. But it cannot

remain healthy with deep and bitter divisions and no real argument, because it then

becomes only a tyranny of numbers.