ABSTRACT
The fact that the United States has the oldest and strongest two-party system on the globe is, for many, particularly foreign observers, a bewildering phenomenon. America appears to have all the ingredients for a vibrant and enduring multiparty system—an increasingly multiracial and multiethnic population, substantial regional variation, diverse and conflicting economic and social interests, a history of sectional conflicts, and substantial disparities in the distribution of wealth. There is no single explanation for dualism in the American party system. Rather, a combination of factors has encouraged its development and contributes to its maintenance. This combination of influences includes special historical circumstances, public attitudes, and institutional arrangements and procedures governing elections. Political dualism in the United States has been facilitated by the pattern of popular political beliefs and attitudes among the citizenry. A variety of institutional arrangements in the United States operates to encourage and perpetuate the two-party system and frustrate the aspirations of parties that would challenge Republican-Democratic dominance.
