Country Coalitions: Abandonment of Two-Party Electoral Norms in West Virginia
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The same two political parties have governed the United States since the Fifth Party System took hold in about 1933. As with many issues, West Virginians hold the Appalachian tradition of bucking the system, as literally as an utter defiance of that system. In the state, it is generally the case that one of the two major political parties— Democratic and Republican—holds the state legislature and that two-party governance indicative of a single-member district plurality electoral system is achieved through coalitions within the dominant party, somewhat similar to governance in the opposite proportional representation system. This paper will examine the state's history of foregoing the two-party SMDP system in favor of a recurring approach of single-party dominance and coalition governing. This investigation will be accomplished through a variety of methods which may include analysis of statewide voting patterns coupled with the respective eras' political schemes, historical evaluation of public opinion on issues and the respective then-governments, and comparative studies of similarly-situated foreign and domestic democracies. These will include examination of the Democratic and Republican parties of this and surrounding or similarly situated states, in addition to the national parties. The paper will ultimately propose one or more potential causes for this phenomenon, significant even in a state of potentiality because virtually no research has been done on this question. Per the limited preexisting literature eligible for review, the intent is to yield propositions within the question, more so than it is to establish or attempt to establish concrete findings.
Country Coalitions: Abandonment of Two-Party Electoral Norms in West Virginia
Drinko Library 138
The same two political parties have governed the United States since the Fifth Party System took hold in about 1933. As with many issues, West Virginians hold the Appalachian tradition of bucking the system, as literally as an utter defiance of that system. In the state, it is generally the case that one of the two major political parties— Democratic and Republican—holds the state legislature and that two-party governance indicative of a single-member district plurality electoral system is achieved through coalitions within the dominant party, somewhat similar to governance in the opposite proportional representation system. This paper will examine the state's history of foregoing the two-party SMDP system in favor of a recurring approach of single-party dominance and coalition governing. This investigation will be accomplished through a variety of methods which may include analysis of statewide voting patterns coupled with the respective eras' political schemes, historical evaluation of public opinion on issues and the respective then-governments, and comparative studies of similarly-situated foreign and domestic democracies. These will include examination of the Democratic and Republican parties of this and surrounding or similarly situated states, in addition to the national parties. The paper will ultimately propose one or more potential causes for this phenomenon, significant even in a state of potentiality because virtually no research has been done on this question. Per the limited preexisting literature eligible for review, the intent is to yield propositions within the question, more so than it is to establish or attempt to establish concrete findings.
