Unit 3: Sick Of Political Parties, Unaffiliated Voters Are Changing Politics

The article Sick Of Political Parties, Unaffiliated Voters Are Changing Politics talks about the growing movement towards waning affiliation in the United States political spectrum. Many voters in Colorado, the majority in fact, are now registered Independent as opposed to the other two major parties. 39% of American voters are registered as Independent, higher than both Democrats, at 32%, and Republican, at 23%. In Florida, 44% of Hispanics are now independents, compared to 34% registered Democrat and 13% registered Republican. This makes Florida an even more hotly contested swing state due to the huge number of independent voters throughout the state. Lastly, in Arizona, Independents are attempting to band together in order to protest the lack of ability to vote in primaries and caucuses, and the fact that Independents are looked at as seemingly second class citizens.

The article pertains heavily to Unit 3 because a huge part of unit 3 is political parties. While not technically a political party, Independents play an enormous role in getting one of the two parties elected to the White House, and possibly destroying the two party system. The growing number of Independents is worrisome to both parties because they now have to impress not only their party, but also the steadily growing number of Independents. More and more, Independents are able to influence the way elections are swinging, something that is huge for the upcoming 2016 election. There is a huge party de-alignment within the younger voter base. Political parties are losing a great deal of traction with not only minority groups, but also the younger portion of the country to due a political disconnect. The future of the country is no longer in the hands of just the parties, but the ever increasing number of Independents. It will be interesting to see how this affects future elections, including the introduction of independent candidates.

Link to the Article: http://www.npr.org/2016/02/28/467961962/sick-of-political-parties-unaffiliated-voters-are-changing-politics