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The Maroon Page Monday, November 4,1996 The Misunderstood Two-Party System by chucky meadows world & local news co-editor When the Founding Fathers were es tablishing the mechanisms for American government, they set out to provide a system that would allocate a consider- i able amount of democratic authority to the people in the most practical manner possible. In keeping with the theme of practicality, the party system was frowned upon. This seems to be due in part to perceived disorder in the British Parliament, reasonably understood to be the result of party rivalries. To- day, the popular dis- satisfaction with the two-party system that has developed in this country is centered not around the pro fusion of competition, but the lack of genuine and meaningful debate. Many argue that the Republican and Demo cratic platforms so closely resemble each other as to eliminate any significant amount of choice, thus there has.arisen a new abundance of Independents and third party advocates. Ross Perot's Re form Party, the Libertarians, and even the Green Party have seen new interest in their once ob scure and foreign ideas and doc trines. At first glance, this new and di vergent surge of political interest may seem to be an indicator of an acculturated, edu cated populace who are actively partici- • pating in the democratic process. Un fortunately, the recent disdain toward the two party system is in truth a symp tom of the rapidly decaying esteem for our political institutions. It is perhaps human nature to blame our leaders when we find our society on a wayward trend, but the phenomenon that robbed the two party system of its legitimacy is largely the responsibility of those on Capitol Hill. Nationally elected officials are indeed guilty of let ting them selves get lost in the culture of the Beltway, an esoteric culture of distinctive norms and value sys tems that exist within the District of Co lumbia. Indeed there exists within the nation's capital a force that re-socializes ( those who function in that environment. The perceived similarities of the Republican and Democratic parties are a result -of a conscious effort to garner support by putting forth a mirage of universal ap peal. This effort serves to cloud the true tenets of the ideology of both parties, making it confusing to those outside of the D.C. culture. What we are left with is a watered-down, spin-doctored ver sion of the parties' stances, which results in an understandable resentment of a system that in theory is one of the best in the world. UtwtuiA 'PIwio^ia|)laj Specializing In Weddings & Special Events Photographer & Consultant DENNIS THOMAS 770 603 0090