5.1 The Two-Party System in Ohio

Again, a two-party system refers to a political system where two major parties dominate the electoral process and governance. The United States (including Ohio) operates under a two-party system made up of the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. These two parties dominate politics, and for decades in Ohio every winner of statewide or state legislative office, from governor to state representative, has been affiliated with one of them.

The United States has a two-party system mostly because of the way elections are set up. In most races, there is only one winner for each district, known as a single-member district, where only one representative is chosen to serve. In this setup, whoever gets the most votes takes the seat, a rule called winner-take-all. This system makes it hard for smaller parties to succeed. Voters often choose one of the two major parties—the Democrats or Republicans—so their vote has a better chance of helping decide the outcome.

Over time, history and political culture have reinforced this pattern. Rules about ballot access—the requirements candidates and parties must meet to appear on the ballot—along with campaign funding and media attention, also give advantages to the two main parties. As a result, third parties rarely win major offices, even if they influence debates and push new ideas.

In contrast, some countries use proportional representation, a system where seats in a legislature are divided based on the percentage of votes each party receives. This allows smaller parties to gain representation in proportion to their share of the vote, so more than two parties usually hold seats in government. For example, in Germany, if a party wins 15% of the national vote, it receives about 15% of the seats in parliament, giving voters more options beyond just two major parties.