Are you a Republican who doesn’t agree that this is a particularly appropriate time for us to engage in a foreign war? Or maybe you’re a Democrat who believes that federal spending needs to be reined in, perhaps even trimming programs like Medicare?
Based on the current state of our two-party system, you might be considered a RINO or a DINO, a traitor to your party, or a person who does not deserve a voice. Political parties have become especially strident in recent years, where membership may sign you up for a whole list of positions you’re expected to feel strongly about and support.
Two hundred fifty years ago, our Founding Fathers debated the wisdom of including political parties in the Constitution they were writing. Called “factions,” the framers were concerned that if these groups were formalized in the Constitution, they would divide the republic and put private interest above the public good. George Washington in particular worried that parties were a threat to national unity. Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, believed that parties would help provide the necessary opposition in order to balance the power of the government.
.png)
