Torch, Spring/Summer 2008

24 TORCH / Summer 2006 22 TORCH T he 2008 presidential election looms before us — as impossible to ignore as rising gas prices and the faltering real estate market. Political parties and special interest groups continue to champion the qualities of their candidate over the opposition. Conservatives and liberals alike claim to have the solutions to the problems facing our country, and yet, despite all the talk about “change,” we have this feeling deep down that there is very little real change from administration to administration. So, we wonder: Does the two-party system that serves as the foundation of American politics still work? Perhaps a brief examination of its historical development will provide insight into how that system functions today. Elephants , Donkeys , and American Politics By David L. Rich, D.P.A.