Lesson 2: The U.S. Two-Party System

Why does the United States primarily have two major political parties?

Two-party system, Democratic Party, Republican Party, third parties, ballot access

Civics and Government standards related to the structure of the U.S. political system.

Understanding the structure and dynamics of the U.S. political system, which can provide context for reading comprehension passages.

This lesson will focus on the historical development and current state of the two-party system in the U.S. The purpose is to familiarize students with the dominant parties. (DOK Level 1: Recall)

Discuss current political leaders and their party affiliations. Analyze recent election results and the dominance of the two major parties.

Students might think third parties have never been influential or that the two major parties have always had the same platforms.

Support: Provide graphic organizers comparing the basic platforms of the Democratic and Republican parties.
Challenge: Have students research the history of a significant third party in the U.S. and its impact.

Short quiz identifying the two major parties and explaining one reason for the dominance of a two-party system.

Whiteboard or projector, markers, charts comparing the two major parties, articles or excerpts on the history of the two-party system.