For each question below, write at least a one-paragraph response that includes specific examples to support your argument.

The U.S. is often described as a two-party system. The Democrats and the Republicans are said to hold a duopoly, meaning that they share almost all the political power in the country. Several other countries have a larger number of parties. For example, Japan has at least four parties and Israel has at least twelve parties each vying for power in the elections. Please explain at least 2 ways in which the U.S. government and electoral process would change if a third party emerged and political power in the U.S. was split across three political parties instead of two.

The U.S. President is elected by the electoral college, not by the popular vote. So, a president can be elected when he/she has fewer votes than his/her opponent. Is this consistent with the notion of “government by the people”?