Be assured, political candidates will throw a party or two when the final totals of election 2020 are tabulated and announced. Winners will celebrate. Losers will usually concede, thank their volunteers, give the press a short blurb, and weather the storm. Beyond the individual candidates, the political parties will give us a show of how party politics will shape our nation until the next election cycle. Editorial pundits will run the full gamut of dire and depressing facts of life under the newly elected regime. Party time will ooze out of the daily routines as parties capture the oval office, seats in congress, eventually the judicial appointments, and in state houses around the nation. Knowing the truth about party politics is an important strategy in being prepared for the election.
American political parties were part of our governing processes in the early years of our representative republic. When Mr.'s Hamilton and Madison wrote Federalist 9 and 10, respectively, there were warnings about factions gaining control of the government. Still, as early as 1787 two prominent groups were the Federalists and anti-Federalists, those favoring a strong central government and those desiring more states rights. Today there are 224 state-level ballot-qualified political party affiliates in the United States. The Democrat and Republican parties are approved in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. Three other parties--- The Libertarian Party (37 states), The Green Party (26 states) and The Constitution Party (14 states), complete the listing of the five major political parties in the United States.
Their political preferences and agenda items are the stuff of legalese and poli-speak, written in an approved party platform. These platforms are the official statements of the standards and beliefs of the political parties. Usually candidates for elected office campaign under the banner of one of the political parties. In most instances these candidates affirm the party platform and receive backing, financial and media support, from the party. Knowing where we personally stand on most campaign issues is the foundational principle of election decisions. Knowing where the candidates and parties stand is important too, the deal being to align ourselves with candidates supportive of our principles.
You can Google your way around all of the party politics and campaign issues. Below are six web connections that may provide information you need to make wise election decisions. Each line is annotated for content. Click the "Here" blue button and you can read a short article about political parties in the United States, and the platforms of the five most prominent political parties. Each of us should read and study them to determine our vote in the November 3 election.
Brief Wikipedia article about political parties. Here.
Democrat platform. Here.
Republican platform. Here.
Libertarian Platform. Here.
Green Party. Here.
Constitution Party. Here.
Wisdom should be our guide in such detailed study. Election 2020 is going to elect a President, Vice President, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, 35 of 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, 13 state and territorial governors, and hundreds of state and local offices. We will all need wisdom is making these decisions. Practical James wrote his Epistle with wisdom as a central theme.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without
reproach, and it will be given him.
James 1: 5, ESV
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his
works in the meekness of wisdom.
James 3: 13, ESV
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of
mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
James 3: 17, ESV
It's going to be a wild and tumultuous election season. This is the kind of wisdom we need, the wisdom from above. Pray for it. Examine the issues of the political parties, and be prepared to resist all the hype, so with wisdom from above, we can cast our votes on November 3.
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