Our two-party system, our republican form of government,
is successful because it is premised on contrasting ideas that offer
the American people clear choices. The idea that wins the majority of the
people (or elected representatives) to its side, wins. The system falls
apart not when differing ideas exist and are debated vigorously, but rather
when the debate is shut down.
When the debate is either carried out in an undemocratic way–behind
closed doors where special interests and money rather than the ideas or
people’s interests prevail–or is shut down through scare tactics and
division, democracy is diminished.