I'd like to see at least 4 major political parties in the U.S. (meaning they each get at least 15-30% of the vote) that represent the 4 cross-sections of personal liberty and economic liberty. I'll be using the terms liberal and conservative as they are currently used in the U.S. to describe these parties from here on out. There should be one party that is conservative on social issues and conservative on economic issues, one that is conservative on social issues but liberal on economic issues, one that is liberal on social issues but conservative on economic issues, and one that is liberal on social issues and liberal on economic issues. In order for this to work there will probably have to be some form of proportional representation in Congress, and either a parliamentary system to elect the President or a nationwide run off vote. So the Constitution will need to be amended for that fairly early on to allow for these parties to get a foothold and grow.
My idea so far is to have the Democrats not nominate Bryan in 1896, and keep the Bourbon Democrats in control of the party. This will allow the Populists to stick around as a viable third party for longer, and maybe Bryan joins them at some point and becomes their Presidential nominee in future election(s). Over time the Democrats will become the conservative party on both economic and social issues, with their base located mostly in the south. The Populists will become the party that is liberal on economic issues, but conservative on social issues. Bryan can help move them in that direction if he becomes a party leader early on. The Populists will be strongest in the rural areas of the West and Midwest and in the South.
The Republicans still win the Presidential elections in 1896, 1900, 1904, and 1908 as in the OTL, and I still have Roosevelt becoming President after McKinley dies. But the vote of the opposition in all those elections is split mostly between the Democrats and the Populists. Other parties are present but they get only get a few percent in total. During that time the Populists and some in the Democratic party call for reform of the electoral system. Many Progressives in the Republican party join them in demanding proportional representation as well as the popular election of Senators. The movement begins to create a groundswell so that soon a majority of States begin to call for a Constitutional convention. In the 1910 midterm, an unpopular President Taft suffers the loss of Congress as Democrats, Populists, and even Socialists make gains. One of the first items of business in 1911 is electoral reform. The Seventeenth Amendment is ratified in early 1912, it calls for the popular election of Senators as well as proportional election of Representatives, and run off elections for Senators and the President.
Upset with the way Taft has been handling the Presidency, Roosevelt decides to challenge him for the nomination. After his bid fails, Roosevelt and his supporters leave the Republican party and join the Progressive party. No candidate is able to win a majority of the electoral college in the general election, so the top two move on to the run off. In the run off election Roosevelt defeats Democrat Champ Clark by a comfortable margin, and a coalition of Progressives and Populists control the House of Representatives.
I haven't gone much further than that. I think WWI will still happen, although the dates may be different. But with Roosevelt in power the U.S. gets involved early, the war doesn't drag on as long, and this butterflies the Bolsheviks getting control of Russia and the subsequent Red Scare that follows. There is probably some form of a "return to normalcy" with the 1920 election and a pro-business, non-interventionist wins the Presidency and we get the roaring 20's leading to the Great Depression, but I'm still not sure about that.
Over time the Progressives become the party of liberal economic and social issues, with most of their support in cities and the North, while Republicans become the party that is liberal on social issues but conservative on economic issues, with most of their support in the North and West. Without a Red Scare the Socialist party will still be around, and there could still be minor regional parties like Minnesota's Farm-Labor party. But the four major parties are the Democrats, Populists, Progressives, and Republicans.
But I'd like to hear some ideas from you guys. How would you go about setting up a political system in the U.S. that is dominated by at least 4 political parties?
My idea so far is to have the Democrats not nominate Bryan in 1896, and keep the Bourbon Democrats in control of the party. This will allow the Populists to stick around as a viable third party for longer, and maybe Bryan joins them at some point and becomes their Presidential nominee in future election(s). Over time the Democrats will become the conservative party on both economic and social issues, with their base located mostly in the south. The Populists will become the party that is liberal on economic issues, but conservative on social issues. Bryan can help move them in that direction if he becomes a party leader early on. The Populists will be strongest in the rural areas of the West and Midwest and in the South.
The Republicans still win the Presidential elections in 1896, 1900, 1904, and 1908 as in the OTL, and I still have Roosevelt becoming President after McKinley dies. But the vote of the opposition in all those elections is split mostly between the Democrats and the Populists. Other parties are present but they get only get a few percent in total. During that time the Populists and some in the Democratic party call for reform of the electoral system. Many Progressives in the Republican party join them in demanding proportional representation as well as the popular election of Senators. The movement begins to create a groundswell so that soon a majority of States begin to call for a Constitutional convention. In the 1910 midterm, an unpopular President Taft suffers the loss of Congress as Democrats, Populists, and even Socialists make gains. One of the first items of business in 1911 is electoral reform. The Seventeenth Amendment is ratified in early 1912, it calls for the popular election of Senators as well as proportional election of Representatives, and run off elections for Senators and the President.
Upset with the way Taft has been handling the Presidency, Roosevelt decides to challenge him for the nomination. After his bid fails, Roosevelt and his supporters leave the Republican party and join the Progressive party. No candidate is able to win a majority of the electoral college in the general election, so the top two move on to the run off. In the run off election Roosevelt defeats Democrat Champ Clark by a comfortable margin, and a coalition of Progressives and Populists control the House of Representatives.
I haven't gone much further than that. I think WWI will still happen, although the dates may be different. But with Roosevelt in power the U.S. gets involved early, the war doesn't drag on as long, and this butterflies the Bolsheviks getting control of Russia and the subsequent Red Scare that follows. There is probably some form of a "return to normalcy" with the 1920 election and a pro-business, non-interventionist wins the Presidency and we get the roaring 20's leading to the Great Depression, but I'm still not sure about that.
Over time the Progressives become the party of liberal economic and social issues, with most of their support in cities and the North, while Republicans become the party that is liberal on social issues but conservative on economic issues, with most of their support in the North and West. Without a Red Scare the Socialist party will still be around, and there could still be minor regional parties like Minnesota's Farm-Labor party. But the four major parties are the Democrats, Populists, Progressives, and Republicans.
But I'd like to hear some ideas from you guys. How would you go about setting up a political system in the U.S. that is dominated by at least 4 political parties?