Ideal and practicality.
The experience of nations has demonstrated that even in the smallest populated countries that the people cannot govern themselves outside of some form of organized government. How then it is organized, what is its role is and how it functions become fundamental political questions.
Individuals develop certain perspectives and when these give common solutions there is a tendency to develop parties to include fairly closely related views. In some countries the result is expressed through the formation of many parties.
In the United States today we have two main parties, each apparently representing about 47% of the voting population. The views of what might have developed as splinter parties are drawn to the major party where these seem to fit in somewhat comfortably.
The Republican and the Democratic parties are strongly opposed as to the function of government and as to what or to which path should be taken in the implementation of the everyday lives of the population. Therefore, we do not have one stronger party to play a prominent role, one that would lead or forcefully pull the other or others in its direction.
As each party has a fairly equal amount of power in opposition to each other and deviating paths it becomes difficult to take action in any direction. Therefore, the government becomes deadlocked or one manipulation. And unless one party gets at least a slight edge in the House, in the Senate and wins the presidency, we cannot expect an effectively functioning government in one direction or the other.
In the United States, both chambers are required to be of the same party majority as that of the president to get any meaningful legislation passed. With the House in strong opposition today and the Senate operating under supermajority rule and threat of Filibuster, it would appear an impossibility to provide presidential leadership or get things done.
Operating in party interest appears to be role of the government today. But is less than 50% representation of those qualified to vote, government of the people, for the people and by the people?
Is this what our forefathers foresaw in the creation of our democracy, the battle of the parties: obviously not? They were opposed to a party system even as they experienced their development and establishment during the early days of our government.