Of the 535 members of Congress, only 2 are Independents. This represents a meager 0.4%, while polls continue to reveal that 35-40% of Americans consider themselves to be Independents, unaffiliated with either major party.
Over the last thirty years, a time period in which Republicans and Democrats have added about $12 trillion to the national debt, there have only been two Independent presidential candidates. And since 1980, independent, third party presidential candidates have only been allowed to participate in 23% of the debates, despite the rising percentage of Independent voters.
So, despite $12 trillion of additional debt, 4 recessions, and a balanced budget only about 15% of the time over the last three decades, Republicans and Democrats maintain a stranglehold on U.S. politics. As Americans have shifted toward a less partisan political make-up, Presidential administrations and Congress have shifted toward a more hyper-partisan make-up.
Who's to blame then? Ballot laws? The two major parties? The media? The American people?
And what solutions would you propose to rectify this glaring discrepancy?