Fifth Party System

The fifth party system is a term used to describe the current state of American political parties. It's called the fifth because there have been four previous 'party systems.' Each party system is a period in time where a particular group of political parties hold power or influence in America. The fifth party system began in the middle of the 20th century when the Republican and Democratic parties became the only two major political parties in control of the government. They started to become stronger and dominate the other minor parties, who had less influence in elections and in Congress. The fifth party system has seen both parties focus on similar policies, making it more difficult for minor parties to win elections.