The American people hold in high regard the idea of choice. We’d also like to believe that this basic element of democracy is intact within our political system.

Sadly, the reality of our free will is hindered by an illusion of choice, one that threatens the very foundation of America and is compounded by the largest infringement of democratic policies that the country has ever inflicted upon itself: the two-party system.

This system creates an oligarchy of wealthy individuals who refuse to work together even though they are one in the same.

Most Americans would be lost in the political landscape without the terms Republican and Democrat. Yet it’s those very labels that are causing the downfall of political cohesion and effectiveness.

In America, the land of the free, we have two choices for who controls our county.

While this may be simpler logistically, the American people suffer from this lack of choice.

With the same ideologies being forced upon the country every election, we see continuous gridlock and the hindering of political processes.

The relentless bickering between the two parties leads to political chaos and spreads its way down to the voters. Instead of having intelligent public discourse, we are left with pointless name calling and reputation smearing.

This was evident in the government shutdown over the Affordable Care Act and the potential shutdown over Planned Parenthood funding. Instead of doing its job and finding a solution, the partisan congress points fingers.

The two-party system also negatively affects non-partisan candidates.

These candidates are forced to change or water down their stances in order to fit into a certain party. Even though this leads to better funding and a better chance at getting elected, the United States ends up with the same kind of president every election cycle.

This is compounded by big businesses that try to influence the views of candidates using the power of the almighty check.

The American people are then left with a shell of the candidate who they originally supported.

The battle between Democrats and Republicans has woven so deeply into America that other political parties have no room to gain momentum.

Although parties like the Libertarian Party have gained support over the years, they remain weak in the polls.

After all, no one wants to vote for a third-party candidate who has a very small chance of winning.

As result, a Democrat or Republican is always elected president.

With congressional approval ratings at an all-time low, it’s hard to believe that this is what the American people want.

This problem falls on the shoulders of the people.

With readily accessible information at their disposal, there is no reason why voters should have to support candidates who do not share their own opinions. Voters must vote for the person who they have the most faith in to properly contribute to our country.

If a person walks into a voting booth and votes for a Republican or Democrat because it is more likely he or she will achieve office, the voter does a disservice to the system.

If voters elect candidates share their beliefs and opinions, third parties will have the space they need to thrive and present new ideas and solutions to the public.

The most effective solution is to the two eradicate parties.

Having a no-party system would allow us to create an effective government that works as one cohesive organization, instead of two parties constantly attacking each other’s throats.