"Party polarization" describes a situation in which the vast majority of Democrats and Republicans disagree with each other on a political issue and where each member votes along party lines. This often leads to congressional gridlock, and it is one of the reasons many Americans are disillusioned with the political process.

A divided government occurs in the United States when one party controls the Presidency and therefore the executive branch, and a different party controls Congress and therefore the legislative branch. Whenever this occurs, the president's term of office is usually marked by gridlock and political tension as each party tries to prevent the other party from fulfilling its agenda. It is usually considered an electoral indictment of the president if during his term the other party gains a majority in Congress because it suggests that the voting public is dissatisfied with the president’s work.

At the most basic, intrinsic level, all political parties have one single goal in mind: winning elections. Victory is crucial to a party’s survival– without a solid record of electoral success (on the local, state, and federal levels), a party is incapable of holding itself together and carrying out the functions which are necessary for its existence. By winning elections, a party is able to hold on to its voter base, as well as to recruit new members, and is also able to amass funds, power, and influence.

Ticket splitting occurs when a citizen votes for one party’s candidate to hold a certain office but then casts a vote for the opposing party to win another office. This method of voting divides government positions between each of the two major parties, undermining attempts at dominance by either side. In recent decades, ticket splitting has become increasingly popular among the public, as more and more people grow discontent with both Democrats and Republicans and so split their votes in hopes of creating an even system of control. The two big parties feel somewhat threatened by this practice because it prevents any one party from feeling reasonably assured of total victory, especially on the state level.

In reality, third parties are hardly ever successful in their bids to win election; the Democrats and the Republicans simply enjoy far too much entrenched support to be at all easily dislodged. Third parties, however, do not need to win to order to still play a decisive role in the political process. A good third party candidate is often able to steal voters away from one of the two main parties, which can have a great influence on the election’s final outcome. Third parties also provide arenas where voters can safely express their anger or concerns against their government and where discussion of controversial issues or groups can take place. These features are often attractive to individuals who have either never before voted or who had stopped voting for a period of time, drawing them into the political sphere.

In order for a political party to operate effectively, it must accomplish several basic but vital tasks: candidates must be vetted, decided upon, and promoted, campaigns must be put together and managed properly, and the public must be informed of the party’s ideas and platform. Without first attending to these matters– and attending to them in an intelligent and orderly manner – a party will find itself unable to perform any of the more complex maneuvers needed to gain an electoral victory. Parties must work diligently to establish a sturdy foundation if they and their candidates can ever hope to weather (much less triumph over) the tumultuous election cycle.

Historically, Americans have preferred divided government, where one party controls the executive, but voters typically vote the opposing party into the legislative. This may serve as an additional check and balance that the public invented themselves.

The responsible party model argues that the party represents a platform of policy propositions that should be adhered to by the members of the party above any other concerns.

Political parties in America are decentralized and thus not centrally controlled. They cannot discipline nor remove party members who go against the party platform. Additionally, the American electorate is largely moderate, so American parties must attempt to be catch-all.

A "marginal district" is a district in which the elected representative carries less than fifty-five percent of the popular vote is said to have won only marginally. The opposite of a marginal district is a "safe seat." Because marginal districts can change hands much more easily, they receive a disproportionate focus during campaign season.