A free press is necessary. The press should be able to openly criticize the government. The diffusion of power is as critical today as it was during the feudal ages when democratic governments were first forming. The American political process is a mix of formal public debate and informal, behind the doors interaction. A political party is an organization whose purpose is to gain legitimate control of the state .
Parties link the government with the people.
They define policy alternatives, transmit public opinion, and mobilize the masses. They are also responsible for the recruitment and presentation of candidates to the people. Most democracies have many parties. Effectively, the American political process has only two parties . In the American form of democracy, the majority rules.