Question: the current two party system in the united states is defined by which pair of parties
Answer: Since the mid-1960s , despite a number of landslides ( such as Richard Nixon carrying 49 states and 61 % of the popular vote over George McGovern in 1972 ; Ronald Reagan carrying 49 states and 58 % of the popular vote over Walter Mondale in 1984 ) , Presidential elections have been competitive between the predominant Republican and Democratic parties and no one party has been able to hold the Presidency for more than three consecutive terms , except for the elections from 1932 through 1948 when FDR won 4 elections and Truman one , both as Democrats .