Recently, Republican Gov. John Kasich commented that he believes the two-party system could be coming to an end. Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper seemed to agree, adding that he felt neither party had a solid, coherent agenda.

One of the first questions that should be asked is whether this would truly result in a multiparty system, where three or more political parties are on relatively equal ground, or simply mean the replacement of the current two longstanding political parties with two new ones. The latter has occurred a few times in history, whereas while the U.S. has in the past come close to having three major parties, it has always reverted to two.

For most of  history the United States, voters have largely been divided amongst two major political parties. Some of those parties have faded into obscurity, yet there have generally always been two major political factions. There are many issues in this day and age that were not present political concerns for past generations, with the rapid development of technology and new social perspectives. As such, were the current two-party system to come to an end, it is more likely than ever that it could result in a true multiparty system.

If so, it could be a step in the right direction. While having different opinions and perspectives in government can be good for the people, the parties are not. The two-party system is unhealthy for the United States.

The two-party system sows division among us. Rather than seeking to represent the nation as a whole, many politicians seek to represent only their own party, isolating and even blaming the rest for the issues we face.

Though it may not always be possible to agree with those different opinions, parties would rather not even listen to what others have to say. Most individuals hold their positions because they genuinely believe them. Just as you feel your ideals are rational and morally right, those with opposing ideals feel the same.

Furthermore, not everyone within a party holds the same opinion for the same reason or cares about one issue as much as another. On top of that, many find themselves joining a party because of only one or two issues they feel strongly about, even if they disagree with more of the party ideology. Parties oversimplify the ideas of each other so that it is easy to mock, ridicule, and deride them. Political parties do not want citizens to think that other groups also want what is best for the entire nation.

Never should half the nation go forgotten. It is entirely necessary to seek the well-being of all the people of the U.S. and to find solutions that help everyone without harming others. The two-party system continues to encourage an “us vs. them” mentality.