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If there's one thing Americans should be able to agree on, it's that our nation's current political system is a disaster. Now, some people's thoughts about the underlying causes of different problems may vary, but there's no denying the alarming nature of it all.

In 2023, division in this country has risen to historic heights. There are elected officials calling for a national divorce, embracing antisemitic tropes, and otherwise painting the opposing partisan side as the enemy.

There seem to be more political leaders who care about making headlines, trending on social media, and becoming "firebrands" than those who care about working across the aisle and passing effective policies.

The US political system, as it stands today, is an utter and complete failure. Fixing it will require some major steps.

Breaking the two-party duopoly

Some folks believe America's two-party system of Republicans vs. Democrats is inevitable and impossible to change. However, more people support shattering this duopoly anyway.

Just last month, a new Gallup poll revealed over six in ten individuals favor bringing on a third party to rival the current two. Polls before that demonstrated Americans feel disgruntled with both the GOP and Democrats.

A third party would discourage extremism by breaking a system that's rewarded candidates for being as radical as possible to win votes. This is especially prominent during primary races, as moderate candidates often lose out to their more extreme counterparts.

With a majority of Americans understanding that what we're doing now isn't working, an end to the duopoly is long overdue.

Age limits for presidential candidates

At this time, anyone who wants to run for president must be at least 35 years old. Yet, there is no age limit on who can seek the White House.

Such an imbalance has created the current situation of out-of-touch individuals (with their better years and prime mental faculties behind them) continuously seeking the Oval Office.

Both Biden and Trump (largely viewed as possible 2024 general election candidates despite polls showing few Americans want to see this rematch) repeatedly stumble and make errors while speaking that are indicative of old age problems.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle are now beginning to stress the need for a generational change in leadership. Furthermore, a Pew Research poll from last month showed that most Americans favor putting age limits on candidates seeking federal offices.

The path forward is clear

The United States will greatly benefit from a political system that rewards bright minds and well-meaning people over corrupt, unqualified candidates seeking office for their own personal gain.

Likewise, Americans deserve to know the political parties and systems in place are actually representative of them. Dismantling the two-party duopoly and putting age limits on presidential contenders are just some of the needed steps to fix today's failed political system.