New Project: The 2019 U.S. Legislative Election (Israeli system)

[America Needs R'hllor]

Source: Wikimedia Commons

In the year 1937, with bipartisan majorities in both chambers of congress and bipartisan opposition, too, President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed the Electoral Reform Amendment, or the ERA as it was known ever since. The radical change, Roosevelt said, was meant to increase democracy and equal representation in America, but many also understood that it was mean to give him an easier time passing his sweeping agenda. With it, a parliamentary system was introduced, but instead of dividing America into districts, it was a proportional representation system where each party got a number of seats as proportional to its amount of votes. Many state's rights and constitutional advocates strongly protested the decision, but Roosevelt agreed to increase the power of the state parliaments, where a Governor would be elected similar to a Prime Minister in the federal level. Thus, a Congress of 360 members was to be created, and the 1940 election would be the first one to implement to system. America would be changed forever.

Starting from 1940, the U.S. Labor Party created by Roosevelt won elections decisively, winning again in 1944, 1948, 1952 and many others, but as the Cold War accelerated and the Red Scare took hold of many Americans, and as the Labor Party was seen as too soft on communism, America slowly turned into a conservative nation. While the right was at first too divided between the liberal Republicans and the Conservatives to oppose Labor, after the Vietnam War disaster the conversion was complete. The Unity Party, born out of the Republican and Conservative Parties, became the governing party for a long period only interrupted by a few Labor Ministries and a short period of strength for the Forward Party, created by a Unity Prime Minister for reasons that shall be expanded upon later.

Now is the year 2019, and a new election is called. Prime Minister Newt Gingrich, in office since 2009 and with a previous stint during the 1990s, is popular with large segements of the population and many Americans see him as an irreplaceable leader. With the American left collapsing, a new centrist party is formed- Stars and Stripes, lead by strong military figures and hoping to fight the preception of the center-left as soft on communism and the newest boogeymen, China and Radical Islam. This is where our story begins, though we will go over many past elections too.

Note: I'm not an expert on American constituion or law, so if this scenario isn't very plausible... well, it's an alternate TL  But I'd love to hear some suggestions on the implementation, historical elections etc. Hope you enjoy my new project: American politics in an Israeli system!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

This is interesting! Will MPs be elected off a nationwide list or is it state by state?

[America Needs R'hllor]

This is interesting! Will MPs be elected off a nationwide list or is it state by state?

Nationwide list. State by state is an interesting preposition, but nationwide makes it easier for me

[America Needs R'hllor]

Changed part of the backstory:

Starting from 1940, the U.S. Labor Party created by Roosevelt won elections decisively, winning again in 1944, 1948, 1951 and many others, but as the Cold War accelerated and the Red Scare took hold of many Americans, and as the Labor Party was seen as too soft on communism, America slowly turned into a conservative nation. While the right was at first too divided between the liberal Republicans and the Conservatives to oppose Labor, after the Vietnam War disaster the conversion was complete. The Unity Party, born out of the Republican and Conservative Parties, became the governing party for a long period only interrupted by a few Labor Ministries and a short period of strength for the Forward Party, created by a Unity Prime Minister for reasons that shall be expanded upon later.

I'm making a framework for past elections right now. Later, I'll make the first post- the first part for the background to the 2019 election, the 2015 election.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Background: the 2015 U.S. Legislative Election

Sources: Wikipedia Commons

The 2015 election would be remembered as both an embarrassment and resurgence for the American left. After two painful terms of Prime Minister Gingrich, one of them, from 2009-2013 with a right-religious coalition tempered by Labor, and one of them, from 2013-2015, with the centrist American Future party of Chris Cuomo and the center-left Liberal Movement of Hillary Rodham. After Cuomo and Rodham resigned in protest, a new election was called, and with the center-left increasingly tired of Gingrich they hoped to create a movement.

The one credited with capitalizing on that energy was the new leader of the declining U.S. Labor Party, Representative Tim Kaine. He was elected leader two years before, in 2013, defeating the incumbent leader Marcia Fudge in what was now an infamous ritual of the party deposing its leader after one election.

U.S. Labor leadership contest, 2013 (first round)
Rep. Tim Kaine- 58% ✓
Leader Marcia Fudge- 41%
None- 1%

And so, before the election, the veteran politician contacted Hillary Rodham and quickly negotiated an agreement to merge the two parties into the Democratic Union, with Kaine placed first on the list and Rodham second. After Kaine declared, albeit with a lack of charisma, "a political revolution" in the party convention, and polls showed the party sometimes leading Unity, it seemed like the American left had a new hope.

The election campaign was both spirited and dirty. The Democratic Union's main message was "us or him", trying to appeal to the dislike many Americans had for Gingrich. But the Prime Minister struck back, painting Tim Kaine as "weak and low-energy" and Hillary Rodham as a "spineless" party-switcher. He was successful painting that picture- Kaine, with several gaffes and missteps on the campaign trail, helped cement it, while Rodham was already perceived as an opportunist, having started her career as a moderate Goldwater supporter in the Unity Party, later joining former Prime Minister McCain's centrist Forward platform and leading it in the 2009 election, and then losing the leadership of that party and establishing her own Liberal Movement Party.

In the end, despite a lot of energy and support materializing behind Kaine and Rodham, the Democratic Union fell short. Gingrich's Unity Party, feeding on fears of a leftist victory, bit off much of the support of smaller right-wing parties and became the decisively biggest party, ready to establish a strongly right-wing coalition without any centrist or center-left parties.

U.S. Legislative Election, 2015 (Results)
Unity Party (Newt Gingrich)- 103 Seats (+31)
The Democratic Union (Tim Kaine)- 84 Seats (+4)
American Future (Chris Cuomo)- 43 Seats (-16)
All of Us (Susan Collins)- 41 Seats (N\A)
The Christian Home (Tom Cotton)- 38 Seats (-14)
The National Party (Casey Cagle)- 20 Seats (-32)
Progressive Party (Barbara Lee)- 18 Seats (-11)
American Workers Party (Eric Holder)- 13 Seats (+1)
(Threshold: 2.8% or 10 Seats)

In the resulting negotiations, a surprising factor emerged- instead of joining the government, the secular hard-right Casey Cagle decided to remain in the opposition, as a way to try and restore his strength. That is two years after a joint campaign of the National Party and Unity, when Gingrich and Cagle closely cooperated. Now, tensions between the two are simmering as Gingrich is forced to create a narrow coalition with the right-religious Christian Home and the center-right All of Us, only 182 Seats, one more than the barest majority. The opposition, lead by the Democratic Union's Tim Kaine, will hold 178 Seats, with 20 of them belonging to a right-wing Party. The next four years were promising to be even worse for the American left.

[Jumped off the American Sinking Ship]

Oh god... Steve King or Richard Spencer is going to lead the equivalent of the URWP in this, aren’t they?

[America Needs R'hllor]

Background: the Fourth Gingrich Ministry

Source: Flickr

The fourth Gingrich Ministry was also the first one not tempered by any party from the center or the left. With a narrow coalition of just three parties, 182 members, Gingrich was prepared to set out with a strongly right-wing agenda. However, like always, he had to concede many important Ministries to his junior partners.

Susan Collins, formerly a Communications Minister from Unity that gained popularity bringing down prices and now was leading a new center-right party, was appointed Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, and would be sitting in the cabinet as well. Members of her party received other important offices- her number two, retired General Mike Flynn, was appointed Housing and Construction Minister, while her number 3, Don Bacon, became Minister of Economy, overseeing industry and commerce. Lastly, John Hickenlooper, Collins' close political ally and Colorado Governor, who wasn't part of the list, received the Environmental Protection Ministry.

Meanwhile, the religious right party Christian Home, lead by the young and ambitious Tom Cotton, received its own three offices- Cotton would be appointed Minister of Education, his equally ambitious number 3 Nikki Haley would be Minister of Justice, and number 2 Sam Brownback who was the leader of the other party making up the Christian Home, the Christian Union, was appointed Minister of Agriculture. The other protfolios all went to Unity. Thus, the government was formed.

The next years proved almost as bad as the left had feared- the government took a hardline immigration stance, continuing the practice of family separations and internment of children and other illegal immigrants. The government also continued the rhetoric against the media and the judiciary system, with Justice Minister Nikki Haley promoting more conservative judges in the Committee for Selection of Judges, a body that included six members (the Minister of Justice, one Representative from the Coalition and one from the Opposition, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and two more Supreme Court Justices).

But one of the major themes of the term was the corruption investigations that slowly begun into the conduct of Prime Minister Gingrich in several cases. One of them was the suspicion that he and his wife Callista received illegal gifts from billionaires like Foster Freiss, Donald Trump and Joe Ricketts in exchange of favourable tax cuts, the other were reported deals between him and media moghuls like Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch and Sinclair Broadcasting Group Executive Chairman David Smith for covering bad stories on rivals like Tom Cotton, Nikki Haley, Casey Cagle, Hillary Rodham and Chris Cuomo in exchange for more favourable regulations. By the time the 2019 election was called, an indictment was reportedly already on the way from Attorney General Bob Mueller, who was leading the investigations along with the FBI.

Another major issue in the fourth Gingrich Ministry was the negotiations for the entry of the Democratic Union into the government. According to inside sources, people close to Gingrich promised Tim Kaine that if he joins the government and thus makes life easier with votes being less narrow, they'll end family separation policies, recede laws that gutted medicare and medicaid to expand coverage and advance normalization of relations with the European Union and China. Tempted, the Kaine team engaged in negotiations, strongly hurting his position inside Labor when the news broke out.

At the same time, a situation unfolded with a U.S. soldier in Iraq who shot several subdued terrorists to death. While the center-left, the moderate right and the armed forces establishment condemned the soldier for the murder, much of the right supported him with claims that soldiers must be supporter and terrorists must be killed. Gingrich, at first siding with the army, later called the parents of the soldiers when rivals from the right like Casey Cagle and Tom Cotton supported the soldier. That was the end of the relationship between Gingrich and his Minister of Defence, James Mattis, whose subsequent resignation was considered a firing. Now, in the year 2016, with the threat of the Democratic Union joining and his coveted office empty, Casey Cagle joined the government with his National Party. That also lead to the resignation of former Collins ally and Environmental Protection Minister John Hickenlooper, who was long unsatisfied with the government's offshore drilling policies and said this was the "last straw".

He later joined Labor, where members and Representatives of the floundering party rejoiced with the new prominent recruit, only to later announced that he was running in the planned leadership contest to unseat Leader Tim Kaine. Also running were former Leader and former Defense Minister Bennie Thompson, Rep. Joe Sestak and Rep. Tom Steyer. In the first round, Kaine received a heavy blow and became another Labor leader dethroned after a term when he came third, with Thompson and Hickenlooper advancing to the runoff. Later that year, Kaine announced that he was leaving party politics.

U.S. Labor leadership contest, 2017 (first round)
Fmr. Defense Minister Bennie Thompson- 32.7% ✓
Fmr. Environmental Protection Minister John Hickenlooper- 27.0% ✓
Leader Tim Kaine- 16.8%
Rep. Tom Steyer- 16.3%
Rep. Joe Sestak- 6.8%
Others- 0.4%

In the runoff, surprisngly, Hickenlooper upset the more established Thompson, becoming the new leader of the party. For a while, the party jumped in the polls, but soon enough Hickenlooper made several gaffes that angered much of the membership, including stating that "some elements of the left are unamerican" and that "socialism will only sink us". The party dipped in the polls again.
Results

U.S. Labor leadership contest, 2017 (second round)
Fmr. Environmental Protection Minister John Hickenlooper- 52% ✓
Fmr. Defense Minister Bennie Thompson- 48%

Meanwhile, the renewal of the Gingrich-Cagle alliance was short-lived. Two years later, as more and more reports came of U.S. soldiers being killed by terror attacks in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, Cagle protested against Gingrich's "soft on terror policy" and resiged from the government. Deciding not to remain with his narrow government and instead seek a new mandate, Gingrich dissolved the government and announced a new election a few months early.

[America Needs R'hllor]

The 2019 Election (Part I)

Source: Wikipedia Commons

The 2019 U.S. Election began in earnest when a new, long-expected entry announced that he was joining the race- retired United States Navy Admiral William McRaven, who gained fame and popularity from orchestrating the mission that would kill infamous terrorist leader Osama Bin-Laden. Pictures of him and Gingrich from his time in the army showed professional cooperation, but now he was running against the right-wing Prime Minister, calling him corrupt and "a danger to democracy". While previously speculated as a possible Labor leadership contender, now his new party, American Resilience, stressed its centrism, even releasing a catchy campaign jingle trumpeting that "there's no left or right, only America". Recruiting famous figures like AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and media personality Mika Brzezinski to his party, McRaven soon jumped in the polls to the second place, becoming the center-left's new hope against Gingrich.

The pre-election months were full of other major splits and creations of new parties. The Democratic Union officially broke up when Labor leader John Hickenlooper surprisingly announced that his party was leaving the union with the Liberal Movement in a press conference that included Hillary Rodham. His former political partner did not know of the announcement, and so it was regarded as a public humiliation. Another major moment was when the Christian Home's young leaders, Tom Cotton and Nikki Haley, shockingly announced they were leaving it to create a new party, the New Right. Supposedly more secular and with broader appeal, the two young politicians were both hoping to use the platform to one day become Prime Ministers, after Gingrich retired. Leaving a Christian Home burdened with debt, they were accused by many of betraying the socially conservative movement.

Three other parties were created. Former Defense Minister James Mattis, as expected, announced a new party, naming it Responsible Leadership Movement (or RLM in short) and tearing into Gingrich as a "corrupt leader who puts American national security behind his personal interests". Larry Sharpe, a former Unity Party Representative who was Gingrich's consistent internal opponent revitalized the American libertarian movement by creating his Libertarian Party and recruiting another former Representative, Justin Amash, to be his number 2. And lastly, Representative Loretta Sanchez, formerly a member of Casey Cagle's National Party, founded her own movement- the Bridge Party. She left the National Party when Cagle joined Gingrich's coalition, citing a "lack of focus on socio-economic issues and caring for the poor and unfourtunate" by the government. Now she hoped to replicate the success that Susan Collins' All of Us, another economy-driven party, achieved in the 2015 election.

Thus the field was set for the 2019 election. With so many different parties fighting to pass the high threshold of 10 seats, it looked like in the weeks until the final lists were to be submitted to the Federal Election Commission, the new theme would be mergers rather than splits.

U.S. Legislative Election, 2015 (Polling Average)
Unity Party (Newt Gingrich)- 94 Seats
American Resilience (William McRaven)- 51 Seats
American Future (Chris Cuomo)- 38 Seats
The New Right (Tom Cotton&Nikki Haley)- 35 Seats
Labor (John Hickenlooper)- 33 Seats
The Bridge (Loretta Sanchez)- 28 Seats
All of Us (Susan Collins)- 27 Seats
Progressive Party (Barbara Lee)- 16 Seats
The National Party (Casey Cagle)- 15 Seats
American Workers Party (Eric Holder)- 12 Seats
The Christian Home (TBD)- 11 Seats
(Threshold: 2.8% or 10 Seats)
American National Front (Steve King)- 0 Seats (doesn't pass the threshold)
Liberal Movement (Hillary Rodham)- 0 Seats (doesn't pass the threshold)
Responsible Leadership Movement (James Mattis)- 0 Seats (doesn't pass the threshold)
Libertarian Party (Larry Sharpe)- 0 Seats (doesn't pass the threshold)

[Arson Plus]

So Benny Gantz = McRaven

[America Needs R'hllor]

The 2019 Election (Part II)

Source: Flickr

As the runup to the campaign season progressed, the season for bargaining and negotiations started. From right, left and center, the different parties, some of them afraid of not passing the threshold, begun talks for mergers, hoping to prevent a loss of votes for their sides. It was a delicate affair- all politicians had egos and didn't want to be number 2 or 3, and all wanted as many seats as possible for their parties and the best choice of protfolios once the government was formed.

On the right, the main hardship was in the Christian Home, the religious-right party that included two partner parties- the Christian Home, slightly more moderate, and the more radical Christian Union. While the CH was usually the dominant party in the union, now that Tom Cotton, the young and charismatic Christian Home leader who brought the party to historic strength and created the merger back in 2013, left with Minister Nikki Haley to create their own, more secular party, the CH was in heavy debt and in disarray. The CU, meanwhile, quickly chose a new leader, who defeated incumbent leader Sam Brownback- Rep. Mark Green, a charismatic but very controversial and extreme choice. When the CH finally made its choice from outside the House of Representatives- former Pennsylvania Governor Rick Santorum- the more experienced Green demanded leadership of the joint list. And thus the grappling begun, and the two sides finally reached an agreement after the talks broke up twice- Santorum would lead the list, while Green would be placed second get to choose a Ministry first when the government is formed.

However, it wasn't over there. With the united party teetering over the threshold, Prime Minister Newt Gingrich felt like a solid right-wing coalition was in danger- and found a solution. The American National Front, an extreme far-right party that was running in the elections since the 1990s, was now lead by former Rep. Steve King, along with his partners in the party attorney Chris McDaniel, anti-gay and racist activist Bryan Fischer and activist Roy Moore. As the party polled at 1.5%-2% in most polls, close to the threshold, and clearly had a large and stable following, Gingrich wished to add their votes to the Christian Home's and thus ensure the party's survival. The negotiations were hard, with many elements in the Christian Home very reluctant to let in some racist and extreme elements, but in the end the Prime Minister's strong influence prevailed and in the final day before lists were to be submitted, the Union of Christian Parties was created, consisting of the Christian Home, the Christian Union and the American National Front. A rain of criticism followed as many on the left were outraged by the inclusion of the extremist elements. Labour's Rep. Katie Hill attacked the union as "bringing vile and unacceptable forces into the mainstream", while the Progressive Party promised to appeal against King to the Federal Election Committee and many across the country begun boycotting events where UCP representatives were attending.

But while the right united its more controversial elements, the center had the biggest union in the election. At first, James Mattis' RLM made the expected decision and united with William McRaven's American Resilience Party, giving it a polling bump. Meanwhile, former Finance Minister Chris Cuomo, who had a stable and steady following since entering politics in 2013, had long argued that his experience made him the best candidate for Prime Minister of a united centrist list. But in the end the polls and public opinion prevailed, and he relented and agreed to unite with McRaven and serve as his number 2. In exchange, he received a promise for a rotation in the role of Prime Minister, under which McRaven would serve for 2.5 years and Cuomo would serve for the remaining 1.5 years of their term. The patron of the agreement was popular retired General Martin Dempsey, who also threw his hat in the ring as number 4 in the new party, henceforth known as Stars and Stripes. The union excited many in the center-left and lead to an initially large polling lead against Gingrich's Unity Party.

In the strong left Progressive Party, meanwhile, another change occured- longtime leader Barbara Lee, after risking her political career on an attempt to institute democratic open primaries in the party instead of convention voting, partially succeeded and won amendments that would have registered party members choosing the party leader and the list. Triggering a leadership election in exchange, Lee was challenged by bitter in-party rival Rep. Raúl Grijalva, considered leader of the "red" faction in the party as opposed to Lee's greens, and Rep. Marie Newman. In the end, both Lee and Grijalva dropped out and Newman was selected as a compromise candidate, thus ending Lee's political career.

A smaller but still significant event in that season was the decision of Hillary Rodham to retire from politics, at least for now, and drop out of the race with her Liberal Movement, unable to find a new home ever since the breakup with Labour. Rodham thus ended a distinguished and prestigious political career, including a very successful tenure as Foreign Minister, as well as tenures of Immigration and Assimilation Minister and Justice Minister, and a tenure leading the then-powerful Forward Party and almost becoming Prime Minister.

Thus, with all that done, the stage was set for the 2019 American election, and it was promising to be a wild one.

U.S. Legislative Election, 2019 (Polling Average)
Stars and Stripes (William McRaven)- 114 Seats
Unity Party (Newt Gingrich)- 97 Seats
The New Right (Tom Cotton&Nikki Haley)- 29 Seats
Union of Christian Parties (Rick Santorum)- 27 Seats
Labor (John Hickenlooper)- 21 Seats
All of Us (Susan Collins)- 17 Seats
The Bridge (Loretta Sanchez)- 16 Seats
The National Party (Casey Cagle)- 14 Seats
Progressive Party (Mary Newman)- 13 Seats
American Workers Party (Eric Holder)- 12 Seats
(Threshold: 2.8% or 10 Seats)
Libertarian Party (Larry Sharpe)- 0 Seats (doesn't pass the threshold)

[Kingpoleon]

Speaking as a huge fan of the Israeli electoral system, I will follow this with enthusiasm! Pretty good so far.

[America Needs R'hllor]

The 2019 Election- Party Summaries

Unity Party: The main right-wing and longtime ruling party of America, Unity is descendent from a union of center-right and right-wing parties spearheaded by former Prime Minister Barry Goldwater to create a unified party that was finally able to replace the old Labor Party. Now it was lead by Prime Minister Newt Gingrich for many years, and he remade it by his mold- those disloyal to him were mostly purged, and the current representatives from the party are mostly his loyalists. He's been accused of stiffling talent in the party, promoting weak and populist defenders in exchange of competent or charismatic candidates that could threaten him, but Gingrich is still considered extremely popular inside the party. Prime Minister for over a decade, Gingrich is now considered by many in America irreplacable, and though he's dogged by corruption investigations and criticisms of an uncompassionate economy, many doubt whether "the political wizard from Georgia" can be beaten.

Stars and Stripes: A merger of three parties- retired Admiral William McRaven's American Resilience, former Finance Minister Chris Cuomo's American Future and former Defense Minister James Mattis' Responsible Leadership Movement, the party is considered a mash of center-left and center-right figures united under a single theme of defending democracy and defeating corruption. Viewed suspiciously by many on the left, it's nontheless the strongest contender against Unity in this election.

Labor Party: The old ruling party of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, previously ruling America from 1940 to 1975, Labor has been declining in recent decades, last holding the reins of power during the tenure of former Prime Minister Colleen Hanabusa from 1999 to 2001. It has now reached a low point of what some describe as a minor party. Though still the mainstream center-left party in America, Labor has been polling dismally as many of their supporters escape to American Future and now Stars and Stripes. Its leader, former Environmental Protection Minister John Hickenlooper, is viewed suspiciously by the membership as an outsider, especially after speaking out against the left and throwing Hillary Rodham's Liberal Movement out. Still, Hickenlooper is trying to revitalize the party and run a strong, issues-based campaign to revive its strength in the polls.

Union of Christian Parties: The mainstream right-religious party in America, the UCP is a union of the traditional Christian Home and Christian Union parties with the far more controversial American National Front. Though the union with the far-right is used as a line of fierce attacks for the left, the UCP has jumped in the polls ever since selecting Santorum as its leader and uniting with the ANF, and is now polling third in some polls. This is considered another good political move for Gingrich, who prevented right-wing votes from being thrown to the trash and thus hopes to give himself another right-wing coalition after the election.

New Right: Former Christian Home leader and Education Minister Tom Cotton and his political ally, the popular Justice Minister Nikki Haley, have decided to finally leave their more traditional party that restricted them from their ambitions, and create a new platform. Instead of joining Unity- their relationship with the Gingrich family was dismal- the two created a new party, running as a right-wing secular-religious party that hoped to bridge divides in the American right. Though Cotton and Haley are personally popular, the party's initial polling high declined after the announcement and they now hope to gain enough support to be a strong force in Gingrich's next government and maybe, after the Prime Minister retires, to replace him.

Progressive Party: America's longtime left-wing party, traditionally considered Labour's "little sister", has consistently been close to the threshold in recent elections and now, electing a new leader in Mary Newman, hopes to rise up and gain strength in the expense of the declining Labor. However, despite the party's insistence that it can build a coalition of white, black and hispanic working class, it's still widely viewed as the party of "coastal and urban elitists", and Newman's choice as leader didn't assuage these concerns.

National Party: The platform founded by former Unity politician Casey Cagle and initially running on a secular, hawkish, and some would say authoritarian platform has gained success, giving Cagle a lot of political influence and allowing him to be appointed into the positions of Foreign Minister and Defense Minister in the past. Now he's trying to maintain his strength, but with many on the right worried that Gingrich could be defeated by McRaven, he'll need to work hard to prevent his voters from escaping to Unity.

All of Us: A new center-right party founded before the 2015 election, it's lead by Susan Collins, who was a very popular Communications Minister from 2009-2013. After leading to a sharp decrease in the prices of mobile plans by inducing competition, she left Unity in what many considered another instance of Gingrich forcing out talented politicians, and then founded her own party. Though identifying as a moderate and "sane" right, Collins' party came under heavy criticism from the center-left after continuously failing to act on many of Gingrich's more problemaric actions or on his corruption investigations. Now, after a big achievement in the 2015 election, Collins has been Finance Minister for a few years, and lost much of her popularity like many Finance Ministers do, leading to a struggle to keep her voters and remain above the threshold.

American Workers' Party: Descendent from the old American Communist Party, the American Workers' Party finds itself in the left fringe of the political spectrum, and is considered too extreme to coalition even with the center-left, though the right uses it as a boogeyman to scaremonger about a far-left government including the American Workers. Now lead by renowed Maoist Rep. David Holder, the party also includes parts that hold black nationalist views and seems to have a stable base of about 3% of the voters.

The Bridge: A new party founded by Rep. Loretta Sanchez, the key planks of its platform are social and economic compassion- Sanchez has long been an activist for the "forgotten people of this country", especially poor black and hispanic Americans, and also a feminist activist, making the party's list roughly 50% women. She's refusing to identify with either the center-left or right bloc, and is running as a centrist. She was part of Casey Cagle's National Party, thus holding vaguely hawkish views, but these issues aren't a part of Bridge's campaign. Sanchez came into the national view after leaving her party following its entry into a government she claimed "wasn't worth a damn for the people who need it", and now hopes to get its party into the parliament. She's also supported by former Alaska Governor Mark Begich.

Libertarian Party: Considered for a long time practically inconsequential and an empty shell, the Libertarian Party has been completely taken over by former Rep. Larry Sharpe, a charismatic and popular former Representative from Unity. For the past few election seasons, he's been an in-party rival of Gingrich, running against him in every leadership primary (and losing), but now he's running independently, moving away from the more radical and, some on the center-left say, racist views he expressed during his time as a Unity renegade to run on a platform heavily focused on the concept of "liberty". Joining him is another former Representative, Justin Amash, who's considered more respected than Sharpe among the general population. Now they hope to capture the imagination of America and pass the electoral threshold, thus becoming kingmakers for the next government.

America Together: A very minor party founded by Rep. Duncan Hunter Jr. (Unity), a controversial member of congress known for his gaffes and rude behaviour, who ended up in an unrealistic place in Unity's party list primaries. It's running as a hard-right party but Hunter is also not hesitant to criticize Gingrich for "hurting the right by clinging to power" in spite of his corruption investigations.

[Elcaspar]

I enjoyed the other Isreali TL you made, so i am looking forward to more of this one. Keep up the good work!

[MassBlueDog]

In this scenario, what parties represent the Arab joint list parties?  The American Worker's party?

[America Needs R'hllor]

In this scenario, what parties represent the Arab joint list parties?  The American Worker's party?

Yep, it represents Hadash since it's generally a marxist Arab-Jewish party. I removed purely secterian parties like UTJ, Shas and the other Arab parties because it doesn't make sense in American context.

[Zharques]

Nice analogies, but it's horrifying to think about so long of Gingrich

[NyIndy]

Is The Bridge Gesher and the libertarian party Zehut?

[America Needs R'hllor]

Is The Bridge Gesher and the libertarian party Zehut?

Yep I'll post party lists and analogies soon.

[Arson Plus]

Where is that poll you did about an Israeli system type election?

[America Needs R'hllor]

Unity Party (analogue: Likud)
Official Ideology: Conservativism, National Liberalism, Center-right to Right-wing
Leader: Newt Gingrich
Current Seat Count: 102
Top 10 Party List
1. Prime Minister Newt Gingrich
2. Speaker of the House John Boehner
3. Transportation Minister Chris Christie
4. Internal Security Minister Steve Scalise
5. Former Education Minister Mitt Romney
6. Culture and Sports Minister Barbara Comstock
7. Tourism Minister John Thune
8. Former Construction Minister Michael Flynn
9. Former San Diego Mayor Darrell Issa
10. Social Equality Minister Cathy McMorris Rodgers
11. Rep. Jack Bergman
12. Environmental Protection Minister Dan Donovan
13. Labor, Welfare and Social Services Minister Haley Barbour
14. Fmr. Internal Security Minister Fred Upton
15. Science and Technology Minister James Comer
16. Energy Minister Jack Kingston
17. Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Joni Ernst
18. Rep. Scott DesJarlais
19. Rep. Thomas Massie
20. Rep. Lou Barletta

Stars and Stripes Party (analogue: Blue and White)
Official Ideology: Centrism, Social Liberalism, Big Tent
Leader: William McRaven (American Resilience Party), Chris Cuomo (American Future), Jim Mattis (Responsible Leadership Movement)
Current Seat Count: 43
Top 10 Party List
1. Ret. Admiral William McRaven (American Resilience)
2. Former Finance Minister Chris Cuomo (American Future)
3. Former Defense Minister Jim Mattis (RLM)
4. Ret. General Martin Dempsey (American Resilience)
5. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (American Resilience)
6. Former Welfare Minister Heath Shuler (American Future)
7. Media Personality Mika Brzezinski (American Resilience)
8. Rep. Patrick Murphy (American Future)
9. Former Rep. Charlie Dent (RLM)
10. Ret. Lt. Colonel Amy McGrath (American Future)
11. Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton (American Resilience)
12. Fmr. Chicago Public Schools Superintendent Arne Duncan (American Resilience)
13. Fmr. Health Minister Kim Driscoll (Americna Future)
14. Mr. Michael Steele (RLM)
15. Rep. Kathy Castor (American Resilience)
16. Rep. Cheri Bustos (American Future)
17. Detroit City Councillor Haley Stevens (American Resilience)
18. Rep. Eric Swalwell (American Future)
19. New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (American Resilience)
20. Entrepreneur Sean Casten (American Resilience)

Labor Party (analogue: Israeli Labour)
Official Ideology: Social Democracy, Pro-Union, Social Progressivism, Center-left to Left-wing
Leader: John Hickenlooper
Current Seat Count: 63 (Plus 21 for Hillary Rodham's Liberal Movement, not running in 2019)
Top 10 Party List
1. Former Environmental Protecton Minister John Hickenlooper
2. Ret. General Wesley Clark (Reserved spot for party leader)
3. Rep. Chris Pappas
4. Rep. Katie Hill
5. Rep. Marcia Fudge
6. Former Defense Minister Bennie Thompson
7. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand
8. Rep. Joe Sestak
9. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham
10. Rep. Ron Kind (Reserved spot for party leader, formerly from American Future)
11. Party Secretary Tom Perez (Reserved spot for Party Secretary)
12. Activist Conor Lamb
13. Rep. Abby Finkenauer
14. Fmr. State Rep. Gary Peters (Midwest Representation)
15. Rep. Adam Schiff
16. Fmr. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (Reserved spot for party leader, Green Party leader)
17. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (Black Caucus Representation)
18. Reporter Angie Craig
19. Rep. Dina Titus (Mountain West Representation)
20. Diplomat Sri Preston Kulkarni (South Representation)

Union of Christian Parties (analogue: Union of Right Wing Parties)
Official Ideology: Ultranationalism, Christian Right, Religious Nationalism, Anti-Muslim, Far-right
Leader: Rick Santorum (Christian Home), Mark Green (Christian Union), Steve King (American National Front)
Current Seat Count: 35
Top 5 Party List
1. Former Governor Rick Santorum (Christian Home)
2. Rep. Mark Green (Christian Union)
3. Rep. Tom Tancredo (Christian Home)
4. Party Chairman James Bopp (Christian Union)
5. Former U.S. Rep. Steve King (American National Front)
6. Rep. Bob Smith (Christian Home)
7. Former U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (Christian Union)
8. Attorney Chris McDaniel (American National Front)
9. Former Judge Louie Gohmert (Christian Union)
10. Former Virginia State Senator Virgil Goode (Christian Home)

New Right (analogue: New Right)
Official Ideology: Nationalism, Conservativism, Right-wing
Leaders: Tom Cotton and Nikki Haley
Current Seat Count: 3
Top 5 Party List
1. Education Minister Tom Cotton
2. Justice Minister Nikki Haley
3. Mayor Mia Love
4. Businessman Bill Lee
5. Rep. Kristi Noem
6. CEO Carly Fiorina
7. Captain Mike Gallagher
8. Attorney Chip Roy
9. Football Player Anthony Gonzalez
10. Author Kristen Cox

Progressive Party (analogue: Meretz)
Official Ideology: Socialism, Green Politics, Left-wing to Far-left
Leader: Marie Newman
Current Seat Count: 18
Top 5 Party List
1. Rep. Mary Newman
2. Rep. Raúl Grijalva
3. Rep. Katie Porter
4. Rep. David Zuckerman
5. Mayor Andrew Gillum
6. Boston City Councillor Ayanna Pressley
7. Rep. Mark Pocan
8. Mr. Mark Takano
9. Rep. Rosa DeLauro
10. Rep. Hank Johnson

National Party (analogue: Yisrael Beiteinu)
Official Ideology: Nationalism, Economic Liberalism, Neo-Conservativism, Right-wing
Leader: Casey Cagle
Current Seat Count: 19
Top 5 Party List
1. Former Defense Minister Casey Cagle
2. Rep. Andy Harris
3. South Carolina State Representative Lindsey Graham
4. Businessman Greg Gianforte
5. Former Rep. Liz Cheney
6. Rep. Raúl Labrador
7. Rep. Doug Collins
8. Rep. Matt Gaetz
9. Rep. Bill Cassidy
10. Rep. David Schweikert

All of Us Party (analogy: Kulanu)
Official Ideology: Economic Populism, Social Liberalism, Center-Right
Leader: Susan Collins
Current Seat Count: 41
Top 5 Party List
1. Finance Minister Susan Collins
2. Economy Minister Don Bacon
3. Construction Minister Shelley Moore Capito
4. Rep. Rodney Davis
5. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick
6. Rep. Martha McSally
7. Rep. Luis Fortuño
8. Rep. Tim Scott
9. Rep. Jerry Moran
10. Rep. Charlie Bass

American Workers' Party (analogy: Hadash)
Official Ideology: Communism, Marxism-Leninism, Maoism, Anti-racism, Open Borders, Black Nationalism (minority), Far-left
Leader: Eric Holder
Current Seat Count: 13
Top 5 Party List
1. Rep. Eric Holder
2. Rep. Cynthia McKinney
3. Rep. Jill Stein
4. Rep. Ajamu Baraka
5. Rep. Gloria La Riva

The Bridge Party (analogy: Gesher)
Official Ideology: Welfare Capitalism, Centrism, Feminism
Leader: Loretta Sanchez
Current Seat Count: 1
Top 5 Party List
1. Rep. Loretta Sanchez
2. Former Governor Mark Begich
3. Former Ambassador Fay Hartog-Levin
4. Construction Ministry Director-General Maurice Jones
5. Former Rep. Parker Griffith

Libertarian Party (analogy: Zehut)
Official Ideology: Libertarianism, Individualism, Pro-cannabis, Ultranationalism, Right-wing to Far-right
Leader: Larry Sharpe
Current Seat Count: 0
Top 5 Party List
1. Former Rep. Larry Sharpe
2. Former Rep. Justin Amash
3. Economist Michael Munger
4. Ms. Cynthia Lummis
5. Mr. Arvin Vohra

America Together Party (analogy: Tzomet)
Official Ideology: Conservativism, Right-wing Populism, Nationalism
Leader: Duncan Hunter Jr.
Current Seat Count: 1
Top 5 Party List
1. Rep. Duncan Hunter Jr.
2. Former New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind
3. Arizona State Senator Sylvia Allen
4. Former Misssissippi State Senator Melanie Sojourner
5. Activist Jim Gilchrist

[America Needs R'hllor]

Where is that poll you did about an Israeli system type election?

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=316428.0

Indeed, it's modeled after this

[Arson Plus]

Where is that poll you did about an Israeli system type election?

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=316428.0

Indeed, it's modeled after this

Thank you

[America Needs R'hllor]

The beginning of a system- the Roosevelt Ministries

Source: Wikimedia

After implementing the new Parliamentary system, Prime Minister Franklin Delano Roosevelt got right to work to shoring it up. In 1940, the first election to the new House of Representatives was held, after 3 years of transition, and the result was unsurprising- a resounding victory for Roosevelt's new Labor Party. At first, the system strongly resembled the two-party system that dominated American politics for years- the Labor Party covered almost the entire old Democratic Party, while the other side, still opposing the new system, retained the name the Republican Party.

The election also saw party leaders and lists being selected for both parties- in Labor, Roosevelt was chosen leader with only token oppositon by his Vice President, John Nance Garner. The list was chosen by the convention as well in a system where the candidate receiving the most votes from the convention is placed second on the list and so on. Harry Truman, a Senator from Missouri, was placed second, Agriculture Secretary and progressive icon Henry Wallace won the 3rd spot, Nance Garner was 4th and U.S. Rep. Sam Rayburn finished up the top 5.

In the Republican Party, the convention was much more contentious with several factions fighting for power- running for leader were Senator Robert Taft, champion of the conservative wing; centrist Senator Arthur Vandenberg Manhattan District Attorney Thomas Dewey who ran as the liberal champion; and House Republican leader Joseph Martin, who ran as a more moderate isolationist and conservative alternative to Taft. Other candidates ran, such as businessman Wendell Willkie and former President Herbert Hoover, but didn't have as much clout in the convention. As the liberals and conservatives in the party clashed, championing Dewey and Taft respectively, it seemed like no solution would be found and the party would break up. Instead, Vanderberg was chosen as a compromise candidate after Martin was dismissed as too conservative by Dewey supporters.

Labor Party top 10 for the 1940 Election
1. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
2. Senator Harry S. Truman
3. Secretary Henry Wallace
4. Vice President John Nance Garner
5. House Speaker Sam Rayburn
6. Secretary of State Cordell Hull
7. Senator Alben W. Barkley
8. Rep. John McCormack
9. Senator Millard Tydings
10. Senator Claude Pepper

Republican Party top 10 for the 1940 Election
1. Senator Arthur Vandenberg
2. Senator Robert Taft
3. District Attorney Thomas Dewey
4. House Minority Leader Joseph Martin
5. Senator Charles McNary
6. Former Governor Alf Landon
7. U.S. Rep. Everett Dirksen
8. Former President Herbert Hoover
9. Businessman Wendell Willikie
10. Senator Wallace H. White Jr.

In 1940, Roosevelet's popularity prevailed and he became the first Prime Minister of the United States of America.

U.S. Legislative Election, 1940 (Results)
Labor Party (Franklin Delano Roosevelt)- 244 Seats
Republican Party (Arthur Vandenberg)- 116 Seats
(Threshold: 1.1% or 4 Seats)
Socialist Party (Norman Thomas)- 0.2%
Prohibition Party (Roger Babson)- 0.1%
American Communist Party (Earl Browder)- 0.1%

During Roosevelet's first term as Prime Minister, following two terms as President, he begun implementing much more ambitious reforms as part of his new deal- medicare was expanded to everyone from the age of 50 and the medicaid requirements were lowered substantially, so that almost everyone could be medically insured, and many more federal jobs and infaustracture works were created. Lastly, the Supreme Court was reformed to have judges chosen by a Committee for Selection of Judges, consisting of the Minister of Justice, one Representative from the Coalition and one from the Opposition, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and two more Supreme Court Justices.

But then, another issue begun dominating American politics and took much of the time of the Roosevelt Ministry- foreign policy. The war in Europe has been raging for years now, and the rumours of terrible atrocities shook American public, but much of the House of Representative and most of the public still opposed getting out of the isolationism and entering the war. That lasted until December 7, 1941, when the Japanese allies of Nazi Germany attacked Pearl Harbor and shocked America. From there, the road was paved and Prime Minister Roosevelt, who favoured Britain all along, entered the Second World War in what would lead to the subsequent defeat of Germany, Japan, Italy and their other allies.

While the war still raged, the second American legislative elections were held in 1944. Roosevelt was chosen again as the Labor Party leader, while the list remained largely the same, though Harry F. Byrd won the 3rd place as the southern champion instead of Nance Garner and Foreign Minister Cordell Hull won the 4th place, with Rayburn remaining 5th and Wallace falling to 6th. But on the Republican side, the conservative-liberal divide continued threatening to tear the party apart. Leader Arthur Vandenberg was trying to win reelection, but his massive loss in 1940 put him in shaky ground as Minnesota Governor Harold Stassen challenged him as a liberal and Ohio Governor John W. Bricker made a conservative challenge. In the end, the reluctance of ideological delegates to cause much trouble for the party in the middle of a war helped Vandenberg survive the challenge, and he would lead the party in yet another election. In the list, the more isolationist conservatives lost considerable strength as many delegates moved towards a more interventionist, liberal position.

Labor Party top 10 for the 1944 Election
1. Prime Minister Franklin Delano Roosevelt
2. Defense Minister Harry S. Truman
3. Rep. Harry F. Byrd
4. Foreign Minister Cordell Hull
5. Home Minister Sam Rayburn
6. Agriculture Minister Henry Wallace
7. Finance Minister Alben W. Barkley
8. Health Minister John W. McCormack
9. Justice Minister Claude Pepper
10. Rep. John Nance Garner

Republican Party top 10 for the 1944 Election
1. Opposition Leader Arthur Vandenberg
2. Rep. Thomas Dewey
3. Rep. Robert Taft
4. Rep. Everett Dirksen
5. Rep. Earl Warren
6. Rep. Alf Landon
7. Rep. Wendell Willikie
8. Rep. John W. Bricker
9. Rep. Wallace H. White Jr.
10. Rep. Joseph Martin

But the results of the election itself weren't very in doubt from the start. Riding on the general popularity of the New Deal and on sympathy for his handling of the war, Roosevelt lead his party to a strong victory in the polls, gaining an even stronger majority over the divided Republicans.

U.S. Legislative Election, 1944 (Results)
Labor Party (Franklin Delano Roosevelt)- 251 Seats
Republican Party (Arthur Vandenberg)- 109 Seats
(Threshold: 1.1% or 4 Seats)
Socialist Party (Norman Thomas)- 0.2%
Prohibition Party (Claude A. Watson)- 0.2%
American Communist Party (Earl Browder)- 0.1%

Roosevelt's last term was marked by a deepening and a strengthening of the New Deal programs and by the victory of the Allies in World War II. He negotiated the agreement that ended the war, and the creation of the UN. And then, in April 12 1945, he died.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Heir of a Giant- the Truman Ministries

Source: Wikipedia Commons

Following the tragic passing of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, America's last executive President and first Prime Minister, the country, still in war with Japan, passed to the hands of Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Harry Truman. President Harold L. Ickes, nominated by Roosevelt in 1940, whose office was mostly ceremonial and only held the rights to pardon prisoners and decide who gets to form government coalitions, left the government in Truman's hands, deciding to allow him to finish Roosevelt's term. Ickes, Roosevelt's ally and Secretary of Interior, was appointed to the office of President for the first 7-year term and was then considered, formally, the head of state, despite the Prime Minister's much greater powers. After Roosevelt's death, despite being considered a rival of Truman, he decided that for the sake of the country, the new Labor leader who quickly won support as party leader from its convention, needed to remain in charge. In 1947, Truman would be a big factor with the decision on Ickes' successor as the next President of the United States.

Truman's handling of the war was possibly his biggest decision as Prime Minister- using two nuclear bombs in Japan, the first and last time such weapons were used for war in the history of the world, was enough to make the Japanese surrender and end the Second World War, but left a big scar, environmental, physical and mental, on the people of Japan. The new Prime Minister then had to handle an increasingly bold Soviet Union, with Joseph Stalin using the fall of the axis to conquer Eastern Europe from Poland to Bulgaria to East Germany, and install communist regimes loyal to him there. Sensing the danger, Truman and new Foreign Minister Sam Rayburn, who replaced Cordell Hull after the latter retired due to failing health, drafter a speech that Truman gave before the House of Representative in which he warned of the "dark forces" that'll destroy the American "freedom and way of life" if not met with force. Thus, they managed to finally convert the American public and parliament from its isolationism and approve the new Rayburn Plan, that'll distribute massive aid to countries in Western Europe and Asia in order to keep them stable and in the American sphere of influence.

Domestically, Truman continued the FDR New Deal policies, expanding and shoring them up, with Finance Minister Alben W. Barkley mostly handling the approval of the plans in the House while Truman focused on foreign policy. Lastly, America's second ceremonial President was to be chosen in 1947. Though the vote was held in the House, Truman was practically free to choose his candidate and get him through with the support of most Labor Representatives. Faced with the big choice, Truman nominated another former Roosevelt cabinet member- former Attorney General Robert H. Jackson, renowed for being a respected Supreme Court Justice and for his role as Chief United States Prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials. Jackson easily won the vote in the House and was chosen President.

When the 1948 election approached, Truman was preparing to run for reelection, with his popularity still riding high due to the victory in World War II and the popularity of his legendary predecessor. However, it was clear that FDR's magic broke with his death- the southern conservative and segregrationist forces within the Democratic Party revolted and presented a leadership challenge to Truman due to his support for civil rights, making Rep. Richard Russell Jr. from Georgia their champion. And from the left a smaller group of socialists and leftists accused Truman of being too far to the right compared to Roosevelt and not bold enough, supporting a leadership challenge by Rep. Glen Taylor from Idaho, who ran after Agriculture Secretary and Truman critic Henry Wallace declined to run. Additionally, Elliot Roosevelt, FDR's son, ran against Truman, saying that the Prime Minister's policies were creating the danger of another war and taking up his father's famous quote, "I hate war", as a slogan. In the end, however, Truman turned back the challenges, comfortably winning the vote in the Labor Party convention.

Labor Leadership Election, 1948
Prime Minister Harry S. Truman (LAB-MO)- 54.3% ✓
Rep. Richard Russell Jr. (LAB-GA)- 29.5%
Mr. Elliot Roosevelt (LAB-FL)- 10.7%
Rep. Glen Taylor (LAB-ID)- 5.5%

Some did not accept the decision- the majority of the former southern Democrats, taking advantage of the new system, left the Labor Party and formed their own party, calling it the Democratic Party after the old party they considered their own, and nominating Russell to lead it. Truman quickly turned against them, attacking the new party as "a mockery of its name, promoting anti-democratic and anti-American racist values". Still, the party quickly gained the support of much of the south and promised to bite off a large chunk of Labor seats.

Luckily for Truman, on the other side the chaos reigned even stronger. Arthur Vandenberg announced his intention to retire as leader following another big loss in 1944, sparking a fight over the inheritance. Vandenberg proved to be a glue that kept the party together, as it then quickly fell apart. Knowing they had a minority of convention delegates, the conservative faction in the party refused to even face another election for leadership and instead left the party en-masse, deciding they'd have much more influence separate than as junior partners. Thus were created a liberal Republican Party, and a separate Conservative Party. For leaders, the Republicans chose Thomas Dewey after a short and easy race against Rep. Harold Stassen, while the Conservatives went with their standard bearer Robert A. Taft, who won uncontested.

Labor Party top 10 for the 1948 Election
1. Prime Minister Harry S. Truman
2. Finance Minister Alben W. Barkley
3. Foreign Minister Sam Rayburn
4. Ret. General George Marshall
5. Agriculture Minister Henry Wallace
6. Health Minister John W. McCormack
7. Mr. Elliot Roosevelt
8. Rep. J. William Fulbright
9. Rep. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr.
10. Justice Minister Claude Pepper

Republican Party top 10 for the 1948 Election
1. Rep. Thomas E. Dewey
2. Rep. Everett Dirksen
3. Rep. Charles A. Halleck
4. Rep. Earl Warren
5. Rep. Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
6. Governor Harold Stassen
7. Rep. Joseph W. Martin Jr.
8. Rep. Alf Landon
9. Rep. Nelson Rockefeller
10. Rep. Wayne Morse

Conservative Party top 10 for the 1948 Election
1. Rep. Robert A. Taft
2. Governor John W. Bricker
3. Rep. William F. Knowland
4. Rep. Howard Buffett
5. Rep. Pat McCarran
6. Rep. Herbert Hoover
7. Rep. William E. Jenner
8. Rep. George H. Bender
9. Governor Lester C. Hunt
10. Mr. Joseph McCarthy

Democratic Party top 10 for the 1948 Election
1. Rep. Richard Russell Jr.
2. Transportation Minister Harry F. Byrd
3. Rep. John Sparkman
4. Rep. James Eastland
5. Rep. J. Lister Hill
6. Rep. John Nance Garner
7. Governor Benjamin Travis Laney
8. Rep. Allen J. Ellender
9. Mr. Samuel Ervin
10. Mr. John C. Stennis

The 1948 election initially looked like it could be the first truly contested election since the formation of the new system, but it turned out differently in the end. The Republicans and Conservatives split the vote, with the more liberal faction prevailing with the winds of the Cold War blowing, while the segregrationist Democrats didn't manage to take away the majority from Truman's Labor. A party that came surprisingly close to passing threshold was the Socialist Coalition, lead by Norman Thomas and encompassing various socialist and communist parties, including some Stalinist and Maoist factions.

U.S. Legislative Election, 1948 (Results)
Labor Party (Harry S. Truman)- 208 Seats ↓ (-43)
Republican Party (Thomas E. Dewey)- 71 Seats (new)
Conservative Party (Robert A. Taft)- 53 Seats (new)
Democratic Party (Richard Russell Jr.)- 28 Seats (new)
(Threshold: 1.1% or 4 Seats)
Socialist Coalition (Norman Thomas)- 0.9%
Prohibition Party (Claude A. Watson)- 0.2%

But after easily establishing a government, Truman's second term went from hard to extremely hard. The Cold War rapidly escalated, and as disaster after disaster shook the American people to their core, the mood quickly turned to a staunchly anti-communist direction. In 1948, a coup d'état in Czechoslovak signaled the iron grip of Stalin on Eastern Europe, while in 1949 two back-to-back events sent shockwaves throughout the country- the first successful Soviet atomic bomb test put the Communists on the same playfield as the Americans, and the surprising defeat of the American-supported Chinese Nationalists of Chiang Kai-Shek to the Communist forces of Mao Zedong, and the fall of China to the Communists, made many in America question "how could this happen".

Truman's previous dramatic anti-communist rhetoric, which allowed him to pass the Rayburn Plan, now backfired tremendously and a speech accusing "enemies from within" for responsibility to the fall of China by the new and charismatic Rep. Joseph McCarthy (CON-WI) lead to a wave of persecution of buearocrats and officials, especially in the State Department, as well as homosexuals and Hollywood figures. Even Foreign Minister Rayburn and Truman himself were accused by some of promoting communism. In 1950, America was forced into another war, defending their allies in South Korea from the communist totallitarian Kim Regime in North Korea, and after China entered the war and lead to a stalemate that damaged U.S. standing, Truman's position only worsened. Conservative leader Robert A. Taft, criticizing Truman's handling of Korea, still tried to reign in McCarthy and his supporters, but reluctantly granted him chairmanship of a new Un-American Activities Committee, from which McCarthy investigated those he deemed possible traitors and, as would later be lamented, ruined many careers and lives.

The strong Labor majority in the House ensured that Truman could continue governing with relative stability, despite the turmoil caused by McCarthy, and he was deemed a successful Prime Minister domestically and, in his earlier term, on foreign policy as well. But growing older and faced with these pressures, Truman decided to call an end to his career and not seek reelection in 1952. It would be the first wide-open race since the establishing of the parliamentary system.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Labor Dominance- the Rayburn Ministries

Source: Wikimedia

After Truman's announcement that he'll retire at the end of the term, the ruling Labor Party had to choose his heir, the one who will most likely be the next Prime Minister of the United States of America. Though some such as Labor Minister Henry Wallace pushed for an election amongst the electorate, party elders quickly dismissed it and the party convention was to choose its next leader. A frontrunner emerged almost immediately- Foreign Minister Sam Rayburn, a former House Democratic leader and a powerful party figure, who had the support of Prime Minister Truman, much of the party establishment, power brokers such as the retiring Finance Minister Alben W. Barkley and Commerce and Industry Minister John W. McCormack, and Defense Minister George Marshall, who commanded much respect from delegates. Against Rayburn stood Henry Wallace, Rep. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr., Justice Minister Claude Pepper and one of the remnants of southern Labor, Deputy Home Minister J. William Fulbright. In the end, they could not get close to Rayburn, and though a second round was forced after he didn't achieve an outright majority, Rayburn easily coasted to victory.

Labor Leadership Election, 1952 (First Round)
Foreign Minister Sam Rayburn (LAB-TX)- 44.6% ✓
Labor Minister Henry Wallace (LAB-IA)- 22.8% ✓
Dep. Home Minister J. William Fulbright (LAB-AR)- 14.2%
Rep. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. (LAB-NY)- 11.0%
Justice Minister Claude Pepper (LAB-FL)- 7.4%

Labor Leadership Election, 1952 (Second Round)
Foreign Minister Sam Rayburn (LAB-TX)- 68.5% ✓
Labor Minister Henry Wallace (LAB-IA)- 31.5%

In the Republican Party, Thomas Dewey was still a strong and popular leader, earning strong support from liberals within the party. However, the bad result in the past election made him more vulnerable and he was challenged by Rep. Everett Dirksen, who was on the more conservative side of the party and even supported Taft in the 1940 leadership election. The election result, a strong victory for Dewey, showed that the party was his and that its Dirksen faction was a minority.

Republican Leadership Election, 1952
Opposition Leader Thomas Dewey (R-NY)- 61.7% ✓
Rep. Everett Dirksen (R-IL)- 38.3%

There was much more turmoil in another party- the Conservative Party. Hopelessly split in two between McCarthyist rabid anti-Communists and between the Taftist isolationist conservatives who opposed their tactics, it was a recipe for a strong leadership challenge. Taft decided to run for reelection as leader after some hesitation and, despite his prominence as a Truman critic, was opposed by none other than Rep. Joseph McCarthy. The Conservative Party seemed to be split in half between the veteran conservative icon and the insurgent extremist. In the end, party delegates, despite some polls showing McCarthy much more popular with the base, chose to give Taft another chance.

Conservative Leadership Election, 1952
Rep. Robert A. Taft (CON-OH)- 53.8% ✓
Rep. Joseph McCarthy (CON-WI)- 46.2%

The McCarthyist faction did not take it well. Accusing Taft of rigging the election against him and of being a secret Communist sympathiser who used the conservative movement to advance the interests of the Soviet Union, McCarthy broke from the party and made his own party, calling it the American Freedom Front. He was joined by many prominent allies such as Reps. Pat McCarran, William E. Jenner, George W. Malone, Herman Welker and Styles Bridges, and the disgraced former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. One of McCarthy's most bitter enemies, Taft ally and former Democrat Lester C. Hunt, called the new party "a bunch of evil monsters". But still, with much of the public believing McCarthy's accusations, many feared the new party would gain strong support and might even become the main opposition to Labor. At the same time, the segregrationist Democratic Party kept up their course, nominating Richard Russell to lead them again uncontested.

Labor Party top 10 for the 1952 Election
1. Foreign Minister Sam Rayburn
2. Defense Minister George Marshall
3. Commerce and Industry Minister John W. McCormack
4. Labor Minister Henry Wallace
5. Rep. Estes Kefauver
6. Rep. Hubert Humphrey
7. California Labor Party Chair James Roosevelt II
8. Rep. Stuart Symington
9. Dep. Home Minister J. William Fulbright
10. Rep. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr.

Republican Party top 10 for the 1952 Election
1. Rep. Thomas E. Dewey
2. Rep. Charles A. Halleck
3. Rep. Earl Warren
4. Rep. Everett Dirksen
5. Rep. Joseph W. Martin Jr.
6. Rep. Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
7. Rep. Nelson Rockefeller
8. Rep. Wayne Morse
9. Rep. Harold Stassen
10. Rep. Alf Landon

Conservative Party top 10 for the 1952 Election
1. Rep. Robert A. Taft
2. Rep. William F. Knowland
3. Rep. John W. Bricker
4. Rep. Herbert Hoover
5. Rep. Howard Buffett
6. Rep. Lester C. Hunt
7. Rep. Barry Goldwater
8. Rep. Richard Nixon
9. Rep. George H. Bender
10. Rep. Bourke Hickenlooper

Democratic Party top 10 for the 1952 Election
1. Rep. Richard Russell Jr.
2. Fmr. Governor Strom Thurmond
3. Transportation Minister Harry F. Byrd
4. Rep. Samuel Ervin
5. Rep. John Sparkman
6. Rep. James Eastland
7. Rep. J. Lister Hill
8. Rep. John C. Stennis
9. Rep. Allen J. Ellender
10. Rep. Russell B. Long

American Freedom Front Party top 10 for the 1952 Election
1. Rep. Joseph McCarthy
2. Rep. William E. Jenner
3. Fmr. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover
4. Rep. Pat McCarran
5. Rep. Herman Welker
6. Attorney Roy Cohn
7. Rep. Styles Bridges
8. Rep. George W. Malone
9. Rep. J. Parnell Thomas
10. Fmr. U.S. Rep. Martin Dies Jr.

And so, after a particularly nasty election that included racist attacks by Democrats on several black members on the Labor Party list such as number 87 Rep. William Dawson (LAB-IL), number 211 former Rep. Adam Powell (LAB-NY) and even a member of the Republican Party, number 68 Rep. Oscar Stanton De Priest (R-IL). It also included continued attacks by the AFF Party and its leader McCarthy on so-called "communist traitors" and "sexual perverts". But in the end, the country proved that the legacy of FDR and Truman was too strong- Labor won another majority, though slightly diminished, on the back of its New Deal Coalition. The Republican and Conservative parties experienced a historic collapse as the former lost their niche in the political map and the latter's isolationism became unpopular. For the first time, the Socialist Party managed to enter the House, narrowly passing the threshold and, for some Americans, proving McCarthy's scaremongering.

U.S. Legislative Election, 1952 (Results)
Labor Party (Sam Rayburn)- 197 Seats ↓ (-11)
Republican Party (Thomas E. Dewey)- 57 Seats ↓ (-14)
American Freedom Front (Joseph McCarthy)- 52 Seats (new)
Democratic Party (Richard Russell Jr.)- 31 Seats ↑ (+3)
Conservative Party (Robert A. Taft)- 19 Seats ↓ (-34)
Socialist Party (Vincent Hallinan)- 4 Seats ↑ (+4)
(Threshold: 1.1% or 4 Seats)
Prohibition Party (Stuart Hamblen)- 0.1%

The political developments of Rayburn's first term surprisied many. It was widely expected that, as the Cold War escalates, so will the influence and power of the anti-Communist McCarthyists. Many even betted that McCarthy, before long, will depose Labor and take the position of Prime Minister. But the opposite happened- Rayburn handled the Soviets carefully but forcefully, and no other major scares such as China's fall and the atomic test happened. Controversially, Rayburn also purged many leftists in the State Department as a way to sooth the fears of a pro-communist bureaucratic takeover. Furthermore, the shocking suicide of Rep. Lester C. Hunt after McCarthy allies like Welker and Malone threatened to reveal his son's sexuality, turned the Conservative Party fully against him.

Sensing his influence on the American minds fading, McCarthy started wading into ever more deranged allegations, accusing Defense Minister Marshall and Prime Minister Rayburn of being communist agents, and then even going so far to accuse the armed forces of being controlled by communists. This was the last straw. With the cooperation of the Labor, Republican and Conservative Parties, as well as the economically leftist faction in the Democratic Party lead by Rep. Russell B. Long (D-LA), the House of Representatives turned on McCarthy, taking away his committee chairmanships and finally, in 1954, censuring him in a landslide vote of 293-67, with all Labor and Republican Representatives, 17 of the 19 Conservatives, 19 of the 31 Democrats and even 3 from McCarthy's own party. Since then, McCarthy continued lashing out against communists infiltrating the government, but the polls showed his party losing almost all its strength.

With stability at home and abroad, Prime Minister Rayburn went into the 1956 election with bright prospects. He won the Labor leadership again uncontested, with the most interesting event being the ascend of both Kennedy brothers, John and Robert, to the top 10 of the party's list. But in the other parties the environment was different. Thomas Dewey, though relatively young, finally decided to retire from leadership and let another man try. Dirksen, hoping to move the Republicans to the right and even promising a possible merger with the Conservatives, ran against the Dewey-endorsed Rep. Earl Warren, the by-now perenniel candidate Rep. Harold Stassen, moderate Rep. Joseph W. Martin Jr. and the party's leftmost standard-bearer Rep. Wayne Morse. As expected, Warren advanced into the second round against Dirksen, in which he won a strong victory with the support of all the other candidates.

Republican Leadership Election, 1956 (First Round)
Rep. Earl Warren (R-CA)- 33.6% ✓
Rep. Everett Dirksen (R-IL)- 30.4% ✓
Rep. Joseph W. Martin Jr. (R-MA)- 21.8%
Rep. Wayne Morse (R-OR)- 11.5%
Rep. Harold Stassen (R-MN)- 2.7%

Republican Leadership Election, 1956 (Second Round)
Rep. Earl Warren (R-CA)- 55.1% ✓
Rep. Everett Dirksen (R-IL)- 44.9%

The Conservative Party, meanwhile, was in an especially unique situation. After its leader, Robert A. Taft, died of cancer in 1953, his trusted deputy Rep. William F. Knowland became a caretaker for the next three years, with the understanding that he'd not run for leader. In 1956, former Ohio Governor and well-known Rep. John W. Bricker declared his run, and as the direct heir to the Taft legacy of isolationist, small-government conservativism, was presumed as the heir-apparent. Rep. Herbert Hoover, an old former President searching for a way back to power, challenged Bricker, as did the ambitious, young Rep. Richard Nixon, but they were considered unlikely to win. Then, the fresh and wildly popular Rep. Barry Goldwater announced his challenge. Running as a staunch conservative and a cold warrior, Goldwater enthused many in the party and promised to bring it back up and unite the entire right against the long Labor dominance. He advanced against Bricker in the second round, and then a low-energy campaign by the frontrunner, who didn't feel threatened, spelled his doom- Goldwater won the leadership in an upset.

Conservative Leadership Election, 1956 (First Round)
Rep. John W. Bricker (CON-OH)- 43.9% ✓
Rep. Barry Goldwater (CON-AZ)- 28.1% ✓
Rep. Herbert Hoover (CON-IA)- 15.7%
Rep. Richard Nixon (CON-CA)- 12.3%

Conservative Leadership Election, 1956 (Second Round)
Rep. Barry Goldwater (CON-AZ)- 52.3% ✓
Rep. John W. Bricker (CON-OH)- 47.7%

The other party which had a leadership race was the Democratic Party- there, Richard Russell decided to retire and let younger leaders ascend to lead the segregrationist forces. Running to succeed him were Rep. James Eastland, running as a staunch segregrationist known for statements such as calling blacks "an inferior race"; Rep. Sam Ervin, running as a relative moderate and on his record as constitutional expert and civil liberties defender; Rep. Russell B. Long, leading the charge for an economically leftist Democratic Party; and the most extreme candidate, former Ku Klax Klan Grand Wizard Samuel Green. In the end, Eastland and Long advanced to the second round, where Eastland, with the backing of party establishment, won. In the AFF, there was no primary- Joseph McCarthy was leader and was the only one who could choose the list. Many, however, left him, including J. Edgar Hoover and J. Parnell Thomas.

Democratic Leadership Election, 1956 (First Round)
Rep. James Eastland (D-MS)- 33.6% ✓
Rep. Russel B. Long (D-LA)- 29.3% ✓
Rep. Sam Ervin (D-NC)- 27.9%
Fmr. KKK Grand Wizard Samuel Green (D-GA)- 9.2%

Democratic Leadership Election, 1956 (Second Round)
Rep. James Eastland (D-MS)- 56.2% ✓
Rep. Russel B. Long (D-LA)- 43.8%

Labor Party top 10 for the 1956 Election
1. Prime Minister Sam Rayburn
2. Finance Minister John W. McCormack
3. Health Minister Estes Kefauver
4. Foreign Minister Stuart Symington
5. Labor Minister Hubert Humphrey
6. Dep. Defense Minister James Roosevelt II
7. Rep. John F. Kennedy
8. Commerce and Industry Minister Henry Wallace
9. Rep. Robert F. Kennedy
10. Rep. Birch Bayh

Republican Party top 10 for the 1956 Election
1. Rep. Earl Warren
2. Opposition Leader Thomas E. Dewey
3. Rep. Everett Dirksen
4. Rep. Joseph W. Martin Jr.
5. Rep. Wayne Morse
6. Rep. Charles A. Halleck
7. Rep. Alf Landon
8. Rep. Prescott Bush
9. Rep. Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
10. Rep. Gerald Ford

Conservative Party top 10 for the 1956 Election
1. Rep. Barry Goldwater
2. Rep. William F. Knowland
3. Rep. John W. Bricker
4. Rep. Richard Nixon
5. Rep. Leslie C. Arends
6. Rep. George H. Bender
7. Rep.  Norris Cotton
8. Rep. Howard Buffett
9. Rep. Bourke Hickenlooper
10. Rep. Herbert Hoover

Democratic Party top 10 for the 1956 Election
1. Rep. James Eastland
2. Rep. Harry F. Byrd
3. Rep. Richard Russell Jr.
4. Rep. Strom Thurmond
5. Rep. Samuel Ervin
6. Rep. John Sparkman
7. Rep. Russell B. Long
8. Rep. John C. Stennis
9. Rep. J. Lister Hill
10. Rep. Allen J. Ellender

American Freedom Front Party top 5 for the 1956 Election
1. Rep. Joseph McCarthy
2. Rep. William E. Jenner
3. Rep. Roy Cohn
4. Rep. Herman Welker
5. Rep. Styles Bridges

The election itself was interesting- not because of who won, but because of who lost and how. As expected, Sam Rayburn's Labor expanded its majority and he remained Prime Minister. But the opposition's composition was very different than before- Joseph McCarthy's AFF was almost wiped out, barely even passing the threshold, while the Socialists expanded their power slightly and the Republicans continued their decline. But the big winner was Barry Goldwater, who lead the Conservatives to a historic recovery, jumping up to become the main opposition party.

U.S. Legislative Election, 1956 (Results)
Labor Party (Sam Rayburn)- 211 Seats ↑ (+14)
Conservative Party (Barry Goldwater)- 58 Seats ↑ (+39)
Republican Party (Earl Warren)- 47 Seats ↓ (-10)
Democratic Party (James Eastland)- 30 Seats ↓ (-1)
American Freedom Front (Joseph McCarthy)- 8 Seats ↓ (-44)
Socialist Party (Vincent Hallinan)- 6 Seats ↑ (+2)
(Threshold: 1.1% or 4 Seats)

The second Rayburn Ministry was much like the first- stability at home, decisive foreign policy abroad. In 1957, depressed and drowning in alcohol, Joseph McCarthy died and McCarthyism died with him, as his party could not continue without him and later was absorbed by the Conservatives. He also lead the charge on confirming a new President in 1957, after the end of Robert H. Jackson's term- Jackson later died of a second heart attack in 1958. The new President, a Labor candidate, was a surprising choice to many- former Prime Minister Harry S. Truman. The choice of a respected elder statsman was considered wise and popular.

But one major event would be later noted as a stain on Rayburn's otherwise solid record, something that would impact his party later on- the increasing involvement of the U.S. in South Vietnam, where Rayburn attempted to strengthen a fledging and authoritarian pro-American leader, Bảo Đại, and increasingly failing against the pro-Soviet leader of North Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh. The Vietnemese were stubbornly opposing American influence, and it looked like if the war isn't de-escalated soon, the U.S. would have to wade deeper and deeper in. Before the 1960, citing age and poor health, Sam Rayburn announced his retirement as Prime Minister and leader of the Labor Party. One year later, when another Prime Minister was leading the United States, one of the country's most respected leaders in history died of cancer.