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I look at some of the political battles we see today, and often wonder if they would happen if it weren't for the existence of our two-party political system.
We've already been treated to opponents blasting each other in print and over the airwaves, and it's sure to ramp up even more in the coming weeks. Democrats and Republicans face off to see which group can hold power and control the narrative.
Non-partisan elections, while definitely having their own special flavor, don't seem to get as brutal.
In ancient Greece, there were no parties as we have them today. The legislative group, instead, was made up of the heads of each free family, who then debated the issues of the day and tried to find a way to make the decision that would be best for everyone.
Ancient Rome had probably one of the earliest roots, with the Patricians -- representing the nobility -- and the Plebeians -- for the wealthy merchants and the middle class.
For centuries after, the people had little to no voice in the operations of nations, as the rule of nobility became law of the land.
In America's earliest days, there was disagreement over whether political parties were necessary.
It's actually been said that when George Washington retired from public life, he warned against the idea of political factions.
Alexander Hamilton also reportedly thought the idea of factions should be guarded against.
James Madison, while not fully approving of them, felt they were probably necessary.
Through the various beliefs, though, the first American political parties were founded.
It's been a battle between factions ever since.
I would wonder if there was a way we could continue to have the American Democratic Republic without the "political banter" of today. Perhaps it would allow for those we elect to actually focus on serving the needs of the people.
I've had numerous national elected officials tell me that as soon as they get into office, they are hit with requests to begin fundraising -- both for their next election and for the political party.
Imagine a situation where that wasn't necessary. Imagine a time where someone wouldn't be identified by a D or an R. Imagine an election where we, the voters, would actually have to look at the content of a candidate's background and comments instead of just sticking with them because they aren't "one of us."
It would be interesting to see a presidential election, for example, without the powers of the big political engines driving the train toward the Oval Office.
I don't know if it would necessarily be a better system for electing all of our offices, but it's seemed to work on some of the local and state-level positions.
Weirton's municipal election, which will be held next year, is non-partisan, and for the last couple of years, so has the elections for West Virginia's Supreme Court of Appeals.
Maybe we should look into a few other offices to see how they could work.
It's some food for thought, at the very least.
(Howell, a resident of Colliers, is managing editor of The Weirton Daily Times, and can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com or followed on Twitter @CHowellWDT)