How does the UK manage to have an (albeit shitty) multiparty system with first past the post voting when the US has never been able to break out of the two party system?
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One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is that a UK constituency (55-70K voters) is FAR smaller than a US congressional district (~750K residents, perhaps 500K voters).
It is far more likely that a candidate in the UK can be very visible and known to their constituents at a personal level. This allows for a variety of candidates to win locally (regardless of party affiliation).
It is far more difficult for a US congressional candidate to reach out and touch 500K voters – hence they need a large organization (think time and $$$) to conduct a successful campaign. This puts a lot more power into the hands of the party with the $$$ and grassroots organization. It also means that candidates in the US have far more incentive to focus on big picture national issues further removed from local politics which again favor large parties who can essentially market themselves across many districts with more consistent messaging.
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