From MSN:
By the 1970s it had become common to observe that American political parties were in decline. University of California, Irvine political scientist Martin Wattenberg achieved the apogee of this literature with his 1985 classic The Decline of Political Parties in America … citing the waning influence of party professionals, the rise of single-issue pressure groups, and an attendant fall in voter turnout.

For the full story, please visit http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/american-democracy-is-doomed/ar-AAfgUfa.