In the past 220 years, changes to the American political landscape have indelibly transformed participatory politics in this country. In 1787, when the framers of the Constitution convened to design the American electoral system, many were concerned that political parties would be detrimental to the new democracy. So they designed a framework they believed would limit partisan influence. However, the very thing they tried to prevent rose from the institutions that they had themselves designed.   Our system of checks and balances makes it extremely difficult to exert power throughout the government. Andrew Jackson realized the original arrangement of politics was no longer an effective response to the political forces that dominated the discourse of his time. Partisan politics evolved.   At first, partisan groups were organized to manipulate voting behaviors by using spoils and other federal resources to guarantee loyalty. This system was effective in that over time, many politicians were able to organize pockets of support based on a proposed common identity that they could manipulate. At the turn of the 20th century and in response to reforms, these partisan attachments weakened as the size of the federal government expanded.   Yet in spite of these reforms, changes in the 20th and 21st centuries — the rise of national media outlets and transportation technologies — fortified the pervasive influence of political parties.   The largest drawback of our two-party system has been the increasing polarization between Democrats and Republicans. This widening cleavage has resulted in more virulent political discourse, and as a result, many choose not to affiliate themselves with a party.   However, for voters who remain unaffiliated, their lack of partisanship ultimately reduces the strength of their vote in highly partisan states such as this one.     Take for example, a race that is close to home, or at least to your dorm. For the five candidates engaged in the brutal, no-holds-barred Democratic primary for Prince George’s County executive, tomorrow’s primary is the de facto general election. Why? In a county where a dominating 78 percent of registered voters are Democrats, the Democratic candidate is a sure bet to win every time.   But that is no surprise. Historically, Democratic politics dominate this state. Only one member of the state’s delegation to the U.S. Congress is Republican, and 75 percent of state government elected officials are affiliated with the Democratic party.   Additionally, practicality dictates that in Baltimore City, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and some counties on the Eastern Shore, your vote will not matter unless it is made in the primary election. For the voters who remain unaffiliated in partisan strongholds, they have ensured that their voices fall on deaf ears. Elected officials at the state level make the most important decisions that affect our lives on a daily basis. We need to make sure our vote and voice actually matter to them. Fortunately or unfortunately, in this state your options are limited. If you want your voice to be heard, politics must transcend partisanship.   It was James Madison who cautioned us on partisan affiliations in The Federalist No. 10. He declared that factions, or parties, are a necessary evil for the preservation of democracy. But in this state, the choice is an obvious one. Affiliate with a party, or be ignored.    Andrew Steinberg is a senior criminology and criminal justice and government and politics major. He can be reached at steinberg at umdbk dot com.