The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was not a supporter of specific Democratic candidates, but a supporter of the Democratic Party — or rather, what I thought the Democratic Party stood for.

I believed that Democrats were the ones who were on my side — a middle-class student — and the Republicans catered to rich, corporate business owners. Although these stereotypes might or might not be true, that’s not what I’m here to interpret.

In George Washington’s 1796 Farewell Address, he said “(Political parties) may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines by which cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government.”

Washington warned the country against forming political parties, but the country continued to do so against the better judgement of a founding father. He warned that parties could grasp the power in government, and whether Americans want to admit it or not, that is exactly what has happened.

Political parties have become signposts for voters. Come election time, Americans proclaim themselves as a Democrat or a Republican, and they either vote for the Democrat candidate or the Republican candidate. I am not one to declare how much political knowledge American citizens have individually, but I believe that as a whole, far too many Americans head into Election Day with too little knowledge of the presidential candidates.

A report published by the Pew Research Center last month revealed many voters do not know basic facts about Republican candidates and the election. Only about half of surveyed voters — 53 percent — knew Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney was the former governor of Massachusetts, and less than half — 45 percent — of voters knew which state was holding the next primary.

Many Americans are too uninformed when it comes to the presidential election, and parties have become a safety zone for some voters to hide in.

In some cases, Americans are born into a party. Many never venture from the parties their parents vote for simply because it was what they grew up with. Parental influences can instill beliefs in their children, who sometimes become loyal to a party because they feel compelled to be.

Others choose sides based solely on the actions of past government officials. Some might disagree with former Republican President George W. Bush declaring war against Iraq and choose to side with the Democrats in the next election.

Yet what many fail to understand is parties stand polarized on issues, but the people in those parties might not. Some Republicans have liberal ideas, as some Democrats take on issues with a more conservative outlook.

For example, Mitt Romney supported a minimum level of health care for all citizens of Massachusetts while he was governor — an idea normally associated with liberals. President Obama has not closed the door on the possibility of a nuclear attack on Iran — a move favored by some conservatives. Without investigating into the candidates, voters would be completely unaware of the fact many politicians have beliefs that apply to both parties.

I don’t have anything against a voter aligning themselves to a political party during election time, but I don’t think voters should do so without complete knowledge of the candidate they are voting for. Personally, I am going to thoroughly look into the candidates and their stances before I enter the voting booth, and I think America would benefit from more citizens doing so as well.

Alyssa Girardi is the State News opinion writer. Reach her at girardi5@msu.edu.