What is the significance of third parties

Libertarians believe the federal government should play a minimal role in the day-to-day affairs of the people. They believe that the only appropriate role of government is to protect the citizens from acts of physical force or fraud.

A libertarian-style government would, therefore, limit itself to a police, court, prison system and military. Members support the free market economy and are dedicated to the protection of civil liberties and individual freedom. The SPUSA supports democratic Socialism and has enjoyed varying degrees of support when its candidates have run against both Republicans and Democrats. In , Texan H. Perot's national organization, known as "United We Stand America" succeeded in getting Perot on the ballot in all 50 states.

Perot won 19 percent of the vote in November, the best result for a third party candidate in 80 years. Perot again ran for president as the Reform Party candidate in winning 8. As its name implies, Reform Party members are dedicated to reforming the American political system.

They support candidates they feel will "re-establish trust" in government by displaying high ethical standards coupled with fiscal responsibility and accountability. In , American Taxpayer Party presidential candidate Howard Phillips appeared on the ballot in 21 states. Phillips again ran in , achieving ballot access in 39 states. At its national convention in , the party officially changed its name to the "Constitution Party" and again chose Howard Phillips as its presidential candidate for The Constitution Party favors a government based on a strict interpretation of the U.

Constitution and the principals expressed in it by the Founding Fathers. They support a government limited in scope, structure, and power of regulation over the people. Under this goal, the Constitution Party favors a return of most governmental powers to the states, communities and the people. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. The two major parties have shifted names, platforms, and constituencies over time, but they have always served as gatekeepers to financial and human resources.

Moreover, throughout the past few decades, major party politicians have been able to neutralize third party threats by adopting or discrediting the views of third party candidates. Both major parties are at risk of losing voters if third party campaigns gain traction, so they have both tended to act in ways that promote the two party system.

Ross Perot : Ross Perot is the last third party presidential candidate to gain a substantial number of votes in the general election. Third party politicians tend to be more ideological than Republicans or Democrats because they do not have to play to the American middle. This means that two major political parties dominate in most elections and consequently dominate elected office.

Currently, the two major American parties are the Democratic and Republican parties, although the top two parties change over time.

A third party is any party that supports a candidate for election other than the two major political parties; at the current moment, a third party would be any party other than the Democratic and Republican parties.

Though third parties represent a very small fraction of Americans participating in politics, they do influence elections by drawing votes away from either of the two main parties. Third parties tend to be more ideological and extremist than the Democrats or Republicans.

Since third party candidates do not have a legitimate chance of winning national election given the structure of the current system, most third parties do not tend to try to pursue moderate voters and instead stay close to their ideological roots. All have over , registered voters. However, even as these parties are the largest of the third parties, they represent only a fraction of American voters and are more ideologically oriented than Democrats or Republicans.

The Libertarian Party supports laissez-faire policies, small government, and is characterized by being socially liberal and fiscally conservative. The Green Party is a progressive party that emphasizes eco-socialism. The Constitution Party is a socially and fiscally conservative party backed by the religious right.

Beyond the Libertarian, Green, and Constitution Parties, third parties in American politics tend even farther towards the fringe, emphasizing ideology and avoiding speaking to a broad base. An example of a small right-wing third party would be the America First Party. The AFP is characterized as paleoconservative because they are socially and fiscally conservative. Nader is probably the first third-party candidate since Teddy Roosevelt in to have won enough votes to affect the outcome of a presidential election.

People typically vote for a third-party candidate because they are trying to send a message to the major parties. That protest vote is often heard. Both the Democrats and Republicans have accepted reforms and programs that originally seemed radical when presented by third parties.

The eight-hour workday, women's suffrage, and the railroad rate regulation are good examples. Historically, third parties eventually fail to maintain themselves at the local and state levels, usually because one of the major parties skims off their talent by embracing some of the issues that party supporters hold dear. The Populists, Progressives, and Socialists succeeded for a time in winning local and state elections, and even some congressional seats, but their numbers were too small to have a dominating influence.

Third parties lack the financial resources to mount effective campaigns. Today, the cost of running for office is staggering. The two major parties consolidate their dominance of the political system by staging high-profile primaries and national conventions subsidized by taxpayer money.

When Ralph Nader announced in February that he would seek the presidential nomination, he was required to collect 1. Deadlines for those signatures begin as early as May Campaign finance rules say that a political party can only get government funding to run a race if it received a certain percentage of votes from the previous election. Often this leaves third party candidates to fund their own campaigns.

With less media coverage, the candidates are left to find other means of exposure to raise the millions of dollars it takes to run a successful campaign. Political analyst and comedian Bill Maher expressed disbelief that Americans would willingly accept only two choices for president.

Others argue that the two-party system is one that promotes stability by avoiding a more divided government. Constitution was written long before parties came into being. The Democrats and the Republicans, according to Wilentz, over the decades have come to represent two basic and contrasting ideas about how politics and policy should be run.

Bibby agrees. Analysts favor the Republican or Democratic Party to win, and of the 81 other candidates hoping to enter the race, the public will probably only know the name of a very select few. Support Provided By: Learn more. Politics Sep Wednesday, Nov The Latest.