09 Nov Third parties and Independents in U.S. Elections
Drawing on the background materials, address the following prompts in a minimum of 250 words.
- Why do minor political parties have such little success competing in U.S. elections?
- Short of winning elections, how do third parties have an influence on the political system?
- Would you ever consider voting for an independent or a third-party candidate? Why or why not?
Reminder: You will need to comment on at least one other student’s posting to complete the assignment.
Background Materials:
- OpenStax American Government (Links to an external site.), Chapter 9
- Maurice Duverger. “Factors in a Two-Party and Multiparty System.” (In Party Politics and Pressure Groups, 1972, pp. 23-32)
- Jane Coaston, “How the Libertarian Party (maybe) helped shift the presidential race. (Links to an external site.)” (Vox, November 2020).
- Stuart Rothenberg, “How third-party votes sunk Clinton, what they mean for Trump“. (Roll Call, July 2019).
