third parties pols 125: political parties & elections saying we should keep the two-party system...
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Third PartiesThird PartiesPOLS 125: Political Parties & ElectionsPOLS 125: Political Parties & Elections
“Saying we should keep the two-party system simply because it is working is like saying the Titanic voyage was a success because a few people survived on life rafts.”
—Eugene McCarthy
Third PartyThird Party YearYear% of % of Popular Popular
VoteVote
ElectorElectoral al
VoteVotess
Fate in Next ElectionFate in Next Election
Anti-MasonicAnti-Masonic 18321832 7.87.8 77 Endorsed Whig Endorsed Whig candidatecandidate
Free SoilFree Soil 18481848 10.110.1 00 Received 4.9% of voteReceived 4.9% of vote
Whig-AmericanWhig-American 18561856 21.521.5 88 Party dissolvedParty dissolved
Southern DemocratSouthern Democrat 18601860 18.118.1 7272 Party dissolvedParty dissolved
Constitutional Union Constitutional Union 18601860 12.612.6 3939 Party dissolvedParty dissolved
PopulistPopulist 18921892 8.58.5 2222 Endorsed Democratic Endorsed Democratic candidatecandidate
Progressive (T. Progressive (T. Roosevelt)Roosevelt)
19121912 27.427.4 8888 Returned to Republican Returned to Republican partyparty
SocialistSocialist 19121912 6.06.0 00 Received 3.2% of voteReceived 3.2% of vote
Progressive (LaFollette)Progressive (LaFollette) 19241924 16.616.6 1313 Returned to Republican Returned to Republican partyparty
States’ Rights States’ Rights DemocratDemocrat
19481948 2.42.4 3939 Party dissolvedParty dissolved
Progressive (H. Progressive (H. Wallace)Wallace)
19481948 2.42.4 00 Received 0.2% of voteReceived 0.2% of vote
American IndependentAmerican Independent 19681968 13.513.5 4646 Received 1.4% of voteReceived 1.4% of vote
John B. AndersonJohn B. Anderson 19801980 7.17.1 00 Did not run in 1984Did not run in 1984
H. Ross PerotH. Ross Perot 19921992 18.918.9 00 Received 8% of voteReceived 8% of vote
Ralph NaderRalph Nader 20002000 2.72.7 00 Received 0.4% of voteReceived 0.4% of vote
Barriers to Barriers to EntryEntry
Ballot access Ballot access restrictionsrestrictions
Campaign finance Campaign finance laws laws
Media coverage Media coverage
Presidential Presidential debatesdebates
The “Spoiler” EffectThe “Spoiler” Effect
Access to Presidential Access to Presidential DebatesDebates
1.1. Evidence of Constitutional eligibilityEvidence of Constitutional eligibility Must be at 35 years of age;Must be at 35 years of age; Must be natural born citizen, and a resident of the U.S. Must be natural born citizen, and a resident of the U.S.
for at least 14 years;for at least 14 years; Must be otherwise eligible under the Constitution;Must be otherwise eligible under the Constitution;
2.2. Evidence of ballot accessEvidence of ballot access The candidate must qualify to have his/her name appear The candidate must qualify to have his/her name appear
on enough state ballots to have at least a mathematical on enough state ballots to have at least a mathematical chance of securing an Electoral College majority;chance of securing an Electoral College majority;
3.3. Indicators of Electoral supportIndicators of Electoral support The candidate must have a level or support of at least The candidate must have a level or support of at least
15% of the national electorate as determined by five 15% of the national electorate as determined by five selected national public opinion polling organizations;selected national public opinion polling organizations;
The Commission on Presidential Debates selects The Commission on Presidential Debates selects candidates on the basis of the following criteria:candidates on the basis of the following criteria:Is this fair to third party and
Independent candidates? Do we set the bar too high?
The Iraq ballot offered a choice of 111 parties.
Achieving an Optimal ResultAchieving an Optimal Result
How can we best aggregate preferences to:
Determine a clear winner
Avoid “wasted” votes
Prevent “spoilers”
IRV: An Alternative to Plurality IRV: An Alternative to Plurality VotingVoting
The plurality system used in U.S. elections allows The plurality system used in U.S. elections allows voters to cast ballots only for their top choice. By voters to cast ballots only for their top choice. By ignoring how voters might rank the remaining ignoring how voters might rank the remaining candidates, it opens the door to unsettling, and even candidates, it opens the door to unsettling, and even paradoxical results. paradoxical results.
Criticism of IRVCriticism of IRV
More complexMore complex Requires new Requires new
voting machineryvoting machinery Voter fatigueVoter fatigue
Are reforms like this at odds with third parties? More parties could make it cumbersome and impractical.
The Future of Third PartiesThe Future of Third Parties
Will the internet eventually Will the internet eventually displace major parties, to the displace major parties, to the advantage of third party and advantage of third party and independent candidates? independent candidates?
As Everett Ehrlich says: “Now As Everett Ehrlich says: “Now anyone with a Web site and a anyone with a Web site and a server, a satellite transponder and server, a satellite transponder and about $100 million can have—in a about $100 million can have—in a matter of months—much of what matter of months—much of what the political parties have taken the political parties have taken generations to build.”generations to build.”