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Third-party politics: lesson overview

A high-level overview of the barriers to electoral success facing third-party and independent candidates.
Why do third parties rarely succeed in US politics?

Key terms

TermDefinition
independent candidateA candidate for office who does not have a formal affiliation with a political party.
party platformA set of goals supported by a political party. Parties design their platforms to appeal to the concerns of the public and to encourage voters to support the party.
proportional systemAn electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded in proportion to the percentage of votes garnered by a party in an election. This system is common in Europe and benefits minor political parties, who may win a small number of legislative seats even if a mainstream party wins most seats.
third partyAlso called a minor party, a third party is a US political party other than the two major parties (the Republican Party and the Democratic Party). Third parties rarely win elections in the United States, but frequently influence national politics by drawing attention to issues previously neglected by the major parties.
two-party systemAn electoral system in which two major parties dominate voting at all levels of government.
winner-take-all systemAn electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded only to the party who received the most votes in an election. This is the most common system in the United States, and it does not benefit minor political parties, since third-party candidates rarely win the majority of votes in an election.

Key takeaways

Barriers to third-party success: Although the Constitution doesn’t make any rules about political parties, US government has a two-party system in which candidates from the two major political parties win nearly all elected offices. Many third parties have emerged over time, but two major barriers have prevented third parties from electing many candidates. First, most US elections operate by the winner-take-all system, which awards seats only to the candidate or party who wins the most votes in an election; independent or third-party candidates, who have neither the name recognition nor the organizational support provided by the major parties, rarely win the majority of votes. Second, the two major parties frequently incorporate the platforms of third parties into their own platforms; voters who identified with a third-party issue will often vote for a major party candidate who has adopted that issue because major parties are more likely to succeed.

Review questions

Why is it difficult for third-party candidates to win elections in the United States?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of third-party participation in the US political system?

Want to join the conversation?

  • blobby green style avatar for user irijah.a.wright
    who thought about making the third party
    (4 votes)
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  • blobby green style avatar for user kaitlyn garcia
    Why do third parties usually not last very long in the American two-party system?
    (2 votes)
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    • aqualine ultimate style avatar for user famousguy786
      The structure of US politics makes it very difficult for third parties to win elections, which is why they don't last long. After all, why would anyone bother to support a party that is guaranteed to lose? Also, either of the 2 parties routinely adopt ideas and policies championed by third parties, which makes voting for a third party pointless.
      (7 votes)
  • blobby green style avatar for user Joshua Cruz
    Why is it difficult for a candidate who is not a democrat or republican to get elected
    (3 votes)
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  • leafers seed style avatar for user mofradini
    How would an independent or third party candidate ever have a chance at winning the election if the electors of one of the two democrat or republican parties elect the president nationally?
    (2 votes)
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  • starky ultimate style avatar for user ®oman
    It seems as if this is just a spinning reaction.
    These third parties get little to no representation, and in turn no good standing to receive votes or seats in the system, which then circles back to no representation and so forth.
    So if these parties got equal or at least an increase of representation wouldn't that give an increase in voters and win probability rate? It appears bias that only the major parties get recognized. And in addition gives the illusion that the U.S. is divided in two, when in fact that is not the case.
    Any thoughts along-side of or against this?
    (3 votes)
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    • leaf blue style avatar for user Hunter R. Shaw
      I agree. A big reason why third party members rarely win is lack of support. Someone from the Green Party isn't going to get as much financial backing as someone running as a Democrat (for example). This is why Bernie Sanders always runs for president as a Democrat, despite being an Independent in the Senate (which is rare on its own). Rand Paul is similarly outside the standard Republican platform, but chooses to be a Republican full time because the Libertarian Party couldn't afford him much support.
      (2 votes)
  • blobby green style avatar for user Aarnav
    How can third parties harm our political system?
    (3 votes)
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  • blobby green style avatar for user JessieBearclaw22
    What challenges would a third party candidate face, if they win, once in office?
    (2 votes)
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    • aqualine ultimate style avatar for user famousguy786
      Great question Jessie!The biggest challenge a third party official will face is to fulfill his promise and get things done because he/she would have to cooperate with at least one of the two parties to implement the policies he/she wants, and that will require him/her to either make his/her policies less ambitious or accept some of the demands of the other party in exchange. It is a tricky situation.
      Another challenge they will face is staying in office and not losing reelection. Most third party candidates win during waves of support for their party's platform and policies. However, due to the overall dominance of the two parties, many voters return to voting for the two parties.
      Yet another challenge for a third party elected official will be to attract attention for himself/herself amid the usual news cycle which is often dominated by feuds between Republicans and Democrats.
      Lastly, a possible challenge for a third party legislator will be when he/she is the swing vote or the deciding vote. There may be a situation in which the number of Democrats or Republicans will be roughly equal or the yes and no votes will be equal for some policy or bill.Such a scenario occured in the Great Senate Deadlock of 1881. In that scenario, the fate of most bills will depend on third party legislators and that may cause them to take hard decisions and try to please both sides which is like walking a tightrope.
      So, it is challenging to belong to a third party which is why there are very few people who support third parties.
      (3 votes)
  • leafers seedling style avatar for user jacqueline franks
    What are some laws third parties contributed to?
    (2 votes)
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    • aqualine ultimate style avatar for user famousguy786
      Third parties may not be very good at winning elections but they do shape the narratives and the issues which are dealt with .
      A recent example of this is the Reform Party led by Ross Perot. In 1992, he was considered a serious contender for the presidency, due to which he got to participate in the debates and got nationwide attention. His main plank was controlling and reducing the national debt and even though he could not get elected( he won 19% of the vote) his effective campaign forced President Bill Clinton to work hard to reduce the deficit.
      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.
      We did not end up with two parties by accident. Many factors, like winner take all elections and campaign finance laws caused this system, but the best way in which the Republicans and Democrats have maintained power is by adopting policies advocated by third parties, many of which focus overwhelmingly on one single issue or policy.
      (2 votes)
  • leaf green style avatar for user Laysha Chaparro
    How many 3rd parties is there in total?
    (2 votes)
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    • primosaur tree style avatar for user Pearlgretta
      Since 3rd parties in the political system simply refer to parties other than the two main parties which are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, there are have been and are many 3rd parties in the United States. Modern 3rd parties include the Green Party, the Reform Party, and the Libertarian Party.
      (2 votes)
  • duskpin seed style avatar for user Black Tea~
    Although Third-Party political groups may have many disadvantages size many times being one of them. But can we say that the voices of the few are not heard in larger parties, due to the rise of social media platforms that force larger political parties to address the issues at hand knowing that they can no longer bury them through old media outlets like the newspaper and TV news?
    (2 votes)
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