Beyond the Red and Blue: The Pivotal Role of Third-Parties in American Presidential Elections Abby Tabachini Introduction & Thesis Statement Throughout the pages of American history, the presence of third-parties has often been perceived as a disruptive force in presidential elections. Third-party candidates are often looked at as dissenting voices who challenge the dominance of the American two-party system as their presence offers voters an alternative candidate to cast their vote for. While many Americans view a third-party candidate as a “wasted vote” in elections or simply overlook the candidate altogether as they are viewed as having no shot at winning, third-party candidates have been making undeniable marks in American presidential …show more content…
Understanding the historical influence of third-party candidates' presence in presidential elections is not only important in helping Americans better understand their country’s past, it is also significant for the future of American politics and elections. As the 2024 presidential election is quickly approaching, Americans find themselves “deeply dissatisfied” with the two party nominees: incumbent President Joe Biden for the Democrats and former President Donald Trump for the Republicans (NYT). Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has launched his hat into the third-party rink as an independent, in a bid for president that could potentially shift the tide of the election. With a pivotal election on the line for both parties, and American discontent towards the government only growing, it is critical to understand the historical influence of third-parties in order to better grasp the current and future trajectory of American politics. My thesis looks to explore the intersection of the historical …show more content…
Tentatively this includes the following presidential elections: 1912, 1948, 1968, 1992, 2000, 2016. As I continue to review various literature and scholarship related to third-parties in presidential elections, I will alter this list as necessary. My examination of these specific elections will include an analysis of the third-party candidate, their campaign, why the candidate entered the race, historical context of the election year, and political context of the election year. This first stage of research will primarily be concerned with secondary sources, some of which are included in the annotated bibliography below. These secondary sources will be focused on providing coverage of the third-party candidates in the presidential elections indicated above, how the candidates impacted the election results, as well as what factors drove the American people to vote for the third-party candidate. In order to ensure I have a source base that properly encompasses my topic, I plan to meet with my thesis director, Dr. Kent Germany, as well as the university’s research librarians to collect additional sources that are not currently in my annotated bibliography. Meeting with these individuals will not only allow me to expand my source base, but get a better understanding and idea of where to scope out relevant secondary
In closing, this book informs us on how the Republicans went crazy and Democrats became useless, and how it’s become a problem. The books unfolds the faults of the Republicans and Democrats “behind the scenes”, and made me more aware of the parties today.
majority of the states, and those that were on the ballot in a majority of
The first political parties in America began to form at the end of the 18th century. "The conflict that took shape in the 1790s between the Federalists and the Antifederalists exercised a profound impact on American history." The two primary influences, Thomas Jefferson a...
Fairlie, Henry. The Parties: Republicans and Democrats in This Century. New York: The New Republic Magazine, 1978.
After the creation of the United States Constitution, George Washington was elected as the first president. During Washington’s two terms, two political parties emerged: the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. In determining the catalyst for these parties surfacing, it is important to look at the viewpoints each group held in areas including the economy, politics, and foreign affairs. Political parties rose in the 1790s as contrasting opinions on economic plans and foreign affairs ultimately led to opposing political perspectives.
Despite what’s against 3rd parties they still do manage to make some important contributions in our political system. One contribution is there ability to shift other party’s views along the political spectrum slightly.
In this essay, I will explain why Texas should retain the partisan election of judges. Texas is one of the few states that elect their judges using a Partisan voting method. Partisan elections can be unfair and can misinform the voter. A high legal position such as a judge should never be chosen in such a manner. Partisan elections often cost more than nonpartisan elections in campaigning. Partisan elections are also more likely to lead to straight ticket voting or mindless voting. Partisan elections also lead to more campaign contributions and can increase the power of constituencies. Lastly partisan elections can cause an imbalance in equal represent the population. Therefore, Partisanship voting does not belong in the courts of Texas and
During the late 19th and early 20th century both the Populist Party and Progressive movement wanted to preserve some things, while also addressing the need for reform. Although many of the ideas and goals of these “Third parties” were initially not legislated and considered far-fetched, many of these ideas later became fundamental laws throughout American history.
Ever since the election season of 1972, presidential primaries have become “the dominant means of selecting the two major party candidates.”i[i] The primary system is one in which the eligible voters of each state do one of the following: 1) Vote for a presidential candidate to run for their party in the general election. 2) Vote for a delegate pledged to vote for a certain candidate at the party’s national convention. As intended, this process would bring the candidate selection processes out into the open and “let the people vote for the candidate of their choice.”ii[ii] On the surface, this may look very democratic (and admittedly, in some instances it was/is), but upon closer examination, it becomes overwhelmingly clear that the candidates are chosen long before the people cast their vote. The culprit: the structure of the presidential primary system.
In the presidential elections of 1980 and 1992, in both cases, the third party received a good amount of popular vote (Doc B). This should mean that they should receive electoral votes. But that’s not the case. This shows a dominance of our 2-party system. Even bet...
Shugart, Matthew. "Elections: The American Process of Selecting a President: A Comparative Perspective." Presidential Studies, 34, 3 (September 2004): 632-656.
Beck, Paul Allen and Hershey, Marjorie Randon. Party Politics in America. 9th Ed. Longman, New York, NY. 2001.
There is much debate in the United States whether or not there is polarization between our two dominate political parties. Presidential election results have shown that there is a division between the states; a battle between the Democratic blue states and the Republican red states. And what is striking is that the “colors” of these states do not change. Red stays red, and blue stays blue. Chapter 11 of Fault Lines gives differing views of polarization. James Wilson, a political science professor at Pepperdine University in California, suggests that polarization is indeed relevant in modern society and that it will eventually cause the downfall of America. On the contrast, Morris Fiorina, a political science professor at Stanford University, argues that polarization is nothing but a myth, something that Americans should not be concerned with. John Judis, a senior editor at The New Republic, gives insight on a driving force of polarization; the Tea Party Movement. Through this paper I will highlight the chief factors given by Wilson and Judis which contribute to polarization in the United States, and will consider what factors Fiorina may agree with.
Today, political parties can be seen throughout everyday life, prevalent in various activities such as watching television, or seeing signs beside the road while driving. These everyday occurrences make the knowledge of political parties commonly known, especially as the two opposing political parties: the Republicans and the Democrats. Republican and Democrats have existed for numerous years, predominantly due to pure tradition, and the comfort of the ideas each party presents. For years, the existence of two political parties has dominated the elections of the president, and lower offices such as mayor, or the House of Representatives. Fundamentally, this tradition continues from the very emergence of political parties during the election of 1796, principally between Federalist John Adams and Anti-federalist Thomas Jefferson. Prior to this election people unanimously conformed to the ideas of one man, George Washington, and therefore did not require the need for political parties.1 However, following his presidency the public was divided with opposing opinions, each arguing the best methods to regulate the country. Ultimately, the emergence of different opinions regarding the future of the United States involving the economy, foreign relations, ‘the masses,’ and the interpretation of the Constitution, led to the two political parties of the 1790s and the critical election of 1800.
Wattenberg, Martin P. (1986). The decline of American political parties 1952-1984. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.