Section 4 The Minor parties CHAPTER 5 Section 4 The Minor parties

The Minor Parties Objectives: * Identify the types of third parties that have been active in American politics. * Evaluate the role of third parties in the United States

The Minor Parties America First Party National Socialist Movement

The Minor Parties *Libertarian, Reform, Socialist, Prohibition, Natural Law, Communist, American Independent, Green Constitution, and etc. * These are some of the many parties that fielded presidential candidates for 2000 election. * None of these parties and their candidates have much of a chance of winning the election. * The bright light created by the two major parties too often blinds us to the vital role of several minor parties have played in US history.

The Minor Parties Types of Third Parties * Their number and variety make minor parties difficult to describe and classify * Some have limited their efforts to a particular locale, other to a single State, and some to one region of the country. * Others have tried to wooo the nation * Most have been short-lived * There are four distinct types of minor parties

The Minor Parties Ideological parties – > those based on a particular set of beliefs > social, economic, and political matters > Most are built on some shade of Marxist thought >Socialist Party > Socialist Labor Party > Socialist Worker Party > Communist Party

The Minor Parties 2) Single-issue Parties > concentrate on only one public-policy matter > their names have usually indicated their primary concern > Free Soil Party (opposed Slavery) >American Party (opposed Irish-Catholic immigration) >Prohibition Party (oppose alcohol and drinking)

The Minor Parties 3) Economic Protest Parties > rooted in periods of economic discontent > they do not have any clear-cut ideological base > they have proclaimed their disgust with the major parties and demanded better times > most often are sectional parties > The Greenback Party (take advantage of agrarian discontent from 1876 to 1884) > Populist Party (demanded public ownership of the railroads, telegraph companies, lower tariffs) > each party disappeared when country climbed out of the difficult economic times

The Minor Parties 4) Splinter Parties > those parties that have split away from one of the major parties > more important minor parties have been splinter parties > Bull Moose Party – Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 > Progressive Party – Robert La Follette in 1924 > Progressive Party – Henry Wallace in 1948 > States; Rights Party (Dixiecrat) – in 1948 > American Independent Party – George Wallace-1968

The Minor Parties The Role of Third Parties * Minor parties are usually not supported too much, but have an impact on American politics and the major parties. * The Anti-Masons were first party to use the convention to select their presidential candidate in 1831. * Most parties followed suite * Minor parties can have an impact in many ways * They can play a decisive role in the winner of a presidential election if they have a strong candidate

The Minor Parties * Most of the important issues of American politics were first brought to the public’s attention by a minor party * Progressive income tax, woman’s suffrage, railroad and banking regulations, old-age pensions (Social Security) * One of both major parties take over the ideas that gain support from the public and then present their own plan and it usually will become legislation in Congress.

The Minor Parties * The parties that have had a visible presidential candidate in the early 2000s include > Reform Party > Libertarian Party > Natural Law Party > Constitution Party > Socialist Party > Prohibition Party > Green Party