Political Parties Minor Parties

Minor Party Party with few members Aka 3rd party Do not win elections in the US

Types of Minor Parties Ideological – based on set of beliefs, don’t need to win Green Party Libertarian Party Single Issue – 1 issue Prohibition Party (originally)

Splinter / Factional Party – break away from major party Tea Party? Economic Protest Party: only concerned about economic issues Personal Following Party: Bull Moose Party

PP# : Minors Always Lose!

Why don’t they win? Don’t automatically get on the ballot A. Electoral System: rules that govern elections Don’t automatically get on the ballot

Single Member Districts: elect only one person per district thus winner takes all and those with fewer votes (minor parties) lose - In other countries, if you win a % of vote, you receive that % of power (don’t have to be big to win 

Not on tv debates (presidents) – only if have 5% of vote or more Can’t raise the kind of money that major parties can

B. Attitudes Most Americans are moderate and minors are extreme Traditional Waste of a vote – they’re gonna lose anyway!

Ruin Elections! Nader 2000 Winner of Florida in 2000 determines President Bush got 500+ votes more than Gore Nader got a few thousand votes If Nader had not run, many of those who had voted for him would have voted for Gore – causing Gore to win

Benefits of Minors Voice for those who don’t fit in elsewhere Alternative ideas Sometimes stolen by majors Watchdog

Should the rules be changed in order to make it easier for a minor party to win an election?