1. Political Parties
Minor Parties

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

3. 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)

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

5. PP# : Minors Always Lose!

6. 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

8. 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 

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

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

11. 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

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

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