The Trials and Tribulations of Third Parties
We all know that the US has a two-party system. The Republicans and Democrats dominate our political system at all levels. But few people know why our two-party system persists, especially given the perennial discontent with the perceived similarity of the two major parties. There are basically 3 reasons why third-parties have such a difficult time getting their candidates elected to public office.
1:
Many third-parties only appeal to a limited number of voters or a small geographic area. For instance, the Populist Party was basically a Midwestern phenomenon, and the Prohibition Party only appeals to a handful of people. The major parties, on the other hand, are sometimes called “catch-all parties.” Whether because they have their finger on the pulse of American society, or because they are consciously vague about their goals, the major parties have national appeal and a broad base of supporters. The major parties are willing to support much broader sets of ideas, than are most third parties.
2:
Most voters assume that only the Democratic and Republican candidates have any chance at actually winning. Voters therefore tend to ignore third party candidates, even if they like them, so as not to “waste their votes” by supporting a candidate who can’t win. Of course, this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: The more people assume that Party X’s candidate can’t win, the fewer people support him, and his chances of winning plummet.
Some voters who might otherwise stick by their third party candidate end up voting for a major party candidate so that the other major party’s candidate doesn’t win. Both major parties have been hurt by third party candidates that drew votes away from their candidates, opening the door for the other party’s victory. Perhaps the most famous recent case occurred in 2000, when many voters who might otherwise have voted Democratic instead cast their ballots for Ralph Nader, the Green Party candidate. If a small percentage of these Green Party voters had voted Democratic, the Dems would have won Florida, and the entire presidential election. Regretting their “wasted votes,” and perceiving that they gave the election to the Republicans, many of these Green Party voters supported the Democrats in 2004.
3:
The electoral system in the US makes it rather difficult for third parties to win elections, which tends to cause their dissolution. The US uses a system of “single-member districts,” in which just one candidate is elected to represent a district. Some countries use a “multiple-member district” system, in which several people are elected from each district. Multiple-member districts make it easier for smaller parties to win some seats at the table. In the US, with its single-member districts, smaller parties have little chance of winning many seats.
The US also tends to use a “majority system,” in which the single winning candidate must win a plurality of the votes in that district. (A “plurality” is simply the most votes, regardless of the actual percentage. If 10 people run for office and the top candidate gets 12% of the vote, that’s a plurality.) This means that the one candidate who wins is the one who gets the most votes. That’s a high bar for victory, compared with some other countries that use “proportional representation” with their multiple-member districts.
In a proportional-representation, multiple-member system, each party gets a percentage of the available seats equal to the percentage of votes it received during the election. Here’s an example:
Consider these fictitious election results for District A:
Democratic Party – 25%
Republican Party – 50%
Libertarian Party – 10%
Green Party – 15%
If this election were held under the US’s single-member plurality system, the Republican Party’s single candidate wins. Everybody else goes home empty-handed. But if it were held under a multiple-member proportional-representation system, all four parties would win some seats. The Dems and Reps would hold 75% of the seats, and the third parties would hold 25%. Sure, 25% isn’t much, but it’s more than 0%! With some representation these third parties could influence politics, showing their effectiveness and gaining more supporters as a result.
Of course, there are disadvantages to multiple-member proportional-representation systems, but I’ll save those for another time.
In order to help raise awareness of the many third parties fielding candidates in the 2008 presidential election, I am going to highlight several this week. Maybe you’ll find one that appeals to you!
Before I moved in with Mr. G. and got involved with the U.F.U., I thought newspapers published every letter they received pretty much as is. Not so, there are Gate Keepers, who censor newspapers and magazines, as part of the public trust. TV is even trickier. Two newspapers, The Times Leader in PA & The News Journal in DE, just published our Roe Vs. Wade thingy we send out every year around this time, sort of, what bits they wanted and nobody mentioned Jack Grimes is the United Fascist Union’s candidate for US President.
Money hinders us also. And; even when we have the cash, many newspapers and magazines won’t accept our advertising. The American people may be obsessed with money but, money comes in 2nd to the system and their propaganda arm. Power is what matters to them, retaining it. Paranoia Magazine remains the only one, thus far, to publish ads for Mr. Grimes campaign and time is running out even though we’ve got lots of money now. So, the voters are NOT informed there are other parties they can vote for.
0ver the past few weeks I’ve become convinced the United Fascist Union’s mail is being messed with. I base this upon what the U.F.U. leaders in CO, CA, ON & NS have told us, they claim post isn’t reaching us. Some people have taken to sending certified. We don’t know whether it’s to keep election donationans from Mr. Grimes campaign or what, I’m sure we’re not getting any personal mail. But, he’s written to the ACLU to see what, if any rights we have, with Bush giving his goons the authority to search and detain 1st class mail. Hinder the lines of communication and your enemy can’t organize, so they may hinder us via postal tampering.
Hail Grimes!
VOTE FASCIST 2008!
(If the rotten Bush regime allows an election)
Here’s my new website Heather.
I posted something about Mr. Grimes “Transmission Revolution” on You Tube today, as a reply.
Still think Homeland Security, or some police agency of the defacto gov., is screwing with you guys mail?
Hail Grimes
Jackson Grimes Presidential Priorities
“Abolish paper money. Establish a ‘Transferable Work Point Card’ as an electronic credit and debit system which would bring about a cashless/checkless society.” “Establish a ‘Universal Price Index’ designed to first freeze and then greatly reduce the cost on all necessities of life like rent, groceries, car payments & etc.” “Create a league of none or ten nations that would form a Confederacy of States to create a global government. The keystone of which will be Corporate Statism. Import Canadian-Style, Hate Laws, that would outlaw hate groups like the American Nazi Party & the Ku Klux Klan. Then grant “SPECIAL PROTECTIVE LEGAL STATUS” to Afro-Americans, homosexulals, Jews, women and, certain other minorities, that have been traditional targets of bigotry in the past.
To the Editor:
“Electric Companies Shaft the Public”
Electric is an elastic commodity, the higher the prices go, the less people will use it. Since customers were cutting back on the use of electricity by getting energy saving light bulbs, etc., the electric companies were losing money. Consequently, the electric companies invented multipliers, which are a mathematical concept companies use to take advantage of the customer. These multipliers are used at the option of electric companies, so that when the customers are not using enough electric to produce the desired profit margin, they can simply raise the multipliers, and get their money through this method. The multipliers are so high now that even people who use almost no electricity are saddled with a huge bill. Even worse, the pubic utilities’ commissions have been no help to the public whatsoever.
We might point out to readers that traditionally in Fascist nations utilities have been provided at cost or given freely, as they’re PUBLIC. The United Fascist Union proposes that the electric companies’ monopolies be broken, and that public electric companies be created that would charge the public for the electric they actually use; instead of letting some fat-belly private profiteers’ live the high life at the public’s expense. The U. F. U. would revamp the system and make sure the Public Service Commissions of various Provinces work in the public’s interest instead of working crooked deals behind the scenes, with Executives of corrupt monopolies allowing them to exploit consumers.
Vote Fascist 2008!
Elect Jack Grimes U. S. President in 2008!
Mr. J. Grimes,
Director & CEO
of the United Fascist Union