This research examines the prospects for building a successful third party or independent candidacy in American politics, especially at the presidential level. The factors affecting voting behavior are discussed as well as the historical and structural features of American government that have impacted third party movements.
Political parties are among the most researched yet elusive political institutions in the United States. Parties are not sanctioned in the U.S. Constitution as legitimate institutions of government, yet they have become a centerpiece of political life. In Western Europe parties perform rather obvious functions in government. European parties are most distinctive as cadre organizations in which due-paying members, staff, candidates and officeholders often interact in a face-to-face setting. The party-in-organization can be a powerful institution in promoting candidacies and disciplining its member and officeholders. They tend to represent definable socioeconomic groups whose members actively support party activities. Furthermore, in their role as agents of definable constituencies with conflicting interests, European parties tend to profess sharply distinguishable ideological programs and may be multiple in number as opposing groups compete for representation.
American parties are very different. With few exceptions, no more than two parties have dominated the political landscape throughout most of American history. And for all the attention they receive, class distinctions in party membership vary in visibility from epoch to epoch, often becoming blurred. Ideological programs frequently move toward moderation, especially after a dominant party has firmly established the nationÆs policy agenda (Sabato, 1988, p. 8).
Structural Constraints on the Party System
AmericanÆs two-party system is relatively unique in the universe of democratic societies. The constancy of two-party dominance in t...