Question

I want you to describe at least four structures of the American political system that have been responsible for maintaining two-party dominance. Put another way, what are the obstacles that prevent third parties, outside of the Democrats and Republicans, from being successful at winning elections and capturing some political power in the U.S. government?

Answer 1

Third parties struggle to be heard. Third parties often are required to get thousands of signatures on a petition to simply get on a ballot. On the state and federal level, the government sets various election rules and standards. This control allows them to keep the 2 main parties (Democrat and Republican) in power and keep third parties out. Third parties have hurt them in the past and lost them major elections. Both parties have lost presidential elections in the past. Third parties face the great financial hardships of trying to match or beat the financial means of the 2 parties. Trying to raise the money to be heard on a national stage is near impossible when competing against these older more established parties. Often times, for any type of financial help the third party must meet a certain percentage of the vote to qualify, which they almost never do. Third parties also have to fight with the ideological differences that separate them from the other larger parties. How can they stand out apart from this larger group? They are often either too extreme or not extreme enough to separate themselves. Many times the third parties are often absorbed and lost in the 2 larger parties.