In November 1998, a former professional wrestler named Jesse Ventura was elected governor of Minnesota on the ticket of the Reform Party, a third party initiated by billionaire Ross Perot. However, during the 2000 presidential campaign, the Reform Party virtually disintegrated because of internal bickering. Furthermore, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader, who hoped to win 5 percent of the national popular vote, barely won half that amount. Third parties had almost no effect on the next three presidential elections.
Many experts believed third parties would make a comeback in 2016 because of the general unpopularity of the two major candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. While the two most popular third parties did have a bigger impact than usual, their performance still fell below expectations. Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party and Jill Stein of the Green Party together captured just over 4 percent of the vote.
In this activity, you’ll explore some of the lesser-known political parties in the United States and assess their chances of gaining greater favor among the American voting public.
Discussion Topic
Go to this website:
As you view this page, you’ll see links to a number of minor U.S. political parties. Spend 15 to 20 minutes investigating the views of three different third parties or minor parties, choosing parties from varying parts of the political spectrum. Try to get a sense of their political ideology and their positions on important issues.
Respond to the following questions:
Which minor party websites did you explore? Why do you think their views aren’t considered mainstream?
Do you see any prospects for these minor parties to have an influence on the American political system? Why or why not?
Things to think about:
- Some minor parties seem to exist more for the benefit of the dedicated few who operate the party; others appear to have serious hopes for broadening their political influence. What signs would you look for to distinguish between the two types?
- Based on what you’ve learned about politics in the United States, consider the many obstacles to third-party participation.
Related Resources
If you live in or near a medium-sized or larger city, you may find local offices or chapters of some of these minor parties nearby. You might want to contact them to learn more about what the party is doing and what it hopes to achieve.
Directions
Continue to the next page, where you can take part in the discussion.