The Competitive Two-Party System

Historically, American politics has favored a competitive two-party system. Beginning in the late eighteenth century, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists created an intense division in American politics, which eventually developed into the modern Republican versus Democrat government of today. Despite citizen's unwavering devotion to the two-party system, minor political parties, based on strongly supported ideological convictions, have emerged, attempting to compete against the major political parties and expand their role and influence in the American political process; these "third parties" often face discrimination and challenges in the electoral system. Not often does a third party make a considerable impact on the political process …show more content…
Third parties experience serious drawbacks that are nonexistent to the major parties. To demonstrate, third parties are severely underfinanced in presidential campaigns and elections. Under the Presidential Election Campaign Fund Act, the Federal Election Committee allows candidates who win the Republican and Democratic nominations to receive a general election grant, which covers all the expenses of their general election campaigns; a third party candidate is only eligible to receive minimal public funds after the general election if they acquired five percent of the vote in the previous presidential election. Not only are third parties discriminated financially, they are also unrepresented in the media. Most media sources only report on the major parties, as seen through the televised Republican and Democratic debates; in fact, the rules for the presidential debates state that only candidates who reach fifteen percent in the national polls two weeks before the debate may participate. Historically, this has excluded third party candidates from the debates and significant media coverage. Lastly, third parties are at a disadvantage concerning voter turnout. Many people refuse to vote for minor party candidates, because they feel their vote will be "wasted" on a candidate that is unlikely to win. Third parties undeniably face …show more content…
Currently, the Libertarian Party is the third largest minor political party. The Libertarian Party values minimal government involvement to ensure maximum security. This goal of this minor party is to "set the world free" and defend the rights of each individual. Their preamble outlines three basic rights accessible to everyone: right to life, right to liberty of speech and action, and the right to property. They strongly value civil liberties and personal freedoms. Major electoral accomplishments for the Libertarian Party include enacting the Zero Dues Plan and greatly increasing the number of Libertarian members holding elected offices. Since the creation of the party in 1971, they have nominated a presidential candidate in every election. However, they felt the government was depriving them of holding offices; so in 2005, they passed the Zero Dues Plan. This plan focused on pursuing political offices for the expansion of the party. The Zero Dues Plan was a success itself, for it rallied support and assisted Libertarian members in acquiring elected office positions. Another success, was the dramatic increase in members who held elected offices. By 2013, over one hundred and forty-nine Libertarian members were holding elected offices. This is an electoral achievement the Libertarian Party takes pride in, considering their third party status. Furthermore, the Green Party is another popular