Third Party Candidates Essay

Effectiveness of Third Party Candidates

Arguably it is said that the most powerful and important position of power is the leader of the free world. Initially, the race to become the President of the United States is merely deemed to be between the two major party candidates, the Democrats and the Republicans, but many individuals forget the power of the third party. Throughout history there has been a variety of presidential elections which have resulted in very slim margins. These close margins can mostly be attributed to the influence of third party candidates (Abramson 349). The effectiveness of third party candidate’s campaign can range from a creating a platform for a political statement, or make a major impact in the polls. Strong third party candidates casue presidential elections to “lead to substantially different outcomes” (Abramson 351). Third party candidates play a major role in the presidential elections by taking away votes from major party candidates. In addition, their campaign helps to further their own political standing throughout the entire country to build a platform for other future candidates in their party.

The United States Government can be described as a constitutional republic with a

Dating all the way back to 1843, Henry Clay even expresses his concerns with third party candidates stating, “the rise of a third party posed a constant threat to the predictable symmetry of a two-party race” (Wicks 88). Candidates from the Major Parties seem to favor keeping the traditional electoral system strictly two parties. Once a third party candidate is introduced, it disrupts traditional voting patterns. Major party candidates, like Henry Clay, was afraid of the traction and overall support that third party candidates would gain that would ultimately overturn the major party