Chapter 5, Section 4

First, let us look at successful third party attempts at the Presidency!

Successful Third Party Presidential Candidates  Southern Democrat party, John C. Breckinridge,18.1% (72 electoral votes)

Successful Third Party Presidential Candidates  Progressive “Bull Moose” party, Teddy Roosevelt, 27.5% (88 electoral votes) ***

Roosevelt played the “Spoiler”

Successful Third Party Presidential Candidates  States' Rights party “Dixiecrats,” Strom Thurmond, 2.4% (39 electoral votes)

Successful Third Party Presidential Candidates  American Independent party, George Wallace,13.5 % (46 electoral votes)

Mr. Cusick

Successful Third Party Presidential Candidates  Reform party, H. Ross Perot, 18.9% (0 electoral votes) ***Ross Perot

Perot played the “Spoiler”

Successful Third Party Presidential Candidates  Reform party, Ralph Nader, 2.7% (0 electoral votes) *** Nader played the “Spoiler”

Third Party Governors 20 1

Third Parties in Congress  None in the U.S. House of Representatives!  Two in the United States Senate… Joe Lieberman (CT)Bernie Sanders (VT)

129 th Ohio General Assembly  None in the Senate…  None in the House of Representatives…

Third Party Mayors  Michael Bloomberg, New York City  Lifelong Democrat, brief stint with the Republican party, Independent since 2007!

Constitution Party, Green Party and Libertarian Party

“I believe the South was right in the War Between the States, and I am not a racist… Neither do I believe that the leaders of the old Confederacy were racists.” “I believe the U.S. Constitution… was the greatest civil document ever devised by man. I steadfastly support the principles contained in the Declaration of Independence. I believe America's Founding Fathers to be the greatest generation of Christian philosophers and patriots to ever live.” “I believe in the primacy of the local New Testament Church.” “My personal philosophy regarding social/political issues is quite simple. I believe abortion is murder. It is the deliberate killing of innocent human life. I believe homosexuality is moral perversion and deserves no special consideration under the law.”

The Constitution Party  The Constitution Party The Constitution Party  “Paleo-conservative”  Party's goal is "to restore our government to its Constitutional limits and our law to its Biblical foundations.“

The Green Party  The Green Party The Green Party  A sustainable United States, alternative fuels, environmental protection, opposition to big business, universal health-care…

The Libertarian Party  Colbert and the Libertarian Party Colbert and the Libertarian Party  Laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration across borders, non-interventionism in foreign policy, respect for freedom of trade and freedom of travel to all foreign countries…

Splinter, Ideological, Single-Issue and Economic Protest Parties

Splinter Parties  “Bolter” parties – Parties that broke off from one of the two major parties…  Most important 3 rd parties in history!  Center around a strong personality… Fade away with that person…  EX) "Bull Moose" and the “Dixiecrats"

Ideological Parties  Based on a set of beliefs, a comprehensive view of social, economic, and political matters…  EX) Communist and Libertarian parties  Although they have not won many elections, they have been long-lived…

Economic Protest Parties  NOT based on a set of beliefs, they are short-lived…  Parties rooted in periods of economic discontent!

Single-Issue Parties  Just like their name says! (concentrate on a single public policy matter)  Usually fade as major party steals their issue…  EX) Right-to-Life party and The Rent Is Too Damn High party.The Rent Is Too Damn High party

Are third parties important?… Or are they “fringe nut jobs?!?!”