Third Parties in America

Download or read book Third Parties in America written by Steven J. Rosenstone and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2018-06-05 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years a growing number of citizens have defected from the major parties to third party presidential candidates. Over the past three decades, independent campaigns led by George Wallace, John Anderson, and Ross Perot have attracted more electoral support than at any time since the 1920s. Third Parties in America explains why and when the two-party system deteriorates and third parties flourish. Relying on data from presidential elections between 1840 and 1992, it identifies the situations in which Americans abandon the major parties and shows how third parties encourage major party responsiveness and broader representation of political interests.