The Effect Of Third Party Candidates In Presidental Elections Essay exa

The Effect of Third Party Candidates in Presidental optionsAlthough citizens of the United States have the opportunity to vote formany different offices at the provinceal, state, and local levels, the election ofthe professorship of the United States every four years is the focal point of theAmerican political process. The American political system has maintained a two- party system since its inception. Political scientists argue that a two-partysystem is the close to stable and efficient means of running a democratic nation asa mono-party system leads toward tyranny, and a multi-party system creates over-diversification and gridlock (Mazmanian 6). The governing body of the UnitedStates does not in any way limit the expression of the political system to twoparties. In fact, there has been no presidential election where there were onlytwo candidates however, terzetto-party candidates are rarely represent in amajority of the states, and those that were on the ballot in a maj ority ofstates have never been successful. However, on a few occasions, third partycandidates have been able to make a significant contact on the presidentialelection process much(prenominal) as George Wallace in 1968 and H. Ross Perot in 1992.Through nineteenth century there was little aberration from the traditionaltwo-party system. Until then, political candidates were utterly dependant uponthe political base of an established party for their bms. Untilthe development of mass media technologies, including radio and boob tube,political candidates had no direct means of communicating with the public andwere thus dependant on the communications systems of the major parties. Thus,third party movements lacked the capabilities to run an effective agitateagainst the major parties.However, mass media has changed the scope of the election process andbrought about the decease of the major political parties (Robinson 147).Candidates who run a television dominated campaign have hurt t heir parties in anumber of ways. The media specialists who manage such campaigns tend to beloyal to a candidate rather than to the candidates party as a result, thecampaign supports a single candidate and not the entire ticket of the party. Inaddition, the heavy reliance on television allows a candidate to reach votersdirectly, thereby weakening the traditional employment of the party as aninfo... ...eed, Ross Perot and George Wallace had aprofound effect on the conclusion of the elections they participated in, but Perothad a more lasting effect. Ross Perot proved to the world that it is kindaplausible for a completely case-by-case candidate to "walk into content stage andsteal the show" (Robinson 141). With the decline of the political parties andtheir role in the campaign process, the possibilities for more successfulindependent candidates can only increase. in conclusion an independent will gofarther than swaying the outcome. One day an independent will win.Works C itedBrown, Gene. H. Ross Perot Texas Billionaire. Vero Beach Rourke Enterprises,Inc, 1993.Goldman, Peter and Tom Mathews. "The Manhattan Project". brand-newsweek (SpecialElection Issue) November/December, 1992. pp.40-57Jackson, David. "3rd party chances gauged" Dallas Morning News. November 5, 1992.Mazmanian, Daniel A. Third Parties in Presidential Elections. New York FranklinWatts, 1974.Murr, Andrew. "Superhero". Newsweek (Special Election Issue) November/December,1992. pp.70-77.Robinson, James W., ed. Ross Perot Speaks Out. Rocklin Prima Publishing, 1992..