Two parties-or more? : the American party system
This second edition of a supplementary text for undergraduates places the dilemmas surrounding the two-party system in the context of recent elections and the environment in which all parties must function. Bibby (emeritus, political science, U. of Wisconsin) and Maisel (government, Colby College) provide students with a historical overview of minor parties and their impact on politics, and look at recent examples such as Ross Perot's efforts in 1992 and 1996, the Reform party in 2000, Jesse Ventura's victory in Minnesota, and Ralph Nader's Green Party campaign for presidency in 2000. Learning features include a glossary, discussion questions, and an appendix of third parties and recent third party officeholders. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
History
xv, 152 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm.
9780813340302, 9780813340319, 0813340306, 0813340314
49518908
1. Third parties in American politics
Varieties and definitions of third parties
Subpresidential politics
The dilemma of the two-party system
2. Minor parties in a two-party system : historical perspectives
The emergence of a party system
The pre-Civil War era : two-party competition, minor party eruptions
The post-Civil War era : Republican ascendancy, sectionalism, transient third parties
The 1896 election : electoral realignment, Republican resurgence
Progressivism and the emergence of the New Deal Democratic coalition
The ascendancy of the New Deal Democratic coalition
The post-New Deal system : divided government, candidate-centered politics, continuing third-party and independent candidacies
Elections 2000 : Reform party disintegration and Green party emergence
Minor parties in state politics
Lessons from party history
3. Third parties in the American context : a less than friendly environment
Why two major parties and not a multiparty system?
Institutional barriers to multiparty politics
Assessing public support for the Republicans and Democrats
Fear of "wasting" one's vote : strategic voting in recent presidential elections
Multiparty systems at the state level : the overwhelming tides of national politics
An environment hostile to third parties
4. The public demand for alternatives
Discontent at the ballot box with two-party alternatives
Public opinion on the performance of our two-party political system
Politicians' responses to public discontent
Causes of the dissatisfaction
Consequences of "alternative" governments
5. Political parties in the twenty-first century
The future of two-party politics in America
A defense of two-party politics in America
Reforming the two-party system
Discussion questions
Glossary