Chapter 5: Political Parties Section 4: The Minor Parties Lecture

ideological parties; single-issue parties; economic protest parties; splinter parties

A. Four Types of Minor Parties in the United States

1. Theideological parties are those based on a particular set of beliefs, a comprehensive view of social, economic, and political matters. The Communist and Libertarian parties are examples of ideological parties. Although they have not won many election, they have been long-lived.

2. Single-issue parties are those concentrating on a single public policy matter. Other parties, like the "Know-Nothings" of the 1850s and the Right-to-Life party today, focus on single issues.

3. The economic protest parties were those parties rooted in periods of economic discontent, for example, the Greenback and Populist parties of the late 1800s.

4. The splinterparties were those that broke off from one of the two major parties. For example, the "Bull Moose" party of 1912 and the Dixiecrats" of 1948. Amazing as it may seem, most of the important minor parties in the nation's history have been splinter parties.

1. Third parties have introduced useful innovations in American politics. Unlike major parties, minor parties tend to take clear-cut stands on controversial issues.

2. A strong third-party candidacy can play a "spoiler role" in an election where the two major parties are evenly matched. Minor parties take enough votes away from one of the two major parties to cost its candidate the election.

3. Minor parties have played important roles as critics and reformers in American political life.

4. When innovations proposed by minor parties gain popular support, they are usually adopted by one or both of the major parties.

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