History of Third Parties in the United States
Populist Party- 1890’s
Progressive Party- 1912
Theodore Roosevelt ran for Pres. as a Progressive. Took so many votes away from the Republican candidate, William Howard Taft, that the Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson won the election
Independent Parties- sometimes 3rd parties’ form around well known individuals who cannot get support from one of the two major parties. John Anderson Ross Perot Problems facing 3rd parties: 1. Rarely win major elections 2. 3rd party candidates must obtain large amounts of voter’s signatures in order to get on the ballot 3. Trouble raising money to compete in campaigns