The two-party system has become a staple of the American political circus. Even as parties change and power waxes and wanes, we find ourselves stuck in a rigid system that has been the bane of third-parties across the nation. In this election, many voters find themselves voting for what they believe to be the lesser of two evils, instead of a candidate they truly believe in. This is a dangerous precedent to set, but will the inclusion of third parties, specifically the Green and Libertarian Parties, actually solve the problems in our current system? As unfortunate as it is, in our current structure it is impossible for a third party to win a presidential election. Unless we actively change the way our elections are run, we won’t see any change in this process. Though polling higher and participating in presidential debates are the keys to a successful presidential campaign, they won’t actually solve the issues of the forgotten third-parties. The electoral process needs to change and be more inclusive of an America where a growing majority of voters no longer identify with either Democrats or Republicans.
A change in the political system itself, and more interest from voters, are the only ways third parties can actually integrate into the political contests that plague the country every four years.
Beyond that, both the Green Party and Libertarian Party suffer from candidates who lack the full support of their entire party. The Green Party’s Jill Stein holds strange policies regarding Wi-Fi that only continue to ostracize her from the actual political race, while Gary Johnson proved to be an example of the unfortunate stereotype of a Libertarian with no foreign policy knowledge after his “what is Aleppo” mishap.
The blame for the exclusion of these parties could be easily heaped onto their candidates or lack of outreach to smaller local races, but this exclusion has been a flaw of our election system for years and needs intervention from the major parties. This competition will only benefit the Democrats and Republicans who have been slowly forced to further extremes in an attempt to capture the most members in the primaries.
Attempts by the Republican Party to court the white working-class voter led to the nomination of Donald Trump over a field of candidates better suited to work with the party and U.S. government as a whole. This will only worsen if the two major parties try and become an outlet for every possible voice, while limiting the voters’ other options. The inclusion of third parties will only create a more diverse political environment and make more politicians work for the American voter instead of party elites.
The solution to third party inclusion requires a significant amount work from not only the major parties and third parties, but also the voters themselves. At the end of the day, the inclusion of the third parties would only be beneficial to the country as a whole.
Jesse Saunders is the president of the Hofstra Democrats.
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