3rd Political Party in the US

WHY HAS THERE BEEN NO CONTINUOUS AND VIABLE 3RD POLITICAL PARTY IN THE U.S.
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A critical look at the political landscape in the United States reveals that the electoral system in the country has remained a two-party state since the founding of the country into a democratic state. These first two major parties emerged from the debate concerning the ramification of the Constitution. These were the Federalist and the Anti-Federalist parties. Currently, the Democratic and Republican parties have dominated the electoral landscape with no discernible change in the near future. The major question that arises out of this scenario regards the apparent lack of a viable third party in U.S politics. This question premises from the fact that the formation of third political force in the country’s electoral scene has been a herculean task, and even those parties that attempt to enter into the scene do not last past their first anniversary. It is notable that one of the core elements of the transition to democracy involves the formation of formidable political blocs, meaning the organization of a palpable environment of political pluralism. In order to solve the mystery surrounding the non-viability of a third political party in the U.S, it is important to look at the factors appear the most likely contributors to this scenario. This paper attempts to analyze this situation from a number of perspectives. Firstly, it appears that the electoral laws in the U.S are not very accommodating of other political parties apart from the two dominant parties that define the electoral contests in the country. Secondly, the nature of the political contests itself has a major contribution to the over-domination of the political field by the two major parties. Thirdly, the issue of financing for political parties, coupled with several laws that tend to regulate political party financial resources has become a major hindrance factor for the aspiring political parties in the country.
It is notable that the same factors that encourage the propagation of the two-party system also serve to demean and discourage the emergence and development of third parties (Kalen, 2006). In instances where third parties have emerged in the country’s political field, they have always been short-lived. In many of the cases, the ideas or issues advocated by the third parties have been “snatched” by the leading contenders from the two major parties. In fact, the ideological position taken by the third party candidates sometimes become incorporated into the political platform of either of the existing dominant parties. In so doing, the dominant party takes over the support of the voters who initially formed the support base for the third party and its candidate. With no formidable ideological strand to stand on, third party candidates fade slowly into oblivion.
Financial Regulation
The regulatory process in the United States is partly to blame for the decline of political room for a third political party in the country. The particular concern in this regard is attributable to the political action committees (PAC) in the country. The major roles of the PAC revolve mainly around the regulation of financial issu...