American politics has long been dominated by two major parties, the Democratic and Republican parties. As the 2024 presidential election approaches, both parties prepare for a highly competitive race. As tension escalates between the two opposing sides, attention seems to be completely drawn to these two political giants. But who are the third-party candidates that will also participate in this year’s election?
The Democratic Party was founded in 1828. Today, it is the oldest political party in the U.S. The party initially supported an agrarian state government, the interests of slaves, and expansionism. Over time, the party has changed significantly, taking on more liberal and progressive values such as support for social welfare programs, civil rights, and economic reform. Today, the Democratic Party emphasizes the need to combat climate change, support minority rights, and improve the American healthcare system. Being the first Black and first South Asian Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris represents the Democratic Party in this year’s election. Harris and her campaign focus on lowering grocery prices, raising the minimum wage, lowering the prices of insulin, and improving the child tax credit. On August 6, Harris picked Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota, as her running mate for Vice President. As a former social studies teacher and football coach, he brings the perspective of a liberal raised in rural midwestern America.
The main rival of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, also known as the Grand Old Party (GOP), was established in 1854 with a conservative perspective towards governing. Nowadays, the Republican Party focuses on preserving traditional social values, reducing government interference in the economy, and limiting undocumented immigration. Former president Donald Trump represents the Republican Party in this year’s election. On July 23, Trump was shot in the ear in an assassination attempt at one of his rallies. While this attempt gained significant media coverage, this overall only raised his polls about 2%.
Running alongside Trump and Harris are three third-party candidates: Cornel West, running as an Independent; Jill Stein, running for the Green Party; and Chase Oliver, running for the Libertarian Party. Although these three candidates do not receive as much attention as Trump and Harris do, they are still an important part of our election process.
Representing the Libertarian Party, the third biggest political party in the U.S., Chase Oliver, a political activist from Georgia and a formal Democrat, advocates for maximizing individual liberty and limiting government interference in the economy. Oliver also believes that the current immigration system is overly complex, and he hopes to establish an Ellis Island immigration processing system. Oliver’s values are a mix of both Republican and Democratic principles. For instance, he advocates for a limited government that aligns with Republican principles, yet he also advocates for social welfare and environmental regulations, elements of the Democratic Party.
Representing the Green Party, Jill Stein, a physician and environmental activist, advocates for social justice, environmental sustainability, and economic democracy. Her main priority is combating climate change, which she believes is the biggest threat to humanity. Stein stresses the importance of cleaning up the energy system: transforming the American economy to rely on 100 percent clean and renewable energy. She is also a strong advocate for immigration, as she believes that it is a source of strength and diversity.
Running as an Independent, Cornel West, a philosopher, academic, social activist, and a former member of the Green Party, advocates for racial and social justice as well as the elimination of systemic oppression. Additionally, West critiques the Democratic and Republican parties for inadequately addressing issues of poverty and inequality in the United States.
Even though these third-party candidates are unlikely to win the upcoming election, there are a few reasons as to why.
One explanation is the first-past-the-post or plurality voting system. This system stems back to horse racing in Great Britain, where a post was always at the finish line. The first horse to pass the post won that race. No matter if that horse won by an inch or by a mile, if that horse first passed the post, that horse won. The first-past-the-post is a winner-take-all system where the candidate who obtains the majority of the votes wins. Though the presidential election uses the Electoral College system, first-past-the-post does play a role at the state-level elections.
“In states like Georgia, the two parties control the game,” said Mr. Abraham, Upper School history teacher, “so they are going to limit the ability of third parties to even get access to the ballot.”
When this voting system was utilized across all fifty states, “the inevitable mathematical conclusion is one in which you have two political parties rather than three, four, or five,” said Dr. Munday, Upper School history and economics teacher.
Another explanation of why the two-party system exists is through a process coined “wasted vote syndrome.” Even if a third party manages to get on the ballot, the nature of a plurality voting system is if you believe that a third party system best represents yourself, voting for those parties will actually strengthen the hand of the party that you are not necessarily voting for.
“Oftentimes, voting for a third-party candidate seems like a waste of a vote just because you are voting for a party that is not going to win the election,” said sophomore Connor Christopherson.
Could we ever possibly see a shift to a multi-party system in the US? Yes, it is definitely possible; however, it would take time, dedication, and a significant change in political momentum across the country for that to occur.
“Even small-scale changes are operating in the face of long-standing inertia,” said Munday. “So it’s just difficult to achieve these kinds of shifts in elections and undergirding institutions.”
Edited by Sarah Wang
