Debate this: The Libertarian View on Why Third Parties Don’t Work
The 2014 election results gave Republicans hope that 2016 might be the year that they take back the White House. Instead, the GOP nominated Donald Trump, and the “Grand Ole Party,” was not so grand anymore. The nomination of Trump also gave Democrats a chance to dramatically grow their party, instead, their candidate has been hounded by issues regarding her honesty and credibility. The unfavorability of both major party candidates, has led many voters to look for alternative candidates.
Donald Trump, an unlikely candidate, rose from the depths of the polls to win the GOP’s nomination for President. Throughout his campaign, he has rightfully been labeled as a bigot, misogynist, and racist. His incendiary comments have continued throughout the election, and have led to him being the most disliked candidate in recent history. Many Republicans have begun searching for more promising options, leading to increased support for candidates like Gary Johnson, and Evan McMullin.
Hillary Clinton’s story is much simpler. She was the favorite all along, and only experienced a moderate decrease in support once Bernie Sanders entered the race. However, she has been hounded by accusations of corruption and dishonesty. Many in her own party feel a level of distrust towards her, dropping her favorable ratings to the low 40% in many polls. Gary Johnson, seeing an opportunity to gain Democratic support, has catered to Bernie Sanders’ supporters on issues such as the war on drugs. While this might have helped him gain some support, it has also diminished his standing amongst Republicans- costing him “red” states that despise Trump, such as Utah and Idaho.
The one thing that has become clear this election is that voters are tired of the two party system; our two main party candidates are the most disliked candidates in recent history. Many voters have asked themselves why a third party hasn’t seen broader support. The answer to that is quite simple: our form of government is ideal for the existence of only two major parties. Through elections, we elect a single individual to represent our district in the government, for that individual to win, they only have to receive more votes than the other candidates. This phenomena is discussed in political science, and is known as Duverger’s Law.
Another way in which third parties are destined to fail is because they split the larger parties. In the past, George W. Bush won the 2000 election because Democrats in Florida split their votes between Ralph Nader and Al Gore. Voters today, are always hesitant to support a third party candidate because they’re afraid it will lead to their least preferred candidate winning the election. In that way, voters are helping the two party system survive.
I am a Libertarian, but I realize the Libertarian Party will never have strong support. I think, the best way we can work for liberty is through the established system: voting for Republicans or Democrats that support freedom for all and liberty in whatever form it takes.
— Logan Hemmert is a senior studying Political Science. When he isn’t nerding out over politics, you can find him with his SigEp brothers, helping make Greek life great again.