Third party blues : the truth and consequences of two party dominance

More Than Many Areas Of American Politics Research, Studies Of Minor Party Competition And Success Are Often Overly Driven By Normative Concerns Backed By Little Empirical Scrutiny. This Book Presents A Concerted Effort To Analyze The Barriers In Election Law, Such As Ballot Access Restrictions And Single-member Districts With A Plurality Rule, That Prevent Third Parties From Gaining A Durable Hold In American Politics. Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. The Case For Third Party Representation -- Democrats, Republicans, And Representation -- Checking The Arguments Made In Support Of A Two-party Dominant Party System -- Conclusion -- 2. The Effect Of Election Laws On Third Party Failure -- Duverger's Law And Third Party Failure -- Other Election Rules And Third Party Failure -- The Research Design -- Results -- Conclusion -- Appendix: Model Specification -- 3. More Of The Truth: Ballot Access Reform In Maryland And Florida -- Ballot Access In Florida -- Ballot Access In Maryland -- The Research Design -- Results -- Conclusion -- 4. Third Parties And Landmark Policy Productivity -- Why Third Party Representation Might Prompt Legislative Productivity -- The Research Design -- The Case Studies -- Discussion -- Conclusion -- Appendix: Source Codebook -- Landmark Legislation Project -- 5. Third Parties And Civic Engagement -- More Preliminary Tests -- The Research Design -- Results -- Conclusion -- Appendix: Model Specifications -- 6. How To Make Third Parties Viable Once More? -- Changes That Would Prompt More Viable Third Political Parties -- Conclusion. Scot Schraufnagel. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.