On a scale of 1-20, how much do you like seafood?
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Transcript of On a scale of 1-20, how much do you like seafood?
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On a scale of 1-20, how much do you like seafood?Place a line, and mark your initials on the SmartBoard.
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0 = Never eat it...ever. Hate it completely20 = I am a fish
10 = I eat it occasionally, like some seafood, not others
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On your political survey, add up your score and, if you would like, place yourself on the line with
your initials
Extreme LeftExtreme RightModerate, "centrist"RepublicansDemocrats
FrontPage: Have your 3rd parties RQs on your desk.
The Last Word: Interest Group RQs due Wednesday; Politcal ID WebQuest due Thursday
Affecting Public Policy RQs due Friday
Why do third parties have a hard time winning elections in the US?
Just as we discussed with the 2-party system, there are a few reasons why third parties rarely win…
• Election laws– Single member plurality districts (SMPD)
• Person with most votes wins office, no proportional representation– Electoral College
• Person with most votes in a state gets all electoral votes from that state
**These two things make it nearly impossible for a third party candidate to win
• Tough to raise money– Less well-known, less likely to win, issues are outside of the mainstream, so
people do not contribute
• So, what HAS been the impact of third parties on American elections?
FrontPage: Would you vote for a third party candidate? Why or why not?
The Last Word: Interest Group RQs due Wednesday; Politcal ID WebQuest due Thursday
Types of Third Parties• Splinter– Break away from a major party– Usually formed around a single personality– Do not last long; often only for a single election– Bull Moose
• Single-issue– Formed around one major issue (abortion, debt, etc.)– Usually last longer than splinter, as long as issue remains
important– Sometimes the issue position is adopted by a major party– Pro-life party
• Ideological– Formed around a set of beliefs on a range of issues– Last the longest; often for decades; “semi-permanent”