ap gov FRQ 2004 question 3

topic

Minor parties (third parties) have been a common feature of US politics

Identify and explain how two rules of the US electoral system act as obstacles to minor-party candidates winning elections

One rule is that winner takes all because if minor parties cannot get a majority vote in the electoral college, they will not be represented in the election. The other rule is that the third party candidates cannot participate in presidential debates and therefore get less exposure to the general public. Other possible answers include ballot access, rules/limits of campaign financing, federal funding of presidential elections, and exclusion from presidential debates.

Describe the POV expressed about minor parties in the political cartoon above (google Ralph nader minority party cartoon)

The political cartoon depicts Ralph Nader addressing America's "throw away mentality". Meanwhile a citizen in the background is casting her vote by dropping a ballot into a trashcan. This is a fairly pessimistic view on voting for third parties, as the cartoonist is showing that votes that are going for third parties are worth nothing. Because the vast majority of the country votes for major party candidates, third party candidates rarely become elected.

Minor parties make important contributions to the US political system in spite of the institutional obstacles to their candidates' success. Describe two of these contributions

Two contributions are new or different ideas or issues and pushing major parties to include otherwise underrepresented concerns and groups. Other acceptable answers include voice for fringe, safety valve for discontent, enhanced participation, room for critical voices, and clarify major-party candidates' positions