Although the U.S. is dominated by two political parties, third parties play a significant role in shaping the country’s politics. There are four different types of third parties in the U.S. First, some third parties are focused on a single issue (para 7).
Examples of the one-issue parties are The Republican and Right to Life parties. Second, third parties such as the Prohibition Party are focused on a particular ideology or doctrine (para 9). Third, some third parties exist in only one state (para 10). The Green Party of Virginia operates in the state of Virginia only. Last, some third parties such as the States’ Right Democratic Party have coalesced around strong personalities (para 13).
In the U.S. two third parties have been in support of a “charismatic individual” as opposed to a broader political perspective. The States’ Right Democratic Party was formed in 1948 in support of Strom Thurmond, former South Carolina’s governor (para 13). Additionally, the American Independent Party was formed to support former Alabama Governor George Wallace (para 14). The third parties have not been a larger part of the U.S. political spectrum since they represent fewer voters in the country (para 2). The increasing public criticism and lack of support will likely make the third parties lack a say in the U.S. future political realms.
The article by Kimel and Kalambakal and that of Moreno present different information. While Kimel and Kalambakal focus on the minority political parties, Moreno gives a historical analysis of the U.S. political system (Moreno). The most striking difference between the two articles is their specific area of focus on the U.S. political system. However, the two articles have a striking similarity in discussing why U.S. politics is dominated by only two parties.
The article by Kimel and Kalambakal presents some peculiarities of language. They use terms, words, and names that are related to third parties in the U.S. The use of that peculiar language and word choice is accounted for by the article’s central theme: third parties. Additionally, the article is well organized, allowing easy understanding of information.
While the introduction section is the briefest, the major minor political parties section is the longest. The authors used simple language to present the information in the different sections. Furthermore, the article is unbiased since the authors have avoided personal opinions on the topic. Instead, the article has solely used available facts about the topic.
Works Cited
Kimmel, Leigh, and Vickey Kalambakal. “Third Parties.” Postwar America, edited by James Ciment, Routledge, 1st edition, 2013. Credo Reference.
Moreno, Paul D. “Political Party Systems.” American Governance, edited by Stephen Schechter, Macmillan US, 1st edition, 2016. Credo Reference.