Many Americans Yearn for Third Major Party

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - A majority of adults in the United States believe their country requires a new choice in federal politics, according to a poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates released by Newsweek. 54 per cent of respondents believe the U.S. should have a third major political party, in addition to the Democrats and Republicans.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - A majority of adults in the United States believe their country requires a new choice in federal politics, according to a poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates released by Newsweek. 54 per cent of respondents believe the U.S. should have a third major political party, in addition to the Democrats and Republicans.

In American presidential elections, candidates require 270 votes in the U.S. Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2004, Republican incumbent George W. Bush earned a second term after securing 286 electoral votes from 31 states. Democratic nominee John Kerry received 252 electoral votes from 19 states and the District of Columbia. As far as the popular vote is concerned, Bush garnered 51.03 per cent of all cast ballots, with Kerry getting 48.04 per cent.

In 1992, Ross Perot received 18.9 per cent of the popular vote as a third party candidate, but won no electoral votes. In 1996, Perot garnered 8.48 per cent of all cast ballots as the Reform Party nominee. Ralph Nader was the Green Party’s presidential nominee in 1996 and 2000, and ran as an independent / Reform Party candidate in 2004, garnering 0.34 per cent of the vote.

Earlier this month, Jesse Benton—the spokesman for Republican Texas congressman Ron Paul—said Paul is not considering to run as a third party candidate in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, saying, "Ron’s run third party before, and ballot access makes it almost impossible."

Paul officially announced his bid for the GOP nomination in March. In 1988, Paul ran for president as a Libertarian Party candidate, garnering 0.5 per cent of the vote.

Polling Data

Some people say we should have a third major political party in this country, in addition to the Democrats and Republicans. Do you agree or disagree?

	Nov. 2007	Jun. 2007	Apr. 2006
Agree	54%	57%	53%
Disagree	39%	36%	40%
Don’t know	7%	7%	10%

Source: Princeton Survey Research Associates / Newsweek
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,002 American adults, conducted on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, 2007. Margin of error is 7 per cent.

websource:http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/many_americans_yearn_for_third_major_party/