ABSTRACT
The Introduction begins by arguing that most current theories on third-party weakness are based on little empirical testing and that, unnoticed by most political scientists, third parties have entered a new period of increased activity and voter support. This chapter argues that there are two critical factors that affect the strength of third parties: polarization and resources. As American politics has gotten more polarized over the past few decades, third parties have gotten more active. The critical problem facing third parties is that they are unable to raise significant campaign funds. However, fundamental changes in the campaign environment suggest that third parties may soon have methods for circumventing this problem and again playing a significant role in American politics.
