Aim #8: What is the role of third parties in
presidential elections?
Evan McMullin – Independent candidate for
president (backed by a group called “Better for
America”)
• Former chief policy director for the House Republican
Conference in the U.S. House of Representatives and
a former CIA operations officer.
• On the ballot in ten states, including his home state
of Utah.
• Current polling in Utah (Y2 Analytics): Trump 26%,
Clinton 26%, McMullin 22%, Johnson 14%, Stein 1%
3. Why do you think Castle, Stein and Johnson are
running when they know they have no realistic
chance of being elected?
• Introduce new ideas: Third parties propose many government policies and
practices.
• Example: The Populist Party of the 19th century introduced ideas that want on
to influence some economic policies of the New Deal in the 1930s.
• Put issues on the agenda and keep the major parties honest: Third parties can
force the major parties to address potentially divisive problems.
• Example: In 1992, neither Bill Clinton nor George H. W. Bush talked much
about the budget deficit until independent candidate Ross Perot emphasized
it in his campaign.
• Spoil the election: Third parties can cost one party an election by playing the
spoiler. If a third party draws enough votes away from a major party, it can
prevent that party from winning.
5. Third Party Spoilers!