Why a Third-Party Bid Is Unlikely to Work

New York Times: “The American electoral system tends to favor a two-party system, and one of the most important reasons is that it’s winner-take-all.”

“It doesn’t have proportional representation, which might allow a third party to gain a modest number of seats with a modest share of the vote. Most states don’t employ ranked choice voting, which could hypothetically allow a third party’s voters to eventually transfer their support to a major party. And unlike a parliamentary system, the presidency doesn’t lend itself to coalition government.”

“With third parties unlikely to obtain power, people often see a vote for a third party as a wasted vote that might be better spent ensuring their preferred major party prevails.”

Jonathan Bernstein: “This is one of those things, perhaps, that sounds clever until one thinks about it for, oh, thirty seconds.”

For members: Why Elon Musk’s Third Party Is Doomed