It's More Than a Two-Party System! Rosalynn Carter: Law, Politics and Govt
Skill: Middle School Time Required: At least two class periods
Independent and third party candidates have influenced numerous elections, including the election of 1980 that Jimmy Carter lost to Ronald Reagan. Some candidates “outside” of the two-party system of Republicans and Democrats have had more clout than others. John Anderson, who ran as an Independent in 1980, did not make too much difference in that election, but Ross Perot, who ran as a Reform Party candidate in the election of 1996 did take a significant number of votes away from the major candidates.
Ask students if they know the difference between independent political parties and third parties (third parties are those who had a real chance of achieving ballot status for their candidates in sufficient states that election is at least a possibility; independent political parties are those that are neither Republican nor Democratic; so third parties are independent). Divide the class into at least 5 groups. Assign or allow groups to choose one of the following parties. It is their task to create a poster that names their party, identifies its major beliefs, and introduces its most recent candidate for the Presidency. The poster should also note whether the party is independent or whether it achieved third party status. The parties are:
