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Lesson PreviewLesson 5 of 13 in this unit

5.5 Third-Party Politics

Part of Political Participation in AP® US Government & Politics. Read the opening section, then create a free account for the full interactive lesson, practice, and progress tracking.

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Third parties face significant obstacles in the American political system due to structural features such as winner-take-all elections. Unlike proportional representation systems, the U.S. electoral structure discourages minor party success by rewarding only the plurality winner. This system reinforces the dominance of the two major parties.

In this unit

13 lessons

  1. 5.1Voting Rights and Models of Voting BehaviorPreview lesson
  2. 5.2Voter TurnoutPreview lesson
  3. 5.3Political PartiesPreview lesson
  4. 5.4How and Why Political Parties Change and AdaptPreview lesson
  5. 5.5Third-Party PoliticsThis lesson
  6. 5.6Interest Groups Influencing PolicymakingPreview lesson
  7. 5.7Groups Influencing Policy OutcomesPreview lesson
  8. 5.8Electing a PresidentPreview lesson
  9. 5.9Congressional ElectionsPreview lesson
  10. 5.10Modern CampaignsPreview lesson
  11. 5.11Campaign FinancePreview lesson
  12. 5.12The MediaPreview lesson
  13. 5.13Changing MediaPreview lesson

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