The U.S. political system is set up for two major parties, because it awards seats in Congress and the presidency with a winner-take-all method. read more
Similar regional third-party candidates caught on in the time of the American Civil War but never came close to actually winning. Apart from that, the only candidate not running under the banner of one of the two major parties to have a legitimate chance at winning a general election was Roosevelt, who was a unique candidate unto himself. read more
A: The winner-take-all system in the U.S. favors two stable parties. full question It seems as though there should be one in the middle, with Democratic views on the economy but Republican views on social issues, or vice versa. read more