3rd party is over in Nebraska

230 Students: A story in the news about the trouble third parties have in our party system should be fun to read because you know ahead of time all the reasons third parties fail! You could give the interview for this story:

Election laws do make it harder for third parties to exist in America, said Kevin Smith, a political scientist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Smith said there are several reasons why third parties have a tough time winning recognition or attention.

Structurally, he said, the nation's winner-take-all system favors a two-party system. Third parties fare better in countries where legislative and other seats are divided proportionately - based on the percentage of the vote a party's candidate wins, Smith said.

He noted that members of the nation's two dominant political parties control the state legislatures where election laws are written.

"Clearly, there is no motivation for Democrats and Republicans to increase competition," Smith said.

Omaha.com Metro/Region Section.