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Article: Independent Parties
- Article from:
- West's Encyclopedia of American Law
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 The Gale Group, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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INDEPENDENT PARTIES
Although the United States has a firmly established two-party system, independent parties play an important role in U.S. politics. Democrats and Republicans win the vast majority of federal, state, and local elections, but independent candidates often reflect popular attitudes and concerns. Most independent parties
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also known as third parties
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begin in response to a specific issue, candidate, or political philosophy.
The current two-party system of Democrats and Republicans evolved during the mid
–
nineteenth century. Before that, the Democrats squared off against the Whigs, led by henry clay and daniel webster. The whig party was founded around ...