Green Campaigns

Third Parties Offer Genuine Democracy

By JOHN ATKEISON, J. ROY CANNON AND VINCENT SOTTILE
2004-09-01

An opinion article by Pradeep Chibber and Ken Kollman makes the welcome point that third parties have a long history in America. Abraham Lincoln came from the newly formed Republican Party. We also appreciate recognition that the Green Party has elected hundreds of people to office.

They fall short, though, by attributing the lack of third parties to the greater centralization of American government since the mid-20th century. England, France, and Germany are much more centralized than the United States, yet all support thriving multi-party systems.

Third parties in the United States are hampered by our winner-take-all electoral system and the need for candidates to raise huge sums of money to compete effectively. These obstacles make our country less democratic by preventing citizens from choosing candidates who truly reflect the government policies they support.

The result is that big money rules American politics, whatever party is in office. No wonder that as the income gap between rich and poor widens in Delaware and the nation, the percentage of alienated voters and angry nonvoters grows.

The American winner-take-all system is unusual in the world today. In France, any party that receives more than 5 percent of the vote has representatives in parliament. Consequently, the French are more likely to vote for small parties that can influence government policies in Parliament.

When the French choose a president, he or she must receive a majority of votes to be elected. In the event no one gets 50 percent, the top two candidates compete in a run-off. As voters have a second chance to vote if their top choice is eliminated, there is more leeway to support third-party candidates on the first round.

Interestingly, a number of American unions elect officials in this way.

Another method is 1-2-3 or instant runoff voting. Rather than hold a runoff election at a later date, the voter indicates his or her preferences on the first ballot. The voter does this by numbering the candidates for a particular office according to preference. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a second count is made. The candidate receiving the lowest number of votes is eliminated from this count, although the ballots favoring that candidate are not eliminated.

Instead, the number two preference on each of these ballots is given to the appropriate candidate.

Here's an example of how this would work. Delaware's 2002 attorney general race pitted Republican Jane Brady against Democrat Carl Schnee and the Green Party's Vivian Houghton. Since Brady won with less than 50 percent of the vote, a 1-2-3 system would have required a second count with Houghton eliminated, but with the second choice of those who voted for her given to the appropriate candidate. If Houghton supporters preferred Schnee to Brady, as most analysts believed, and had been able to vote for him as their second choice, a 1-2-3 voting system would have placed the Democrat in office.

Third-party candidates would be more attractive to voters under the 1-2-3 voting method. So it is not surprisingly that the Democratic and Republican parties who benefit from the winner-take-all system disdain giving voters more power through runoff voting. As a result, our system penalizes citizens who want to vote for third parties. Those who do vote often hold their nose and support the lesser of two evils, never getting what they want.

The two-party system puts big money in the driver's seat. Corporations easily skirt campaign finance limits to dole out big bucks to those candidates who promise to follow policies favored by contributors. Look at how Rep. Michael Castle and Senators Thomas Carper and Joseph Biden prance in rhythm to MBNA's wishes for appalling new laws preventing those with credit card debt from declaring bankruptcy.

Or look at The News Journal's role fostering a claustrophobic political climate that excludes alternate views. Even though the Green Party has had ballot status since 2000, the paper routinely ignores Green Party representatives when it seeks opinions on issues affecting local life. Since our voices are squelched in the media, potential voters get the message that there is no point thinking about supporting a third political party on election day.

The political system needs a radical overhaul to make our country more democratic. We need 1-2-3 voting, campaign finance reform, easier ballot access and instant voter registration. And the media needs to include all political parties in its coverage.

The authors are Green Party candidates: John Atkeison for an at-large seat on the Wilmington City Council., J. Roy Cannon for the 9th New Castle County Council district, and Vincent J. Sottile for the 7th New Castle County Council District.