Declaring Independence: The Beginning of the End of the Two-Party System

Is the U.S. ready to elect a third-party president? Campaign consultant Schoen, who calls American politics ""dangerously mired in a dysfunctional two-party system,"" gives the question a tentative ""yes,"" and he is in a position to know: his firm has advised top presidential campaigns for over 30 years, and is currently helping New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg weigh his options as a potential independent candidate. Looking at the ""large-scale trend that could open the door for a major third-party candidate,"" Schoen uses extensive polling to contend that the next election will be decided by the 35-40 percent of the electorate fed up with ""partisanship and the extremist wings of either party,"" a group Schoen calls ""Restless and Anxious Moderates."" He also considers other factors bolstering a third-party effort, including the rising importance of the internet and the 24-hour news cycle, and looks back at the history of third-party candidates, especially 1992 independent presidential hopeful Ross Perot. While a third-party candidate might not win in 2008, Schoen shows, he would provide-as Perot did-an important role in shaping the political agenda, invigorating debates and encouraging consensus between the two major parties. A cagey and comprehensive look at the weaknesses, and promises, of the American political system, Schoen's analysis is as convincing as it is timely.