In the wake of Elon Musk’s recent formation of a ‘third’ political party in America – the America Party – many on the Right have viewed this development as a direct threat to Donald Trump’s MAGA movement, while others view it as a potential opportunity for the MAGA movement.
Though there are many more than three political parties in America, it is interesting to note that they are all referred to as ‘third parties.’ Indeed, the very term ‘third party politics’ is both illusionary and ironic, given that it is based on an unspoken acknowledgement that such parties exist within an accepted binary framework of a two party polarity.
But given that the two party electoral option is now being recognized as a single ‘uniparty’ non-option, another controversy has arisen. Some are now arguing that political parties no longer serve a useful function at all, while others maintain that political parties are an essential part of any democratic process.
To complicate matters further, within the second group there is a further division over whether there should only be two parties in opposition to each other, or whether multiple ‘third’ parties have a place in the democratic process. Continue reading »
