Assignment: Political Parties and the Electoral Process

Write a three to four (3-4) page paper on the relationship between political parties and the electoral process in which you:

• Identify three to four (3-4) ideological differences between America's two (2) major political parties.
• Analyze key reasons why third parties have never been successful at the presidential level. 
• Determine the role of the campaign process in maintaining the two-party system. Use examples to support your response.
• Use at least four (4) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites to not qualify as academic resources.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are to:

• Infer a theory why the U.S. has only two major political parties.
• Develop reasoned written and spoken presentations on issues and questions involving the U.S. government and national political processes using information in the course.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in the field of U.S. government and politics.
• Write clearly and concisely about U.S. government and politics using proper writing mechanics.