Rise of the 3rd Party

[Foucaulf]

A house seat would be all but pointless in the American system. It's a heavy investment as it is, and unlike Commonwealth legislatures there is no procedure for one party to gain its own funding, not to mention all floor votes being decided within the majority party (Correct me if I'm wrong on this) It's a better investment of a candidate's time to run in the primaries and join a caucus once he's elected.

A senate seat could be significant, but the money investment is so massive that the party would become a senator's reelection vehicle.

The problem is no third party, if it wants to be a viable player, wants to even bother on the national level: too much money involved. Nor can one of the party's wings try to split off, because then they're cut off to the two parties' fundraising network.

PR matters less than most people think. Campaign finance reform is number one by far, followed by a federal fusion voting system. If those are put in place a third party could claw its way up in the 2040s.