Third Parties in American History: Advocates for New Ideas or Disrupters? with Stephen Rolandi in person or on Zoom

The United States is home currently to over 50 political parties, of which nearly 80% of them have fielded candidates for the Presidency at one time or another.  However, despite an active political presence, only two parties – the Democrats and Republicans – dominate American politics, despite the fact that approximately 45% of American voters call themselves Independents or members of a third party.  Why in our democracy do the two parties predominate? Professor Rolandi will provide historical context, focusing on the third party candidacies of George C. Wallace (1968); John Anderson (1980); Ross Perot (1992) and Ralph Nader (2000).   He will also assess the prospects for this year’s third party candidacies, including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Jill Stein and Cornell West.

Stephen R. Rolandi is an Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at Pace University and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice CUNY). An expert in public finance and public policy, he retired in 2015 after a distinguished career with the Federal Government and the State and City of New York. He holds Bachelor’s and MPA degrees from New York University, and is a frequent commentator on national, state, and local politics and issues.

Registration is not required unless you are going to participate via ZOOM or want a reminder of this program.