U.S. Political Parties

[Benton]

We need more parties and this year is a good example of why. Donald Trump — a moderate — is leading for the GOP nomination in front of a fiscal conservative (Kasich) and a religious conservative (Cruz). All three are very different. On the other side, you've got a moderate leading a liberal. You can make the argument that it works to a degree, as Clinton has gone further left to avoid losing her party, and Trump has gone further right to attract the vote of people who aren't batshit crazy.

But Fred is correct, you won't have other parties until you correct campaign finance. The only way that could happen is if enough voters in enough states started passing legislation on their own and pressuring state lawmakers to do the same at the federal level. I think Arkansas has taken some steps, but most state laws got even murkier after Citizens United.