Anderson, John. “Tired of Partisan Gridlock? Reforming Electoral Rules Gives Voters Real Choice.” The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sept. 2011, Web.
Anderson speaks about the electoral rules and how they work in the state. Thus, in the article, John Anderson assumes that Ralph Nader was the major third-party candidate in the 2000 presidential election as he prevented Gore from winning in Florida and becoming the President. He also managed to get only 7 percent of the popular vote in 1980. It proves numerous difficulties for third-party candidates and shows the necessity to alter the system. Congress has to repeal a 1967 law taking away the power of states to adopt the proportional voting system.
The article is well-structured and logically organized. The author starts with a description of the problem, some perspective on it, and offers specific solutions. The author advocates the necessity to reorganize the existing system and argues against the approach preventing the other from struggling with the primary candidates. For me, the lack of opportunities for third-party candidates is new information that can be trusted, as the author is a former congressman who also took part in elections.
Conroy, Scott. “Why the Third-Party Dream Remains Just That.” RealClearPolitics, Web.
Conroy revolves around the impossibility of third-party candidates to win elections. He assumes that Ross in 1992, Ross Perot ran as an independent candidate for elections and had some chances to succeed. Conroy also outlines that the Americans Elect group managed to gather about $35 to $40 million, according to their reports. The group also managed to get ballot access in 26 states.
In general, the article is organized clearly and understandably. The author starts by outlining third-party candidates’ failures and moves to describe the attempts to correct the situation. Conroy uses rhetorical questions or strong endings to introduce new ideas and move forward. The author advocates the idea that the existing system introduces numerous barriers for third-party candidates and argues against the possibility of its reconsideration. For me, information about the Americans Elect group’s activity was new and essential for understanding the flaws of the current system. The author can be trusted as he is a political reporter with an improved understanding of the issue.