Third Party Movements

Report Outline
The Two Party System
Third Party Movements Before the Civil War
Splits, Bolts and Third Parties 1872–1900
The Progressive Movement 1912–1924
The Minor Political Parties

Developments in the 1928 pre-convention campaign have produced an unusual number of threats of bolts, splits and independent political movements should particular candidates be accepted as the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees and particular policies be adopted - or rejected - by the dominant parties at their forthcoming national conventions.

From the South have come threats that a new anti-Catholic, anti-Tammany, bone-dry party will be organized if Governor Smith is awarded the Democratic nomination at Houston. And from the West have come threats that thousands of farmer Republicans will support the Democratic ticket or will join in a new political movement if the administration's attitude on the McNary-Haugen bill is endorsed by their party through the nomination of Secretary Hoover as its candidate for President.

In the East there have been threats of a third-party movement by liberals opposed to the Volstead act if the major parties should fail in 1928 to offer a definite choice to the voters on the prohibition issue. And similar threats have been made from the dry side, to be carried into execution if such a choice is presented through the nomination of a wet candidate or the adoption of a wet platform by either of the dominant parties.