The winner-take-all system of elections in the United States creates a barrier for third parties because third parties
A.
often do not get enough votes for proportional representation.
B.
usually are able to beat one major party, but not both.
C.
rarely are able to win elections at a state or national level.
D.
do not participate in elections unless they follow the proportional representation system.
Even Teddy Roosevelt could not win with his Bull Moose party
The answer is A. often do not get enough votes for proportional representation.
In the winner-take-all system of elections, also known as the first-past-the-post system, candidates who receive the most votes in a particular district or state are declared the winners. This means that only one candidate or party can win, and the winner does not need to obtain an absolute majority of the votes.
This system creates a major barrier for third parties because they often struggle to gain enough votes to win an election outright. In winner-take-all elections, third parties may only receive a small share of the votes, which prevents them from achieving proportional representation in government. Unlike in systems with proportional representation, where seats are allocated according to the proportion of votes received, winner-take-all elections do not offer third parties a realistic chance of winning and getting proportional representation in government.
As a result, many voters are hesitant to vote for third parties because they worry that their vote will be "wasted" if their preferred third-party candidate does not have a realistic chance of winning. This perpetuates a two-party system dominance, where the two major parties have a much higher probability of winning elections, whereas third parties face significant challenges in breaking through.