Explain a factor that limits the electoral impact of minor parties in the US.

“Minor parties” are often called third parties in the US, and examples of them may include the Libertarian and Green Parties. The two major parties are the Democrats and Republicans, and the minor parties play a much smaller role in the electoral system than major parties, which is often seen as being due to the nature of the system. The electoral impact may include the % of the vote they receive, the seats they receive in Congress, or the media attention they gather for their policies. One factor that may limit the electoral impact of minor parties in the US is the nature of the FPTP system that inevitably produces a 2 party system. The winner-takes-all nature of the FPTP system means that minor parties can’t make an electoral impact, as they don’t make it onto the ballot in many states, meaning their support is often widespread but thin; the kind of support that is ineffective in a FPTP system. We see this in terms of seats in Congress, as 98/100 seats in the Senate are held by Democrats and Republicans, as are all 435 seats in the House. This dominance by the two major parties in terms of Congressional seats and presidencies (all presidents since 1853 have been Democratic/Republican) is due to the 2 party system that excludes third parties from the ballot in many states and means that the winner (one of the 2 major parties) takes all, taking away from the electoral impact of minor parties to a large degree.