Letter: An alternative to the two-party system

Third parties have a history of failure in American politics. The two major parties of Democrats and Republicans have controlled the political scene for longer than most of us can remember.

The parties are made up for the most part by entrenched legislators and controlled by a faceless, unelected group of special interests and lobbyists. The legislators are beholden to these special interests and lobbyists for financial support for election and to remain in office indefinitely. This situation is pervasive at the state level and most especially at the federal level.

These kinds of relationships may ultimately lead to corruption. This is not to say all of these entrenched legislators are corrupt. But in conversations with ordinary citizens, they will often times say this or that office holder is a crook, or all politicians are crooked. They have become so frustrated and put off they just give up. They feel their government is not responsive nor accountable. Meanwhile, many of the legislators run unopposed.

There is now an alternative approach to the current system. It is called the American Party, made up of Democrats, Republicans and Independents with like-minded views on government.

Its top priority is term limits for legislators, (as originally envisioned by our founders) elected officials who place the common good above party loyalty and partisanship, ethical behavior, transparency and accountability, and focus on solving problems and increasing our global economic competitiveness. To learn more, go to www.americanpartysc.com.

This story was originally published March 3, 2016 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Letter: An alternative to the two-party system."