Third parties exist on the very edge of mainstream politics. They enter candidates in elections they cannot hope to win. They champion issues the major parties are sometimes reluctant to touch. But third parties serve America well - they speak for ordinary citizens whose concerns both the state and federal government have yet to notice. As readers of this new book will learn, third parties are often the voice of change and the front-runners of progress. Beginning with the Tertium Quids in 1806 and continuing to today's Green Party, ""The History of Third Parties"" chronicles third parties and their increasing visibility in the American political system.