Muted Group Theory and U.S. politics: Examining third parties and their supporters

With many more young adult voters identifying themselves as independent voters or members of a third party, it is hard to believe third party candidates have not found more significant or lasting success in the U.S. politics. To investigate this phenomenon, Muted Group Theory is presented as one explanation and evidence was sought to determine if third party supporters are a muted group in U.S. politics. Participants included young adult voters from a large Mid-Atlantic university who responded to several statements about third parties and identified their political affiliation. Differences were expected to exist among the different political groups, yet in very few instances were these differences identified. Results provided little support for the notion that third party supporters are a muted group. However, several inferences were made about the political beliefs of young adult voters as compared to older generations and their openness to third party candidates.