the single-member district/winner-take-all method used in the US nearly ensures that a vote cast for a minor party will be 'wasted', in the sense that even a sizable proportion of votes, say 20%, will not send anyone to the legislature...studies of state elections show that the degree of competition between parties is a factor in voter turnout, suggesting that a system of representation that increased party competition would increase turnout...an electoral system that facilitated the organization of new parties could have the same effect. ..state laws in the US, however, discriminate against minor parties by imposing various ballot access restrictions on them...and the Federal Election Campaign Act, which provides millions of public dollars to the Demuplicans for presidential primaries, national conventions, presidential elections, is a Catch-22 for minor parties: they have to get 5% of the vote in the prez election to get money, but they probably need money to get 5% (all the while being subject to regulation by a Federal Election Commission composed of 3 Reps & 3 Dems)...Michael Hoover