Third parties can force political incumbents to change direction

+ younger evangelicals losing interest in culture wars US Edition - Today's top story: US third parties can rein in the extremism of the two-party system [View in browser]( US Edition | 22 June 2021 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Whether the U.S. political system will give birth to a third party has been a source of almost endless debate. Some scholars say yes, the current parties simply don’t represent the majority of Americans and voters want an alternative. Others say no, an alternative won’t happen because the major parties have a stranglehold on our politics. Political scientist Bernard Tamas predicts a new third party will rise, writing that “circumstances are better now for a third-party insurgency than at any time over the past century.” A scholar of the political rise and fall – and rise again – of third parties in American history, Tamas says that the most successful third parties don’t become dominant themselves. Instead, they force the [major parties to become more responsive to voters’ needs](. Also today: - [Using the gas tax to fund infrastructure has always been hard]( - [Combating food waste with ‘upcycling’]( - [Memoir of a deep-sea explorer and Titanic discoverer]( And an enormous thank-you to all our readers who donated recently. The entire team at The Conversation is inspired by your support. If you haven’t given yet, it is still [not too late to do so](. Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society An editorial cartoon from 1900 shows the Populist Party swallowing the Democratic Party. J.S. Pughe/Buyenlarge/Getty Images [US third parties can rein in the extremism of the two-party system]( Bernard Tamas, Valdosta State University The most successful third parties in US politics don't typically rise to dominance, but instead challenge the major parties enough to force a course correction. Ethics + Religion - [White Gen X and millennial evangelicals are losing faith in the conservative culture wars]( Terry Shoemaker, Arizona State University Growing numbers of young evangelicals and 'Exvangelicals' are pro-LGBTQ, support #BlackLivesMatter – or are fed up altogether with mixing faith and politics. Economy + Business - [The gas tax’s tortured history shows how hard it is to fund new infrastructure]( Theodore J. Kury, University of Florida A bipartisan group of senators proposed the gas tax should be indexed to inflation to help pay for new infrastructure spending, an approach Biden calls 'regressive.' Education - [Critical race theory sparks activism in students]( Jerusha Osberg Conner, Villanova University A researcher on youth organizing presents her evidence for how critical race theory benefits students and society. Science + Technology - [The surface of Venus is cracked and moves like ice floating on the ocean – likely due to tectonic activity]( Paul K. Byrne, North Carolina State University Researchers used decades-old radar data and found that some low-lying areas of Venus' crust are moving and jostling. This evidence is some of the strongest yet of tectonic activity on Venus. - [‘Upcycling’ promises to turn food waste into your next meal]( Rodney Holcomb, Oklahoma State University; Danielle Bellmer, Oklahoma State University The cost of food that gets trashed anywhere between the farm and your plate is hundreds of billions of dollars a year in just the US. But a lot can be salvaged as ingredients for other food products. Environment + Energy - [Explorer Robert Ballard’s memoir finds shipwrecks and strange life forms in the ocean’s darkest reaches]( Suzanne OConnell, Wesleyan University Oceanographer Robert D. Ballard, who is best known for finding the wreck of Titanic, has written a memoir recounting his biggest discoveries and calling for more ocean exploration. From our International Editions - [ADHD in adults: what it’s like living with the condition – and why many still struggle to get diagnosed]( James Brown, Aston University; Alex Conner, University of Birmingham Around 2.5% of adults are thought to live with ADHD. - [How shipping ports are being reinvented for the green energy transition]( Sylvain Roche, Sciences Po Bordeaux Carbon emissions from maritime shipping and port activities are on the rise. But city ports are finding ways to reduce their carbon footprints and reconnect with nearby cities. - [Why we still don’t have self-driving cars on the roads in 2021]( Francesco Biondi, University of Windsor The promise of self-driving cars hasn't materialized, and we're no closer to them becoming a reality. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today’s graphic [A bar graph comparing the number of former youth organizers, members of the general population, and low-income adults participated in different activities such as registering to vote or participating in a civic organization.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451