Liobertaria, Reform, Socialist, Prohibition, Matural Law, Communist, American Independent, Green, Constitution- these are only some of the many parties that dielded presidential candidates in 2004. You know that none of these parties of their candidates had any real chance of winning presidency. But this is not to say that minor parties are unimportant.

1. The ideological parties are those based on a particular ser of beliefs-a comprehensive view of social, economic, and political matters.

2. The single-issue parties focus only on one public-policy matter. They names have usually indicated their primary concern. For example, the Free Soil Party opposed the spread of slavery in the 1840's and the 1850's.

3. The economic protest parties have been rooted in periods of economicdiscontent. Unlike the socialist parties, these groups have not had any clear-cut ideological base.

4. Splinter parties are those that have split away from one of the major parties. Most of the more important minor parties in our politics have been splinter parties. Among the leading groups that have split away from the Republicans are Theodore Roosevelt's "Bull Mosse" Progressive Party of 1912, and Robert La Follette's Progressive Party of 1924.