AKA minor parties, created due to dissatisfaction with the two major parties and often focused on specific issues; examples include Socialist, Green, and Libertarian.

• A. Major party
• B. Independent candidate
• C. Third party
• D. Coalition party

Answer: (C)

A third party is a political party outside the two dominant groups, typically formed when voters are dissatisfied with the major parties and want to push specific issues or ideologies. The Socialist, Green, and Libertarian parties fit this description because they organize around particular goals rather than broad, sweeping platforms. In practice, third parties in systems like the United States often don’t win major offices due to winner-take-all rules, but they can influence policy by forcing major parties to address their issues or by drawing votes that affect election outcomes. The other options describe different kinds of political actors: a major party is one of the two dominant groups, an independent candidate runs without party affiliation, and a coalition party refers to an alliance of parties governing together, not a standalone party focused on its own platform.