e to one side or the other of the median voter, his opponent would theoretically capture more than half of the popular vote, leading to a victory. However, this theorem, like most theories, contains flaws making the concept imperfect. One such flaw is the consideration that not all elections are decided by the popular vote, the basis for the Median Voter Theorem. In the United States, for example, the president is elected not by popular vote, but by the Electoral College, leaving the candidate to think not only of the median voter in the population, but how that may relate to the actual election and the median voter of the Electoral College. By adding this extra party to the election process, the Median Voter Theorem, although still relevant, is not necessarily as vital in such situations. Furthermore, if more than two candidates run against each other, the entire system is thrown off, leaving a totally different game strategically. With three or more candidates, each individual must strive to differentiate himself in the eyes of the voters, forcing variation from the mean voter.Political parties and the support thereof also play an important role in the political system. Parties are established and maintained around certain political views and perspectives and the degree to which these ideals are held. By taking a position too far from this central position of the party, a candidate risks alienating those within the party who hold more extreme views, leaving them feeling abandoned by their own candidate. While these people probably would not vote for the opponent, this change in platform may cause them to abstain from voting at all, thus changing the median voter and making the Median Voter Theorem irrelevant. One way a party may work to improve upon this predicament is by the use if the vice presidential candidate. Although if the presidential candidate is elected, the vice president will have power to a certain degree, many voters d...
