Joseph Thorndike examines the history of third parties and their role in effecting political change and considers whether Elon Musk’s new America Party could do the same.

Our Founding Fathers didn’t even want political parties, which they called “factions.” George Washington warned against them and Alexander Hamilton railed against them. But once Thomas Jefferson and John Adams began aligning their political interests with their electoral ambitions, the foundation for America’s two-party system was laid.