Finding the candidates and positions from both of the major political parties unacceptable, many are tempted to turn to a third party, or even the formation of a third party. But in the United States, it is nearly impossible for third parties to achieve any electoral success, and this is not simply due to stubbornness on the part of the electorate. A thought experiment will demonstrate why this is the case.

If this weekend's hype over who the presidential candidates are bringing as their front-row guests to the debate is an indication, Monday night's debate will be nothing short of a street-fight of words between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

San Diego, CALIF.- News from the campus of San Diego State University this week.

A new survey was sent to San Diego State University football season ticket holders and other alumni to gauge their interest in a new 40,000-seat stadium located in Mission Valley.

The survey highlighted the very real opportunity San Diego has to transform the valley into park lands and higher education expansion.

Independent Voter Podcast: Beyond Partisan Politics looks at the rhetoric establishment parties use to maintain control, and interviews U.S. Rep. Scott Peters from California’s 52nd district on the rough party rhetoric, as well as local San Diego issues.

The election year phenomena known as presidential debates are almost here. These events showcase candidates to the electorate. The candidates appear at the same time and discuss their positions on different issues affecting the populace.

What better place to have them speak than on television, a medium that reaches most of the population? A medium that can both educate and inform, but that's not what the duopoly and the media barons have in mind

Understandably, readers of the IVN pride themselves on their status as… well… independent voters. Voters are jettisoning the Democratic and Republican Parties faster than you can say “record high unfavorable ratings.”

However, ditching the two-party system isn’t enough; it’s high time that we start joining and registering with third parties.

Now, this is the moment where I encourage you to put down the pitchforks, and hear me out. Though IVN champions the mantra of “people over parties,” registering third party helps break up the two-party duopoly in a number of ways.

San Diego, CALIF.-Measure A is a proposal from the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) that would create a half-cent sales tax to fund transportation and infrastructure projects throughout the county.

The measure would raise about $18 billion over the next 40 years and legally bind SANDAG to finish a number of projects within the next 15 years.

According to the internet’s wayback machine, retired CBS broadcaster Bob Schieffer was a member of the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) between September 2015 and December 2015.

This is an oddly short period of service. Most other CPD members seem to serve for years. Co-Chair Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., for instance, has been around since the commission's beginning, having co-founded the organization in 1987. While the other members' tenure doesn't go back that far, many have been around since at least 2014.

Campaigns love to think that October surprises will rescue their fledgling campaigns or seal the deal for a front-runner, but they seldom happen -- far less than what you'd expect in a media circus that loves gotcha politics.

People's minds are usually made up, the 'miracle' of an October surprise has to be profound.

But in modern American politics, terrorism is always at the top of the watch list of the political spectrum -- and candidates vying for the spot of the 'toughest' on terrorism is part of a winning strategy.

Presidential politics has taken center stage this election year, for good reason. But if you're interested in making a political impact, you may be focusing on the wrong race.