Final answer:
Minor parties seldom gain enough popular votes to win electoral votes in the U.S. due to the 'winner-take-all' Electoral College system and the dominance of major parties. Despite occasionally influencing national debate, minor parties have not been successful in modern presidential elections.
Step-by-step explanation:
Minor parties, also known as third parties, infrequently gain enough popular votes to win electoral votes in the United States. The structure of the U.S. political system, particularly the Electoral College, makes it challenging for minor parties to succeed at the national level. For instance, due to the 'winner-take-all' approach in most states, a party must win a significant share of votes within a state to receive any electoral votes at all. Over time, the presence of major parties (Democrats and Republicans) and the strategic voting by citizens have made it difficult for minor parties to establish a foothold.
Minor parties have occasionally influenced national debates on specific issues, such as when Ross Perot brought attention to the national debt during the 1992 presidential election. However, due to the reasons noted, such as the possibility of splitting the liberal or conservative vote, and the fact that votes for major party candidates are often seen as more effective, minor parties have not won national elections in modern U.S. history.
The Electoral College system also contributes to the difficulty for third parties, as the candidate with the majority of popular votes in each individual state takes all of that state's electoral votes, leaving minor parties with little room for success unless they are able to secure a plurality in at least one state. Movements for electoral reform have surfaced, yet they have not gained substantial traction. This perpetuates the cycle in which minor parties rarely, if ever, win electoral votes in presidential elections.