Final answer:
The minor party with the most electoral votes in a presidential election is the American Independent Party, which won 46 electoral votes in 1968. Third parties can affect election outcomes by pulling votes from major parties, although they face significant challenges in the American winner-take-all system. The correct option is A.
Step-by-step explanation:
The minor party that gained the most electoral votes in a presidential election was A. the American Independent Party. This occurred in the 1968 election when George Wallace, the party's candidate, won 46 electoral votes. He was able to achieve this significant amount because his candidacy appealed to certain regional interests that were dissatisfied with the major parties' stances, particularly in the Southern states. Wallace's strategy and the context of the 1968 election highlight the potential influence of third parties in presidential elections, although they rarely win.
Third parties, like the American Independent Party, the Green Party, the Constitutional Union Party, and the Progressive Party, often emerge from specific social or political movements and can influence the outcome of elections by pulling votes from the major parties. These parties have sometimes led to a major party's defeat by fracturing the vote. However, the winner-take-all Electoral College system and state ballot access laws present substantial challenges to third-party success on a national level.
The significant impact of third parties is not always in the form of winning elections but in bringing attention to certain issues that the two dominant parties then absorb into their platforms. Despite this, the American two-party system has persisted due to structures and incentives that favor the Republican and Democratic parties, making it difficult for minor parties to sustain a lasting presence on the national stage.