I hope that Barack Obama and his administration will succeed in fixing the economy and other problems facing this country. It would be great for all of us.

However, if current administration and Democratic majority in both chambers of the Congress won’t deliver on their promises, I am not sure if two-party system will remain intact. A significant number of voters might start looking toward alternative to Democrats and Republicans.

If third party becomes a reality, it would probably start as grass roots movement. However, I don’t discount a possibility that a number of politicians from both, Democratic and Republican parties, will join to form a third party because of their dissatisfaction with current political climate.

Alternative parties are not novelty in American history. However, very few of them made a lasting impact. This time around, third party might become a powerful and permanent player in American politics.

What would a new party be like? It will focus more on domestic affairs rather than international policy. Bringing manufacturing jobs back, higher tariffs on foreign products, universal healthcare, strict immigration policy, English as official language, cap on college tuitions, government bonds to finance infrastructure projects – such mixture of conservative and liberal ideas may very well form an agenda for such a party. The truth is that most voters aren’t driven by ideology – they are neither conservative nor liberal. They want to hear ideas that would benefit them.

A strong third party movement will happen if millions of voters reach a conclusion that current political establishment can’t solve problems facing the nation today. In my view, there is a good chance that economic crisis will be resolved within a few years. However, if it doesn’t happen, strong third party movement is definitely a possibility.