CLEP US History II

Answer: A - The Progressive Party, with former President Theodore Roosevelt as its candidate, had a demonstrable effect on the 1912 presidential election, splitting the Republican base between Roosevelt and Republican nominee, incumbent William Howard Taft. The split paved the way for Democrat Woodrow Wilson to win the White House-the first time a Democratic president was elected in 20 years. Wilson was only the second Democratic president elected since before the Civil War. There were only two occasions during the 20th century when a third-party presidential candidate affected the outcome of an election. The second instance occurred in 1992, when Independent Ross Perot challenged Republican incumbent George H.W. Bush and eventual winner, Democrat Bill Clinton.