The ballot choice on election day isn't always black or white - or Republican and Democrat. The shades in between include a host of third parties from left to right.
While Ross Perot's Reform party has come to symbolize third party politics for many Americans, other smaller parties outside of the Republicans and Democrats have candidates on the ballot for Campaign '96.
Libertarian Party
With proposals countering both the Republican and Democratic positions on welfare, taxes, social security and the war on drugs, a Libertarian government would end federal government as we know it.
Perhaps best identified with its drug legalization stance on the sale and usage of marijuana, the Libertarian agenda includes programs and proposals designed to shrink the federal government and shift power to states and citizens.
Libertarian U.S. House candidate Bruce Cain, who is challenging incumbent Rep. John Dingell in Dearborn, said the party's ideology is based on "the concept of freedom in being left alone by your government."
One of the party's main concerns is the vast amount of money spent by the government to "house nonviolent drug offenders who aren't really a threat," Cain said. The costly war on drugs has made an industry out of prevention and regulation and created an "economic interest in continuing the drug war," Cain said.
The Libertarian platform calls for the elimination of the income tax and an immediate balanced budget coupled with a 50-percent reduction in federal spending. To finance this plan, Libertarians advocate elimination of all federal welfare and government social security. A hands-off approach to health care and crime is also part of the Libertarian platform.
Libertarians Harry Browne and Jo Jorgensen are running for president and vice president, respectively.
Natural Law Party
The platform of the Natural Law Party stems from the theory that "there is a natural order to things as witnessed by the laws of nature," said Jane Meade, Natural Law candidate for the Wayne State University Board of Governors.
The party believes that "government is more effective closer to home," while the "federal government is necessary for an overall umbrella in making the country work well," Meade said.
The Natural Law party platform includes specific proposals on some of the most fiery issues in mainstream politics of Campaign '96.
Their economic plan proposes a policy that would balance the budget by 1999 and implement a flat tax of 10 percent by 2002.
Much of the party's health care plank rests on preventative measures. A health care system under the Natural Law party would include medical savings accounts for Medicare and Medicaid subscribers, and vouchers enabling Medicare and Medicaid recipients to choose any insurance plan or health care provider.
The party joins the movement for campaign and government reform by proposing the elimination of political action committees and special interest campaign funding, favoring equal access to media for all candidates, and a shift toward public sponsorship of campaigns.
Presidential candidate John Hagelin and vice presidential candidate Vinton Tompkins are on the ballot for the Natural Law party.
Workers World Party
The Workers World Party is offering two female minority candidates for the nation's highest political offices - Monica Moorehead and Gloria La Riva.
Moorehead said she knows her party has no chance of winning, especially since they are on the ballot in only 12 states.
"Our election is an education campaign for political awareness," she said. "To let people know what phonies (President Clinton and Republican nominee Bob Dole) are."
Moorehead said WWP is all about helping workers. She said workers are ready to hear the party's message, "especially after four years of Clinton."
"(Clinton) has caved in time and time again to the right wing," Moorehead said.
Moorehead said WWP strongly disagrees with the crime bill Clinton signed into law.
"It introduced 100,000 cops to oppress the communities, especially black and Latino/a communities," she said.
The WWP candidates have featured active voices during Campaign '96, protesting C-SPAN's airing of a third party debate and addressing voters around the country.
The WWP party promotes socialist values, Moorehead said. She would like to increase the minimum wage to $12, to transfer the money in the defense budget to education and health care, and to eliminate income taxes for anyone making less than $35,000 per year.
"Socialism won't come over night," Moorehead said. "You have to start small."
Moorehead, who was born in Alabama in 1952, said she has been involved with WWP since she attended college at the Hampton Institute in Virginia.
Socialist Equality Party
The Socialist Equality Party is also working to mobilize workers this election season.
Several SEP candidates are on the ballot in Michigan, including presidential candidate Jerome White, vice-presidential candidate Fred Mazelis, U.S. Senate candidate Martin McLaughlin and Jim Harnett, a candidate for U.S. House in the 13th District.
"We stand for the unity of the working class nationally and internationally," said Larry Roberts, Harnett's campaign manager. "We call for fraternal relations between workers."
Roberts said the party also stands for social equality, guarantees for the safety of social programs and a "worker's government."
SEP also wants to place banks, hospitals and other "levers of society" under federal control - anything "generally needed in society," Roberts said.
"We're really fighting to build a mass organization of workers," Roberts said.