If one is to emerge, it must start at the local level, and Massachusetts, where the GOP has all but collapsed, presents an enticing first target.

Given the grumbling about America’s two main political parties, some want a viable third option. A former Democratic presidential candidate, Andrew Yang, has launched the Forward party, and the Serve America Movement and the Renew America Movement have joined him.

Yet trying to build a political party at the national level is a fool’s errand. Mounds of political science research have helped explain why America’s political system falls into a stable equilibrium with two political parties.

Instead, those seeking to launch a third political party are better off starting locally by targeting states where one party has effectively collapsed. By targeting these voids, they have a much higher likelihood of changing the political status quo over the long run.