Hi, my name is Tim Fewless and I am a senior history & political science major. I hope to attend the University of Oregon’s MA program in environmental history in the fall. It has been a long road for me as I started my journey in the early 1990s. However, I was sidetracked when I became a father and had no support structure which would allow me to remain in college. I left to take care of my daughter and did not consider going back until she was nearing college graduation. I came to the realization that I needed to follow my dreams and pursue the interests that I have had since I was a child. So here I am! Nearly ready to graduate and waiting on the University of Oregon to judge my value to their program! The question that I am interested in related to the American Presidency is the current state of leadership in both major parties. It appears that any candidate which appears reasonable and moderate never can gain any traction within the major parties. The candidates that rise in power increasingly play to the extremes (either right or left) within the party and fail to unify a fractured electorate. This creates a President who appeals to a tiny group within his party but lacks appeal to the wider population. To word the question properly: “What has led to the rise of candidates who govern from the extreme ends of the political spectrum and why are moderates generally blocked from access to the presidency?”