It’s possible, of course, that a third party will one day rise. In the 19th century, the Republican Party replaced the Whig Party. More recently, the 2016 election saw a significant jump in Green and Libertarian party candidates’ share of the popular vote, and 61 percent of Americans say neither the Democratic nor Republican Party represents their views. And even if the Democrats and Republicans remain dominant, a rising third party could push the parties in new directions.

If you want to grow a third party, the political scientist Lee Drutman says the first steps should be lowering the barriers that make it difficult for third party candidates to compete. Push your state to adopt ranked-choice voting , a system that would remove the spoiler effect of a third-party vote. This system lets you name a first-choice candidate but transfers your ultimate vote to an alternative candidate if your first choice receives only a small share of the vote. Or lobby your state to adopt proportional representation, which would award seats in legislatures based on a party’s overall vote share, instead of today’s winner-take-all system.

Political parties can also be changed in other ways. Activists, organizers and voters can exert pressure on parties to adapt over time. It happened to the Republican Party in the 20th century and is happening to the Democratic Party now in the wake of Bernie Sanders’s 2016 campaign and other grass-roots progressive efforts. So don’t be totally discouraged if you’re dissatisfied with the state of your party today; work with others to change it. “The story of these parties is the story of massive change,” says Sam Rosenfeld, a Colgate University political scientist. “It takes time, but hard work is rewarded.”