Political parties
Some analysis and info on our current political landscape.
HistoryThe first president of the United States, George Washington, was not a member of any political party at the time of his election or throughout his tenure as president. Furthermore, he hoped that political parties would not be formed, fearing conflict and stagnation. Nevertheless, the beginnings of the American two-party system emerged from his immediate circle of advisers.First Party System
The First Party System of The United States featured the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party. The Federalist Party grew from Washington’s Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, who favored a strong central government. The Democratic-Republican Party was founded by James Madison and by Washington’s Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, who strongly opposed Hamilton’s agenda.
The Era of Good Feelings (1816-1824), marked the end of the First Party System. Political consequences of Federalist opposition to the War of 1812 as well as other factors first reduced the Federalist Party to merely local significance, and ultimately to total disappearance. The Era of Good Feelings thus marked a brief period in which only one party, the Democratic-Republican party, was significant at the Federal level.
Second Party System
In 1824,1828, The Second Party System saw a split of the Democratic-Republican Party into the Jacksonian Democrats, who grew into the modern Democratic Party, led by Andrew Jackson, and Henry Clay. The Democrats supported the primacy of the Presidency over the other branches of government. The Whigs, on the other hand, advocated the primacy of Congress over the Executive branch. Central political battles of this era were the Bank War and the Spoils system of federal patronage.
The 1850s saw the collapse of the Whig party, largely as a result of deaths in its leadership and a major intra-party split over slavery as a result of the Compromise of 1850. In addition, the fading of old economic issues removed many of the unifying forces holding the party together.
Third Party System
The Third Party System stretched from 1854 to the mid 1890s, and was characterized by the emergence of the anti-slavery Republican Party, which adopted many of the economic policies of the Whigs.
Fourth Party System
The Fourth Party System, 1896 to 1932, retained the same primary parties as the Third Party System, but saw major shifts in the central issues of debate. This period also corresponded to the Progressive Era. During changes brought about by industrialization, the Progressives advocated a wide range of economic, political, social, and moral reforms. Interestingly, purification of politics was a main Progressive goal, with many Progressives trying to expose and undercut political machines and bosses (which now appear to dominate once again within the Democrat Party). It’s also notable that they sought to exclude illiterates, and blacks from the vote. At the same time, woman suffrage was promoted to bring a “purer” female vote into the arena. They sought to cut back on immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe through devices like a literacy test. And finally, many of them supported prohibition. Significant changes enacted at the national levels included the income tax with the Sixteenth Amendment, direct election of Senators with the Seventeenth Amendment, Prohibition with the Eighteenth Amendment, and women’s suffrage through the Nineteenth Amendment, which was really the only good this to come of all this.
Fifth Party System
The Fifth Party System emerged with the New Deal Coalition beginning in 1933. Debate over whether it ended in the 1960s along with the New Deal Coalition, in the mid 1990′s, or continues until today has been rather foolish considering it encompasses every socialist, communist, and other left wing party’s that continue to exist today.The New Deal coalition was the alignment of interest groups and voting blocs (otherwise known as class warfare which uses a divide an conquer approach remnisent of communist tactics) that supported the New Deal and voted for Democratic presidential candidates from 1932 until approximately 1968, which made the Democratic Party the majority party during that period, losing only to Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956. Franklin D. Roosevelt created a coalition that included the Democratic party, big city machines, labor unions, minorities (racial, ethnic and religious), liberal farm groups, intellectuals, and the white South (the truth be told, those white in the south that are primarily racist). The coalition fell apart in 1968, but it remains the model that party activists seek to replicate. Interestingly today, a portion of the black population has found it’s way into a new coalition through black communism and the efforts by such groups like the black panther parties, ie DSA, New Party, and others.Starting in the 1930s, the term “liberal” was used in U.S. politics to indicate supporters of the coalition, while “conservative” denoted its opponents.Roosevelt had a magnetic appeal to city dwellers, especially the poorer minorities who got recognition, unions, and relief jobs. Many Taxpayers, small business and the middle class voted for Roosevelt in 1936, but turned sharply against him after the recession of 1937-38 seemed to belie his promises of recovery. Major interevention by his Federal government policies, in the short term seemed appealing to those desparate for relief from depression, but in the long term only prolonged and exasperated the problems. The depression consisted of 4 recessions in contrast to every decade since consisting of only 2 recessions and a hard look at the conditions of today indicates we may be repeating the same mistakes while re-constituting some of the same failed policies under the leadership of President Obama and the 110th and 111th Congress.Roosevelt discovered an entirely new use for city machines in his reelection campaigns. Traditionally, local bosses minimized turnout so as to guarantee reliable control of their wards and legislative districts. To carry the electoral college, however, Roosevelt needed massive majorities in the largest cities to overcome the hostility of suburbs and towns. With Postmaster General James A. Farley and WPA administrator Harry Hopkins cutting deals with state and local Democratic officials, Roosevelt used federal discretionary spending, especially the Works Progress Administration (1935-1942) as a national political machine. Men on relief could get WPA jobs regardless of their politics, but hundreds of thousands of supervisory jobs were given to local Democratic machines. The 3.5 million voters on relief payrolls during the 1936 election cast 82% percent of their ballots for Roosevelt. The vibrant labor unions, heavily based in the cities, likewise did their utmost for their benefactor, voting 80% for him, as did Irish, Italian and Jewish voters. In all, the nation’s 106 cities over 100,000 population voted 70% for FDR in 1936, compared to 59% elsewhere. Roosevelt won reelection in 1940 thanks to the cities. In the North, the cities over 100,000 gave Roosevelt 60% of their votes, while the rest of the North favored Willkie by 52%. It was just enough to provide the critical electoral college margin.
The coalition fell apart in many ways. The first cause was lack of a leader of the stature of Roosevelt. The closest of course was Lyndon Johnson, who deliberately tried to reinvigorate the old coalition. During the 1960s, new issues such as civil rights, the Vietnam War, affirmative action, and large-scale urban riots tended to split the coalition. Meanwhile, Republicans made major gains by promising lower taxes and control of crime.
The big-city machines faded away in the 1940s, with a few exceptions, especially Albany and Chicago. Local Democrats in most cities were heavily dependent on the WPA (Works Progress Administration) for patronage; when it ended in 1943 there was full employment and no replacement job source was created. Furthermore, World War II brought such a surge of prosperity that the relief mechanism of the WPA, CCC, etc. was no longer needed. Labor unions crested in size and power in the 1950s, and although they have since declined, as they should – having been replaced with labor laws, they continue into the 21st century as major backers of the Democrats.
Modern U.S. Political Party System as of 12/6/07.
Registered Democrats, Republicans and independents in millions as of 2004. Third party membership is too small to show; in millions, major third party memberships are: Constitution Party, .37; Green Party, .31; Libertarian Party, .2The modern political party system in the United States is a two-party system dominated by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. These two parties have won every United States presidential election since 1852 and have controlled the United States Congress since at least 1856. Several other third parties from time to time achieve relatively minor representation at the national and state levels.
Democratic Party
The Democratic Party, since the division of the Republican Party in the election of 1912, has consistently positioned itself to the left of the Republican Party in economic as well as social matters. The economically left-leaning philosophy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, which has strongly influenced American liberalism, has shaped much of the party’s economic agenda since 1932. Roosevelt’s New Deal coalition usually controlled the national government until the 1970s. The civil rights movement of the 1960s has continued to inspire the party’s liberal principles although their principles today are quite convoluted as is their history on this matter.
In 2004, it was the largest political party, with 72 million voters (42.6% of 169 million registered) claiming affiliation. The president of the United States, Barack Obama, is a Democrat, and since the 2006 midterm elections, the Democratic Party is the majority party for the 110th Congress. The party holds an outright majority in the House of Representatives and the United States Senate. Democrats also hold a majority of state governorships and control a plurality of state legislatures, and as a result today we clearly have a runaway government. The super majority the democrats have gained conitnues to sap more and more power away from the people and often acts in disregard for their wishes. With regard the internal politics and structure within, through fusion voting and similar tactics, the Democrat party today is not controlled by the mainstream of it’s members but rather a coalition of the leftist (liberal) groups therein.
Republican Party
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America. It is often referred to as the Grand Old Party or the GOP.
Founded in 1854 by anti-slavery expansion activists and modernizers, the Republican Party rose to prominence with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president. The party presided over the American Civil War and Reconstruction and was harried by internal factions and scandals toward the end of the 19th century. Today, the Republican Party supports a conservative platform (as far as American politics are concerned), with further foundations in economic liberalism (old liberalism-free market principles), fiscal conservatism, and social conservatism.
Former President George W. Bush is the 19th Republican to hold that office. While holding two terms President Bush enjoyed a majority in Congress until 2006 when the 110th congress took over, however at no time did he hold a super majority as the Democrats do today. Republicans currently fill a minority of seats in both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, hold a minority of state governorships, and control a minority of state legislatures. The party’s nominee for the 2008 presidential election was Senator John McCain who of course lost his bid. It is currently the second largest party with 55 million registered members, encompassing roughly one third of the electorate.
Major Third Party
Constitution Party
The Constitution Party is a conservative United States political party. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers Party in 1992. The party’s official name was changed to the Constitution Party in 1999; however, some state affiliate parties are known under different names.
According to ballot access expert Richard Winger, the editor of Ballot Access News, who periodically compiles and analyzes voter registration statistics as reported by state voter agencies, it ranks third nationally amongst all United States political parties in registered voters, with 366,937 registered members as of November 2006.
The Constitution Party advocates a platform that claims to reflect the Founding Fathers‘ original intent of the U.S. Constitution, principles found in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and morals taken from the Bible.
In 2006, Rick Jore of Montana became the first Constitution Party candidate elected to a state-level office, though the Constitution Party of Montana had disaffiliated itself from the national party a short time before the election.
The Constitution Party’s 2008 presidential nominee was Chuck Baldwin.
Now having indicated those parties we support, look at what were up against with the many more that we do not:ESTABLISHED U.S. POLITICAL PARTIESDEMOCRATIC PARTY (DNC) – The Democrats regained control of the US House and US Senate in the 2006 elections, and of the White House in the 2008 elections (plus widened their congressional advantage). Democrats also control several key governorships (including PA, NY, MI, IL, VA, OH, NJ, NC, MO, CO, VA and WA) and many state legislatures. Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean tried a new “50-states strategy” approach to rebuilding the party since becoming DNC Chair in 2005, abandoning the old “targeted states” approach in favor of building a 50-state party organization (which proved largely successful, and was generally adopted by the Barack Obama campaign in 2008). While prominent Democrats run the wide gamut from the near Euro-style democratic-socialist left (Barbara Lee, Dennis Kucinich and the Congressional Progressive Caucus) and traditional liberals (Barack Obama, Russ Feingold, Nancy Pelosi) to the Dem center-right (Evan Bayh, Harry Reid and the NDN) to the GOP-style conservative right (Ben Nelson, Gene Taylor, Evan Bayh, and the Blue Dog Coalition) to the pragmatic Democratic Leadership Council’s “centrist” moderate-to-liberal style (Hillary Clinton, Mark Warner, Harold Ford Jr, Joe Biden). The Democrats swept into office in ’06 and ’08 include a combination of some vocal progressives on the left, some centrists, and a few quasi conservatives on the party’s right. The current Speaker of The House Nancy Pelosi, to whom we contend is the worst speaker in U.S. history, is to the far left of the party while the current Senate Leader Harry Reid can be described as Center-Left within the party.GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES – The Green Party — the informal US-affiliate of the leftist, environmentalist European Greens movement — is one of the two largest third parties in the nation. The party regularly fields candidates for local, state and federal offices in many states, and has established active state affiliate parties in nearly all 50 states. The Greens scored a major political points when it convinced prominent consumer advocate Ralph Nader to run as their first Presidential nominee in 1996. Spending just over $5,000, Nader was on the ballot in 22 states and carried over 700,000 votes (4th place – 0.8%). In 2000, Nader raised millions of dollars, mobilized leftist activists and grabbed national headlines with his anti-corporate campaign message. Nader ignored pleas from liberal Democrats that he abandon the race because he was siphoning essential votes away from Al Gore’s campaign — answering that Gore was not substantially different than Bush. In the end, Nader was on the ballot in 44 states and finished third with 2,878,000 votes (2.7%). More significantly, Nader missed the important 5% mark for the national vote, meaning the party remained ineligible for federal matching funds. Until 2001, the Greens were largely a collection of fairly autonomous state/local based political entities with only a weak (and sometimes splintered) national leadership structure that largely served to coordinate electoral activities. That faction — formerly named the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) — was the larger and more moderate of the two unrelated Green parties. The ASGP voted in 2001 to convert from an umbrella coordinating organization into a formal, unified national party organization. Nader made another run in 2004 — but ran as an Independent. Instead, Green Party General Counsel David Cobb of Texas won the Presidential nomination (ballot status in 29 states – 120,000 votes – 6th place – 0.1%). Cobb argued the party needed to nominate a candidate who openly belonged to the party (note: Nader had never joined) and was pledged to building the party at the local level. Cobb ran what was seen as a “safe-states” strategy — a controversial move whereby Cobb only made major efforts to gain votes in states where a strong Green showing would not compromise the ability of the Democratic nominee to defeat Bush in the state. Democrats appreciated the move, but it weakened Cobb’s message. For 2008, the Greens dumped the “safe states” strategy and instead tried to run a more aggressive campaign wherever possible. Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) joined the Greens in 2007, moved to California, and easily captured the Green nomination. In the 2008 election, McKinney was on the ballot in 32 states and garnered 161,0000 votes (6th place – 0.1%). Look for her to run again in 2012. Official Green Party links include: Green Pages (quarterly newspaper), Global Green Network, Green Party News Center, Campus Greens, Lavender Green Caucus, National Women’s Caucus, Disability Caucus, Coordinated Campaign Committee, and Green Party Election Results. The Green Party Platform sets forth the party’s official stances.
AMERICAN INDEPENDENT PARTY – Governor George C. Wallace (D-AL) founded the AIP and ran as the its first Presidential nominee in 1968 running on an anti-racial integration platform. Wallace returned to the Democratic Party by 1970. The 1976 AIP Presidential nominee was former Georgia Governor Lester Maddox, an unrepentant segregationist. The AIP last fielded its own national Presidential candidate in 1980, when they nominated white supremacist ex-Congressman John Rarick (D-LA).
AMERICAN NAZI PARTY – Exactly what the name implies … these are a bunch of uniformed, swastika-wearing Nazis! This party is a combination of fascists, Aryan Nations-type folks, “White Power” racist skinheads and others on the ultra-radical political fringe. As a political party, the American Nazi Party has not fielded a Presidential candidate since Lincoln Rockwell ran as a write-in candidate in 1964 (he was murdered in 1967 by a disgruntled ANP member) — nor any other candidate for other offices since the mid-1970s (although a loosely affiliated candidate ran for Congress in Illinois in a Democratic primary in 2000). The ANP believes in establishing an Aryan Republic where only “White persons of unmixed, non-Semitic, European descent” can hold citizenship. They support the immediate removal of “Jews and non-whites out of all positions of government and civil service — and eventually out of the country altogether.” This miniscule party — while purportedly denouncing violence and illegal acts — blends left-wing economic socialism, social fascism, hate and strong totalitarian sentiments.
AMERICAN REFORM PARTY – The ARP, formerly known as the National Reform Party Committee, splintered away from Ross Perot’s Reform Party in 1997. In 1998, the ARP fielded some candidates for state and federal offices in “Reform Party” primaries against candidates backed by Perot’s Reform Party with mixed results. The ARP soon shifted left and opted to “endorse” (but not co-nominate) Green Party Presidential nominee. Since then, the ARP has become virtually invisible on the political scene — fielding only four state/local candidates nationwide in 2002 (plus co-endorsing several other third party candidates) and no Presidential candidate in 2004 and 2008. Instead, the party spent the past few years involved defending lawsuits filed by a faction which lost control of the ARP several years ago.
COMMUNIST PARTY USA – The CPUSA, once the slavish propaganda tool and spy network for the Soviet Central Committee, experienced a forced transformation in recent years. Highly classified Soviet Politburo records, made public after the fall of Soviet communism in the 1990s, revealed the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) illegally funneled millions of dollars to the CPUSA to finance its activities from the 1920s to the 1980s. The flow of Soviet dollars to the CPUSA came to an abrupt halt when the Soviet communists were ousted from power in 1991 — ultimately causing a retooling of CPUSA activities. Founded in 1924, the CPUSA reached its peak vote total in 1932 with nominee William Z. Foster (102,000 votes – 4th place). The last national CPUSA ticket — headed by Stalinist Gus Hall and 60s radical activist Angela Davis — was fielded in 1984 (36,000 votes – 8th place). While the party has not directly run any candidates since the late 1980s, the CPUSA sometimes backs some candidates in various local elections (often in Northeastern industrial communities) and engages in grassroots political and labor union organizing. As for issues, the CPUSA calls for free universal health care, elimination of the federal income tax on people earning under $60,000 a year, free college education, drastic cuts in military spending, “massive” public works programs, the outlawing of “scabs and union busting,” abolition of corporate monopolies, public ownership of energy and basic industries, huge tax hikes for corporations and the wealthy, and various other programs designed to “beat the power of the capitalist class … [and promote] anti-imperialist freedom struggles around the world.” The CPUSA’s underlying Marxist ideology hasn’t evolved much over the years, but the party’s tactics underwent a major shift (somewhat reminiscent of those used by the CPUSA in the late 1930s). After the death of Hall in 2000, Gorbachev-style “democratic reform communist” activist Sam Webb assumed leadership of the CPUSA. Under Webb’s leadership, the CPUSA now touts a platform of democratic socialism and trade unionism. Related CPUSA websites include the People’s Weekly World party newspaper, Political Affairs monthly party magazine, and the Young Communists League youth organization.
FREEDOM SOCIALIST PARTY / RADICAL WOMEN – The FSP was formed in 1966 by a splinter group of dissident feminist Trotskyites who broke away from the Socialist Workers Party to create a new party in the “tradition of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky.” That’s the reason they also refer to their entity as “Radical Women.” The FSP describe themselves as a “revolutionary, socialist feminist organization, dedicated to the replacement of capitalist rule by a genuine workers’ democracy that will guarantee full economic, social, political, and legal equality to women, people of color, gays, and all who are exploited, oppressed, and repelled by the profit system and its offshoot — imperialism.” The FSP has party organizations in the US, Canada and Australia. The FSP occasionally fields a handful of local candidates in Washington, California and New York (often in non-partisan elections) — but has never fielded a Presidential candidate. Related FSP links include the Freedom Socialist newspaper and Red Letter Press (book publishers).
THE GREENS/GREEN PARTY USA (G/GPUSA) – When people talk about “the Green Party” in the US, they are likely NOT talking about this entity. The G/GPUSA is the older, very much smaller, and more stridently leftist of the two Green parties. While the GPUSA also nominated Nader for President back in 2000, Nader rejected the G/GPUSA nomination (while embracing the other Green party, listed above). Prominent Nader campaign strategist Jim Hightower described the two Green factions as follows in 2001: “There are two Green party organizations — the [Green Party of the US] whose nomination Ralph accepted and the much smaller one [G/GPUSA] … on the fringes … [with] all sorts of damned-near-communistic ideas.” Some in the G/GPUSA protested that Hightower’s comments were a bit unfair — but read the G/GPUSA 2000 Platform (which remains the current G/GPUSA platform) and decide for yourself. The G/GPUSA largely emphasizes direct action tactics over traditional electoral politics. A majorty of the G/GPUSA delegates and large number of party activists quit the group and bolted to the larger Green Party of the US in 2001 (forming an informal leftist caucus within the Green Party). The small splinter group remaining within the G/GPUSA are more dogmatically Marxist. The G/GPUSA maintain formal local affiliates only Chicago, St. Louis and Philadelphia. The G/GPUSA has fielded a few state and federal candidates over the years — often running them in Green primaries against candidates affiliated with the larger Green Party of the US. Related G/GPUSA links include Synthesis/Regeneration (party magazine), and Green Politics (quarterly newspaper).
LABOR PARTY – The Labor Party is a liberal entity created in 1996 by a sizable group of labor unions including the United Mine Workers, the Longshoremen, American Federation of Government Employees, California Nurses Association and other labor union locals. The party explains it was formed because “on issues most important to working people -– trade, health care, and the rights to organize, bargain and strike -– both the Democrats and Republicans have failed working people.” Ideologically, they seem close to the style of the late, labor-friendly US Senator Scoop Jackson wing of the Democratic Party circa 1960s. The party seems closely aligned ideologically with the New Party. The Labor Party has adopted a policy of “running candidates for positions where they can help enact and enforce laws and policies to benefit the working class and where we can best advance the goals and priorities of the Labor Party.” The party also gets involved in local and state ballot initiatives. The Labor Party holds national conventions and seems to be making an efforts to revive itself as a forum for political debates. The Labor Party endorsed its first state and federal candidates in 1998 in Wyoming (“Green/Labor Alliance”) — and two more candidates in local races in California and Ohio in 2001 — but none during the 2002-2004 cycles. The party organized a state affiliate in South Carolina and attempted to gain ballot access for its candidates there in 2006. Labor Party rules do not allow the concept of endorsing “fusion” candidates from other parties, and they remain committed to only nominating candidates who actually belong to the Labor Party.
LIGHT PARTY – The Light Party is is a generally liberal party — falling somewhere between the Greens and New Age feel of the now defunct Natural Law Party — and seems strongly centered around of party founder “Da Vid, M.D., Wholistic Physician, Human Ecologist & Artist” (he was also a write-in candidate for President in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 amd 2008 — and seems to be the only visible leader of the party). This San Francisco-based party’s platform promotes holistic medicine, national health insurance, organic foods, solar energy, nuclear disarmament and a flat tax. Da Vid claims the party has “millions” of supporters — but he counts everyone who supports any position advocated by the party. The party does not seriously seek to elect candidates but advance an agenda. Not that it has anything to do with politics, but the party does sell a nice CD of relaxing New Age music.
NATIONAL SOCIALIST MOVEMENT – The NSM is yet another of the many odious splinter parties seemingly created in recent years from the remnants of the old American Nazi Party of the early 1960s . “We co-operate and work with many like minded white nationalist groups such as the KKK (Ku Klux Klan), Aryan Skinheads, the Racial Nationalist Party of America and many others which are either neo Nazi or at least, racially aware of our Aryan Heritage,” explains the NSM website. The NSM claims to be the largest Nazi party in the US (but so does every other neo-Nazi splinter group). The NSM fielded its first candidate — write-in Presidential hopeful Brian Holland — in 2008. Jeff Schoep is the Commander of the NSM and boasts that Hitler is his role model. Like the other neo-Nazi groups, the NSM members march around in uniforms styled to resemble to Nazi SA brownshirts of the 1930s. The NSM vows to expel all non-Whites, Jews and gays from the US. “The leaders of the movement promise to work ruthlessly — if need be to sacrifice their very lives — to translate this program into action,” vows the NSM website. The NSM saw extensive factional in-fighting caused by their involvement in the 2008 elections (one faction was aligned with official NSM candidate Brian Holland, and the other faction backed rival write-in candiate John Bowles).
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NATURAL LAW PARTY – The Natural Law Party was a New Age entity founded and run by followers of the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (the founder of the TM movement a movement that some have labeled as a cult). The NLP under the slogan“Bringing the light of science into politics” and using colorful imagery advocated holistic approaches, Transcendental Meditation (TM), “yogic flying,” and other peaceful “New Age” and “scientific” remedies for much of our national and international problems. The party ran nuclear physicist John Hagelin as the NLP Presidential nominee in 1992 (ballot status in 32 stares – 39,000 votes – 0.04%), 1996 (ballot status in 44 states – 7th place – 110,000 votes – 0.1%) and 2000 (ballot status in 39 stares – 7th place – 83,000 votes – 0.08%). The NLP also made a failed bid to capture control of the Reform Party in the course of the 2000 campaign. The NLP also made a brief grab for control of the Green Party, but that effort quickly fizzled. In 2002, the NLP tried a new strategy of stealthy infiltration by running NLP activists as candidates under various party labels including Democratic, Republican, Green and Libertarian. In 2003, the NLP endorsed the Presidential candidacy of Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich. Unexpectedly, the NLP suddenly shuttered its doors in mid-2004 and announced it was disolved as a national party (just as it did with the other NLP entities around the globe). However and the reason the NLP remains posted here is that the NLP cut loose their various state affiliate parties to decide individually whether they also wished to disband or continue to function as independent state parties. It appears a few state NLP groups are still functioning, with the Ohio NLP remaining the most active one. The Michigan NLP is semi-active and also retains ballot status. The former NLP now advocates something they call the US Peace Government.
NEW UNION PARTY – Founded in 1980 by defectors from the Socialist Labor Party, this DeLeonist militant democratic socialist party “advocates political and social revolution” but denounces violence and is “committed to lawful activities to overthrow the capitalist economic system.” The NUP fielded its first candidates in 1980 and ran party leader Jeff Miller as a US Senate candidate in Minnesota in 2006 but ran very few candidates during the years in between. The latest version of the NUP website (2008) is devoted entirely to launching the “Campaign for A Working Democracy” which vows to create a formal new political party once they enroll 5,000 members. Presumably, this signals a future name change for the NUP.–>PARTY FOR SOCIALISM AND LIBERATION – The Party of Socialism & Liberation (PSL) is a revolutionary Marxist party created “to be a vehicle for the multinational working class in the struggle for socialism … Only a multinational party can create the unity necessary to defeat the most powerful capitalist class the world has ever seen … We aim for revolution in the United States.” Additionally, the PSL explains that “the most crucial requirement for [PSL] membership is the dedication to undertake this most important and most necessary of all tasks: building a new revolutionary workers party in the heart of world imperialism.” The PSL was founded in 2006 by a breakaway faction of the communist revolutionary wing of the Workers World Party. The PSL espouses a pro-Cuba/pro-China view, and the iconic Che Guevarra’s call for continual world revolution against capitalism. The PSL fielded its first candidates in 2008: a Presidential ticket and Congressional candidates. Presidential nominee Gloria LaRiva was on the ballot in 12 states in 2008 and captured 6,808 votes (11th place – 0.005%). The PSL also sponsors and/or directs numerous popular front groups including International ANSWER, International Action Center, Bail Out the People Network, Stop War on Iran, Troops Out Now Coalition, May 1st Coalition for Worker and Immigrant Rights, and many others. Other related PSL websites include: VotePSL.org (party campaign site); Liberation (party newspaper) and Socialism and Liberation (party magazine).
PEACE AND FREEDOM PARTY – Founded in the 1960s as a left-wing party opposed to the Vietnam War, the party reached its peak of support in 1968 when it nominated Black Panther leader Eldridge Cleaver for President. Although a convicted felon and odious personality, Cleaver carried nearly 37,000 votes (ironically, Cleaver ultimately became a Reagan Republican in the early 1980s, and was later a crack cocaine addict in the late 1980s, before emerging as an environmental activist in the late 1990s). Famed “baby doctor” Benjamin Spock — a leftist and staunch opponent of the Vietnam War — was the PFP Presidential nominee in 1972. Since then, the small party has largely been dominated by battling factions of Marxist-Leninists (aligned with the Workers World Party), Trotskyists and socialist democrats. The PFP today is small, with activities largely centered only in California. In 1996, the PFP successfully blocked an attempt by the WWP to capture the PFP’s Presidential nomination (and a California ballot spot) for their party’s nominee. In a sign of the party’s serious decline in support, the PFP’s poor showing in the 1998 statewide elections caused the party to lose its California ballot status. The PFP finally regained California ballot status in 2003 — and immediately fielded a sizable slate of candidates. Native American activist Leonard Peltier — an imprisoned cop killer (or innocent political prisoner, depending on your views) — was the PFP nominee for President in 2004 (ballot status in one state – 27,500 votes). In 2008, the party let consumer activist Ralph Nader use their California ballot line in support of his Independent run for President. In 2009, the party announced plans to try expanding into “a nationwide electoral party dedicated to socialism, feminism, democracy, environmentalism, and racial equality.”
SOCIAL DEMOCRATS, USA (“SOCIALIST PARY, USA”) – The SD-USA has only fielded candidates for local office, and has been only nominally active since the 1980s. The SD-USA is a small group more ideologically centrist, staunchly anti-communist leftists who were more directly aligned with the Democratic Party in the 1970s-1980s than the more traditionally leftist Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). In fact, the views of the SDUSA in 1972 caused the DSA (then named the DSOC) to splinter away in a ideological rift. The SD-USA refused to support George McGovern for President that year because of his opposition to the Vietnam War — versus the DSOC, which supported McGovern and an immediate end to the war. SDUSA also disputes the claims of DSA and SPUSA to be the true heirs to the legacy of Eugene Debs and Norman Thomas, claiming instead that the SD-USA “is the only legitimate successor” to the party of Debs and Thomas. When SD-USA starting referring to themselves in 2007 as the “Socialist Party of America” and “Socialist Party, USA”, the existing Socialist Party USA filed a trademark protection lawsuit against SD-USA (the lawsuit remains unresolved, when we last checked — but that is apparently the reason for the use of the comma in the name of this group’s party). The Socialist International stripped SD-USA of full member status in 2007, deeming SD-USA to be a defunct organization. The SD-USA remnant wich still functions is a mere shell of what it once was several decades ago.
SOCIALIST PARTY USA – The SPUSA are true democratic socialists — advocating left-wing electoral change versus militant revolutionary change. Many of the SP members could easily be members of the left-wing faction of the Democratic Party. Unlike most of the other political parties on this page with “Socialist” in their names, the SP has always been staunchly anti-communist. The original Socialist Party USA was founded by labor union leader, ex-Democratic elected official and pacifist Eugene V. Debs in 1900, the SP was once a mighty national third party. Debs himself was the SP nominee for president five times between 1900 and 1920. Debs received over 900,000 votes (6%) in 1912 — the SP’s best showing ever. Former minister and journalist Norman Thomas was the SP Presidential nominee 6 times between 1928 and 1948 — his best showing being 883,000 votes (2.2%) in 1932. The SP also elected congressmen, mayors and other officials throughout the 20th Century (largely during the 1910s through 1950s). The party withered and splintered so much that, by the last 1972, it barely existed. The Democratic Socialists of American and the Social Democrats USA –both linked above — are the other splinter groups from the original Debs/Thomas SP entity. Activists from the old SP reconstituted the party in 1976 and began to again field SP national tickets for the first time in over two decades. Peace activist and former SPUSA National Chairman David McReynolds was the party’s 2000 Presidential nominee, earning ballot status in seven states (7,746 votes – 8th place – 0.01% …plus a bunch more write-in votes in New York and other states where election officials refused to tabulate individual write-in votes). The 2000 showing was a far cry from the SP glory days, but a major improvement over the party’s 1996 showing. In 2004, former Democratic State Senator Walt Brown of Oregon was the SPUSA Presidential nominee. In 2008, progressive activist Brian Moore of Florida was the SPUSA nominee for President (ballot access in 8 states – 10th place – 7,315 votes). The party’s youth wing — the Young People’s Socialist League — has been in existence since the 1910s. Other SPUSA sites: Socialist National Committee / VoteSocialist.org and The Socialist WebZine.
SOCIALIST ACTION – Socialist Action is a Trotskyist political party of “revolutionary socialists” originally founded by expelled members of the Socialist Workers Party. While the SA shares the SWP’s pro-Castro views, the SA still tries to retain its Trotskyist ideological roots (versus the SWP, which has drifted away from Trotskyism towards a more Soviet communist ideology). The SA states that they “oppose the Democrats and Republicans, all capitalist political parties, and all capitalist governments and their representatives everywhere … [and] Stalinist and neo-Stalinist regimes from the ex-Soviet Union to China.” To date, this group of communists have fielded some local political candidates in San Francisco and a few other communities. Youth for Socialist Action is the youth wing of the party.
SOCIALIST EQUALITY PARTY – The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) was originally named the Workers League (WL). The WL was founded in 1966 as a Trotskyist communist group closely associated with the electoral campaigns of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). The goal of these Trotskyist groups was a build a working-class labor party in the US affiliated with the International Committee of the Fourth International (the global Trotskyist umbrella network). They believe that “the egalitarian and internationalist legacy of the Russian Revolution” could have succeeded, but was “betrayed by Stalinism” and its progeny. When the SWP drifted away from Trotskyism in the early 1980s, the WL broke with the SWP and began fielding its own candidates. The WL fielded its first Presidential ticket in 1984. The WL later renamed itself as the Socialist Equality Party in 1994. The Michigan-based SEP regularly fielded Congressional and local candidates in several states in the late 1980s and 1990s. 1996 SEP Presidential nominee Jerry White was on the ballot in only three states and captured just 2,400 votes. After 1996, the SEP failed to field any candidates for the next seven years. The SEP subsequently fielded a 2004 Presidential ticket and a few other candidates. The SEP is very realistic about its chances for success, acknowledging that they would “win only a limited number of votes.” To the SEP, a campaign is an opportunity to “present a socialist alternative to the demagogy and lies of the establishment parties and the mass media.” The SEP fielded only one write-in congressional candidate in 2006, and frequent SEP nominee Jerry White was the party’s write-in Presidential candidate in 2008 — and returned to the ballot in 2009 with a Detroit mayoral candidate. The SEP’s news site — the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) — is updated daily with articles, analysis, history, etc., written with a hardcore internationalist, Trotskyist perspective.
SOCIALIST LABOR PARTY – Founded in 1877, the SLP is a militant democratic socialist party. More moderate members of the SLP bolted to create the Socialist Party USA in 1901. The SLP ran Presidential tickets in every election between 1892 and 1976 (the SLP’s final presidential candidate won 9,600 votes in the 1976 race). The high cost of fielding a Presidential ticket and restrictive ballot access laws caused the SLP to abandon fielding Presidential tickets after 1976, and instead concentrates on nominating candidates for lower offices. The SLP — which bills itself as the party of “Marxism-DeLeonism” — still fields a few local candidates (mainly in New Jersey). The site features party history, info on Daniel DeLeon, a Marx-Engels archive, links and more. The SLP newspaper The People, first printed in 1891, also publishes regularly updated online editions.
SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY – Originally a pro-Trotsky faction within the Communist Party USA, the SWP was formed in 1938 after the CPUSA — acting on orders from Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin — expelled the American Trotskyites. The SWP was for many years the leading voice of Trotskyism in the USA. Since the 1980s, the SWP has drifted away from Trotskyism and moved towards the brand of authoritarian politics espoused by Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s style of Marxism (the SWP sites calls Castro’s Cuba “a shining example for all workers”). The SWP has run candidates for President in every election since 1948 — plus federal and local candidates in various states. Marxist political organizer James Harris was the SWP Presidential nominee in 1996 (ballot status in 11 states – 8,500 votes – 0.01%) and 2000 (ballot status in 14 states – 7,378 votes – 9th place – 0.01%). You can also read the SWP’s newspaper The Militant online. Marxist political organizer and journalist Róger Calero was the SWP Presidential nominee in 2004 (ballot status in 14 states – 10,791 votes – 9th place – 0.01%) even though he was constitutionally ineligible as a foreign citizen living in the US as a Permanent Resident alien. Calero’s ineligibility forced to party to field James Harris as a surrogate nominee in several of those states. The SWP again nominated Calero as their Presidential nominee in 2008 (ballot status in 10 states – 7,561 votes – 9th place – 0.01%).
U.S. PACIFIST PARTY – This tiny political party fielded a write-in candidate for President in 1996, 2000 and 2004, and a US Senate candidate in Colorado in 1998. In 2008, for the first time, the USPP Presidential nominee achieved ballot status in one state (110 votes). The USPP opposes military actions in all circumstances and wants to transform the US military into “a non-violent defense and humanitarian service corps.” The USPP platform advocates generally left-wing political stances and slashing the military budget to “zero.”
WORKERS WORLD PARTY – The WWP was formed in 1959 by a pro-Chinese communist faction that split from the Socialist Workers Party. Although the WWP theoretically supports worker revolutions, the WWP supported the Soviet actions that crushed worker uprisings in Hungary in the 1950s, Czechoslovakia in the 1960s and Poland in the early 1980s. The WWP was largely an issue-oriented revolutionary party until they fielded their first candidate for president in 1980. WWP Presidential nominee Monica Moorehead was on the ballot in 12 states in 1996 (29,100 votes – 0.03%) — and was again the WWP’s Presidential nominee in 2000 (ballot status in 4 states – 4,795 votes – 10th place – 0.004%). The militant WWP believes that “capitalist democracy produces nothing but hot air” and that “the power of the workers and the oppressed is in the streets, not in Washington.” FBI Director Louis Freeh attacked the WWP in his May 2001 remarks before a US Senate committee: “Anarchists and extremist socialist groups — many of which, such as the Workers World Party — have an international presence and, at times, also represent a potential threat in the United States” of rioting and street violence. The well-designed site features regularly updated news stories from a pro-Cuba/pro-China communist perspective, so expect lots of dogmatic stories denouncing the US government, sexism, racism, the police and capitalists. The revoltionary wing of the WWP broke away in 2006 to form the Party of Socialism & Liberation. While the WWP formerly sponsored or directed numerous popular front groups — including International ANSWER and the International Action Center — those groups all broke away and are now aligned instead with the rival PSL. As for the 2008 Presidential race, the WWP declined to field a Presidential slate and instead endorsed Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney. The WWP described McKinney’s campaign as “Black-led, anti-imperialist, working-class-centered and has a multinational radical base with the potential of unlimited growth.”
WORKING FAMILIES PARTY – The WFP, founded in 1998 by a coalition of labor unions, was for many years a one-state party which operated only in New York. During 2006-08, the WFP expanded by launching new chapters in a few other states. By 2008, the WFP obtained ballot access and nominated congressional candidates in New York, Connecticut and Oregon. The WFP essentially operates as a “fusion” party which co-nominates candidates of established parties. This fusion move allows WFP candidates — who are almost exclusively Democrats — to appear on a second ballot line in the same election. Fusion “gives voters a way to ‘vote their values’ without spoiling an election,” explain the WFP’s website. The WFP exists to advance a pro-labor union political agenda focused almost entirely on liberal economic and employment issues. The New Party — a fusion organization based in Illinois — is also closely aligned with the WFP and frequently co-endorses Democratic candidates.
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA – The DSA is the official US full member party of the Socialist International (which includes UK’s Labour Party, the French Parti Socialiste and nearly 140 other political parties around the globe). Unlike most other members of the Socialist International, the DSA never fields candidates for office. The DSA explains their mission as follows: “building progressive movements for social change while establishing an openly socialist presence in American communities and politics.” Thus, the DSA is less like a traditional US political party and much more like a political education and grassroots activism organization. DSA, Social Democrats USA and the Socialist Party USA each claim to be the one true heir to the ideological legacy of Eugene Debs and Norman Thomas (and DSA disputes the Socialist Party-USA’s claim to the title arguing it is a modern-era creation that simply appropriated the older name of the defunct party of Debs/Thomasy). The DSA — then named the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC) — split from the SD-USA in 1972 in a rift over the Vietnam War (SDUSA supported the war and opposed McGovern for President; DSOC supported McGovern and opposed the war). Official DSA affiliates include: Young Democratic Socialists, Democratic Left (magazine) and DSA Labor Network. (Note: The Social Democrats of Pennsylvania claim to be the DSA state affiliate — but DSA National Director Frank Llewellyn emailed Politics1: “There has never been a Pennsylvania state affiliate of DSA. An individual in Pennsylvania, for his own purposes, has spread this fantasy on several web sites.”)LIBERTARIAN NATIONAL SOCIALIST GREEN PARTY – Kinder, gentler Nazis? These Libertarian Green Nazis are either the strangest conglomeration of diametrically opposed political ideologies of a political party I have ever seen — orone of the most wry political practical jokes found anywhere. (I’m still not certain which conclusion is correct, but I strongly suspect the latter). This party purports to be comprised of atheist, peaceful, pro-gay, pro-drug legalization, anti-racist, environmentalist Nazis who acknowledge the Holocaust likely occurred (but are neutral as to its justification) and oppose the government sponsored killing of Jews, Christians, gays and the disabled. The LNSGP “rejects Judeo-Christian moral standards, victim mentality political behavior, capital-centric value systems, and authority.” While membership is open to anyone regardless of their race or sexual orientation, individuals who openly profess a belief in either Judaism or Christianity are denied party membership. Articles, platform, FAQ and graphics. Worth a visit — even if only to decide for yourself if this is a joke or if it is serious. In the past — and as an indicator that the LNSGP is probably a practical joke — the LNSGP’s site had sections dedeicated to claims of participation in a public service project named the “Jewish Community Brothership” (to “Communicate the modern interpretations of Nazism and its implications for Jews in today’s multicultural Reich”) and some links to very bizarre “news” articles (example: “Nazi Moon Bases Established in 1942″).PANSEXUAL PEACE PARTY – The PPP is a generally left-wing party that has yet to field any candidates — they don’t take themselves too seriously — and, oh yeah, and the PPP is founded on Wiccan (i.e., witchcraft) roots. Check out the PPP platform plank on sexual issues, which carries the title: “Sex is Good! Sex is Great! Yea, Sex!” The PPP site also contains a short but harsh anti-libertarian essay. To date, the PPP’s political activities seem confined to printing some PPP t-shirts and bumper stickers. Jimi Freidenker is the founder and “Chairentity” of the PPP.PROGRESSIVE LABOR PARTY – The PLP is a New York-based, militant, Stalinist-style communist party dedicated to bringing about a world-wide, armed, communist revolution. The party was formed in 1961 by members of the CPUSA who felt the Soviet Union had betrayed communism and become revisionist and state capitalist. Founders also felt the CPUSA had adopted unforgivable reformist positions such as “peaceful coexistence” with the US, turning to electoral politics, and hiding communist views behind a veneer of reform-oriented front groups. In the 1960s, the PLP heavily infiltrated the radical Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) group. Today, the PLP still abhors democracy, elections, freedom of nearly any sort, capitalism and religion — and praises dictator Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union as their role model. Because they denounce all elections as “frauds,” the PLP vows to never field any candidates for public office (for these guys, its either armed victory or nothing at all). Lots and lots of online ideological articles written in the typical dogmatic communist style … with titles like “The Hoax of the 1932-33 Ukraine Famine,” “Fascism Grows In The Auto Industry,” “The Road to Revolution.” Articles in English, Spanish, Russian, German, etc.REVOLUTIONARY COMMUNIST COMMUNIST PARTY USA – The RCP is based upon the teachings of the late Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong (Tse-tung) — a form of rigid communism derivative of Leninist-Stalinist Marxism. The party strongly denounces capitalism and advocates a “Marxist-Leninist-Maoist Programme” as “a battle plan for destroying the old and creating the new [and] is a kind of road map for how to win the revolution.” Even the RCP’s logo is consistent with the proletarian revolutionary theme (i.e., note the red flag flying from a rifle bayonet). The RCP clearly advocates change through revolution (and various popular front groups), not elections — so don’t look for any RCP candidates on the ballot. The RCP’s most visible activity is running several branches of a store called Revolution Books. RCP Chairman Bob Avakian and his writings also receive extensive coverage on the party’s official site. With Avakian currently hiding underground (he believes the US government is out to kill or jail him), Maoist activist C. Clark Kissinger seems to be running the day-to-day operations of the RCP. One prominent RCP popular front group is Refuse & Resist!
WORKERS PARTY, USA – The WP-USA is a hardcore Marxist-Leninist political party founded in 1992 by the late Michael Thorburn. The party was established to “bring the working class out as an independent class force.” The WP-USA shares much of the CPUSA’s ideology. While the WP-USA has yet to field any candidates, the Chicago-based party publishes a bi-weekly newspaper named The Worker and a quarterly theoretical journal named — not surprisingly — The Worker Magazine. The WP-USA site features an extensive on-line archive of dogmatic screeds largely denouncing “monopoly capitalists,” Western imperialism, the USA, etc. — and praising the working class and “revolutionary politics.” Thorburn’s Anti-Imperialist News Service (“assisting the people’s struggles against war and militarism”) is also affiliated with the WP-USA.
WORLD SOCIALIST PARTY OF THE USA – The WSP-USA are seemingly utopian Marxists. They believe true socialism can only work when it is established worldwide. They renounce violence, Soviet-style totalitarianism, money and all forms of leadership. They advocate a classless, “wageless, moneyless, free access society” without any national borders. They don’t run candidates nor endorse other socialist or left candidates as they believe a vote for ANY candidate under the current system is a vote in support of capitalism. Understanding that world socialism “has clearly not yet been established,” they believe that “democratically capturing the State through parliamentary elections is the safest, surest method for the working class to enable itself to establish socialism” — although they have yet to field any US candidates in the period to date since the international WSP was founded in 1904.
Liberal Party of New York is a minor American political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Its platform supports a standard set of center-left policies: it favors abortion rights, increased spending on education, and universal health care.
As of 2007, the Liberal Party’s most recent chairman was former New York City Parks Commissioner Henry Stern. Its most recent vice-chairman was Jack Olchin. Its executive director is Martin Oesterreich. Prior to Stern taking over as chairman in 2004, the Liberal Party’s longtime leader was Raymond Harding. The Liberal Party was founded in 1944 by George Counts as an alternative to the American Labor Party, which had been formed earlier as a vehicle for leftists uncomfortable with the Democratic Party to support Franklin D. Roosevelt. Despite enjoying some successes, the American Labor Party was tarred by the perceived influence of communists in its organization, which led David Dubinsky of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, Alex Rose of the Hat, Cap and Millinery Workers, and theologian Reinhold Niebuhr to leave in order to found the Liberal Party as an explicitly anti-communist alternative. In the 1944 elections, both the American Labor and Liberal parties supported Roosevelt for President, but by 1948 the two parties diverged, with the Liberals nominating Harry S. Truman and the American Labor Party nominating Progressive Party candidate Henry Wallace.
The Liberal Party was one of several minor parties that fulfill a role almost unique to New York State politics. New York law allows electoral fusion – a candidate can be the nominee of multiple parties and aggregate the votes received on all the different ballot lines. Several other states allow fusion, but only in New York is it commonly practiced. In fact, since each party is listed with its own line on New York ballots, multiple nominations mean that a candidate’s name can be listed several times on the ballot.
