Citizens Party (United States)
The Citizens Party was a left-wing Green Party in the United States that existed from 1979 to 1987.
History
The Citizens Party was founded on 5 May 1979 in Washington, DC, as a collection of party liberal and left environmental activists. The foundation was initiated by the eco-socialists and professor of biology at Washington University in St. Louis Barry Commoner.
Content was the party for state control of multinational corporations, the nationalization of private oil companies, disarmament, limited price controls, the nuclear phase, higher social spending and increased economic democracy.
In the 1980 presidential election Barry Commoner ran as candidate of the party. Vice Presidential candidate was LaDonna Harris, an activist of the Comanches and wife of former Senator Fred R. Harris. A becoming known political advertisement on the radio began with Commoners words " Bullshit! Carter, Reagan and Anderson, it's all bullshit! " NBC refused to send the spot because of the use of the expletive, but Commoner reached with the Federal Communications Commission that the contribution had to be sent unprocessed. The campaign focused on the states of Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, California and Michigan. The party, among others, Ralph Nader, who should be 2000 presidential candidate of the Green Party was supported. Commoner only received 233 052 votes (0.27 %) in the presidential election. After all, this meant well ahead of Gus Hall (Communist Party, 44 933 votes) finished fifth among 21 candidates.
In the presidential elections in 1984 Sonia Johnson was the joint candidate of the Citizens Party, existing in Pennsylvania Consumer Party and the Peace and Freedom Party of California. Johnson had become known as the Mormon Church in 1979 it because of their support of the Equal Rights Amendment excommunicated. Your vice presidential candidate was Richard Walton, who was active later in the Green Party. Johnson received 72 161 votes (0.08 %) and thus ended up in fifth place. At the local level, the party against ( Vermont) was in Burlington prevail and some other communities.
The failure of the party is mainly attributed to the political system of the United States, the emergence of a " third party" at least at the national level almost excludes by a majority vote. In 1987, the Citizens Party was dissolved. However, their legacy had continued in the Green Party.