Green Party of the United States

Theresa El -Amin, Mike Feinstein, Farheen Hakeem, Julie Jacobson, Jason Nabewaniec, David beach, Craig Thorsen

Suite 404 Washington, DC 20009

(May 2006)

The Green Party of the United States is the Green Party in the United States of America. She was known primarily for Ralph Nader's candidacy for the presidential elections of 1996 and 2000 internationally. In the 2000 presidential campaign of consumer advocate Nader and the Green Party of documentary filmmaker Michael Moore were supported.

Introduction

The Greens are among the so-called third parties. Besides the two major parties ( Democrats and Republicans ) are among those more or less regionally significant parties nor the Constitution Party, the Libertarian Party and the Reform Party.

There are two organizations of the Green Party in the USA: First, the Green Party of the United States ( often abbreviated GPUS ), which is officially recognized by the Party Committee of the Federal Election Commission. Second, the much smaller Greens / Green Party USA (usually G / GPUSA abbreviated ). Both organizations share common values ​​and have common origins, but their structures and political platforms are different.

Unlike most other green parties worldwide, representatives of the Green Party of the United States almost exclusively to some success in local elections. Once again, most candidates have achieved as an independent candidate offices. The " highest ranking " green incumbent was John Eder 2002 to 2006. He was a member of the Parliament of the State of Maine.

The Party has 335,000 registered members. The Greens are in favor of decentralization and more local autonomy, which is consistent with their self -image as a grassroots party with a flat hierarchy.

Ten basic principles

Include the 10 " Key Values" of the U.S. Open and extend the " four pillars of the Green Party ," which originated in Europe and are accepted by green parties worldwide. The Global Greens Charter ( Global Greens Charter), which was signed in 2001 by Australia most green parties, in turn, is based " four pillars" on the 10 " Key Values" and the, but was reduced to 6 principles.

History

1995-1999

At a meeting of various green organizations in Albuquerque, New Mexico 1995, the proposal was accepted, set up a candidate in 40 states. They persuaded Ralph Nader, to compete for the Green Party in the primaries in California. He also thought about it, to compete in primaries in other states, but was able to drive by his limited budget to $ 5000 only a limited campaign. He chose Winona LaDuke as his Vice Presidential candidate. In choosing both were in 21 states on the ballot and received 685 128 votes ( 0.7%).

In the aftermath of the election were representatives of 13 green parties in the various states of the Association of State Green Parties ( ASGP ). Although the ASGP still more focused on thematic activities began, increasingly, around the candidacy of Green to care for offices. In the years 1997 to 1999, more and more local and state green parties and groups founded. Many of them the ASGP or the Greens / Green Party USA (G / GPUSA ) followed.

2000 presidential elections

In 2000, the Greens presented again Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke to be candidates for President or Vice President. This time they were in 44 states on the ballot and received 2,882,897 votes ( 2.7%).

During the election campaign in 2000 an agreement with the G / GPUSA was taken to the party structures to the effect agreed that the ASGP longer limited to electoral politics, while the G / GPUSA should focus on thematic activities. The so-called "Boston proposal " was adopted by members of the ASGP at the next party congress, while he was no majority party in the Congress of the G / GPUSA. There, the vote was even to the split in the party, in which several prominent members leaked and later founded The Green Alliance. The ASGP subsequently changed its name to the present form "Green Party of the United States " and took over the majority of the remaining former G / GPUSA members. You then were given the status as the official " National Committee of the Green Party" awarded by the Federal Election Committee. Today the G / GPUSA exists as a small splinter party, led by some opponents of the "Boston proposal ". They call themselves no longer as a party, but as a national non-profit organization.

2001-2003

In 2002, the first Green MP was elected to a parliament with the election of John Eder in the House of Representatives from Maine. ( With Audie Bock was indeed already voted in California a Green in a parliament, but she resigned from the Green Party and joined the Democrats. ) Eder party name on the ballot was "Green Independent" because he was the " Maine Green Independent Party " belonged. 2004 Eder was re-elected, although a re-division of electoral districts endangered his re-election.

In the spring of 2003, prior to the elections of 2004, started a heated debate on the strategy of the Party for the presidential election. Democrats, liberal activists and journalists advised and tried to convince the party, not again to support Ralph Nader as a candidate to closed as possible to gather the liberal electorate behind the Democratic candidate and not split up over several candidates.

In response published the vice- chairman of the party, Ben Manski, with the support of a broad nationwide cross-section of the open declaration " Green & Growing: 2004 in Perspective ". The 158 signatories declared: " We believe it is vital to have an energetic presidential campaign. " As the main reason they introduced the need to gain access to the vote and confidence for the Green Party to define the Green Party as an independent party and to the failure of the Democratic Party in whose policies can criticize.

Other prominent Green, among them Ted Glick and his " A Green Party Safe States Strategy", called on the party to pursue a strategy of avoiding the " swing states ". That would mean their own campaign to focus on states in which one of the two major parties in the opinion polls had a relatively safe projection, ie the so-called " safe states". Democrats or Republicans would their campaign therefore, focus on the so-called " swing states ", ie uncertain states. The Greens thus saw in the " safe states" less danger of drowning in the campaign noise of the two major parties.

A third mediating "Smart States ' strategy of David Cobb and Dean Myerson looked to pursue a differentiated " state-by -state " strategy. It was based on eligibility in all states, further development of the party, " swing states " and other concerns.

2004 presidential election

On 24 December 2003 said Ralph Nader, that he would not try to stand as a candidate of the Green Party. In February 2004, however, he announced his intention to run for the presidency and for the support (rather than a nomination ) by the Greens and other so-called third parties for his presidential candidacy to gain. Several Green, among others, Peter Camejo and Lorna Salzmann, supported this project, Camejo later accepted the position as to stand Nader's Vice President (which did not lead to a break with the party).

On the "Green National Convention " on June 26, David Cobb was nominated Nader wanted against a not insignificant minority who do not own candidates in favor of supporting the candidacy. Cobb promised to focus on building the party. At his side Pat LaMarche was chosen as the vice presidential candidate. Cobb and Nader had different strategies: while Cobb wanted to concentrate on the " safe states" to avoid a Bush victory possible, Nader tried to compete in all states.

Several members were upset and called it "embarrassment " that Nader was not nominated, others found it more "daring " to have a presidential campaign with the relatively unknown David Cobb. Still others noted that the presidential elections should not be the focus of a grassroots party, the emphasis on local engagement. Many Green also argued that Ralph Nader's decision not to seek candidacy for the Green Party, could help the party to refute the widespread erroneous assumption that the Greens would operate a personality cult around Nader as the central figure.

The duo Cobb - LaMarche was in 28 of the 51 states on the ballot (for comparison: Nader for the Green Party 2000: 44), Nader - Camejo in 35 states. While Cobb was, for example in California and selectable Nader not, it was in New York the other way around. The election results were significantly worse than in 2000, ran for Nader for the Green Party. In 2000 he received 2.882 million votes. In 2004, Nader ( as an independent candidate, but with the Green Peter Camejo as Vice - candidates) 465 650 votes while Cobb / LaMarche received 119 859 votes. But many Greens were not because the Green Party had grown significantly in many parts of the country through the election campaign about the bad election results disappointed, both in the number of " affiliates " (ie, the independent Greens parties in each country ) and the number of the candidates for Congress, state parliaments and local authorities concerned.

The Greens are up to now disagree as to whether the strategy had finally played the dominant role in the nomination. Two supporters Camejo, Carol Miller and Forest Hill, wrote after the Congress several articles, including Rigged Convention, Divided Party, in which they described the election as undemocratic. Other Green Party members responded that the analysis of the two fundamental errors contained in the articles, which produced biased results. Such a response was developed by Greg Gerrit, the Secretary-General of the party, the self- published the book Green Party Tempest.

A lively debate about the party's position in one, as they see it: " defective electoral system ," joined the ranks of the green members.

Structure

The head of the party forms a seven - member body, the so-called " National Co - Chair" (comparable to the Party Council of Alliance 90/The Greens ). The belong to (as of December 2010): Theresa El -Amin, Mike Feinstein, Farheen Hakeem, Julie Jacobson, Jason Nabewaniec, David and Craig Thorsen beach. Together with the secretary and the treasurer of the party council is the " Steering Committee" ( Steering Committee ). They have been elected by the delegates. These in turn represent the affiliated member ( federal ) states the "Green National Committee ."

Geographical distribution and successes

The party has its numerically most supporters on the Pacific coast, the area of the Great Lakes and in the Northeast of the U.S., as is apparent from a review of selected green in a government office. California has 67 elected Green, but all stood as an independent candidate on the ballot. Nationally, there are 204 elected Green MP (in January 2004 ). Other states with lots of green MEPs Pennsylvania ( 27), Massachusetts ( 23) Maine ( 13) and Wisconsin ( 19). Wisconsin also has the highest per capita number of Green MEPs.

  • 2000 was Ralph Nader in his candidacy for the Green Party in California 405 722 votes (a total of 2.882 million he won ).
  • In the gubernatorial elections in California, the Green candidate Peter Camejo was in San Francisco more votes than the Republican candidate.
  • The Green Matt Gonzales, president of the "Board of Supervisors " in San Francisco, was defeated narrowly in the mayoral election in 2003 ( although such offices are staffed by formally independent candidates ).
  • Jason West, mayor of New Paltz, New York came to national prominence in 2004 when he closed one after the other 25 same-sex marriages.
  • John Eder, from 2002 to 2006 in the Parliament of Maine, was the highest Green Member of Parliament in the United States.
  • The Alaska Green Party has the highest per capita number of the countryside. It reached a vote share of 10% in the 2000 presidential elections.
  • The largest city in the United States with a Mayor of the Greens is Richmond ( California). There Gayle McLaughlin was elected in 2006 and 2009.
  • Richard Carroll was elected to the House of Representatives from Arkansas in 2008, but is registered with the Democratic Party since April 29, 2009.
  • Rebekah Kennedy in 2008 reached 20.6 % of the votes in the election to the U.S. Senate in Arkansas.

One problem, which will see the Greens ( as well as other third parties, and Small ) exposed, the more stringent requirements in order to be on the ballot. This has so far prevented the formation of a more significant amount of supporters or members in many states.

List of presidential candidates

List of party conventions ( National Convention / Congress)

Constitution Party (United States) Libertarian Party (United States) Grassroots democracy Social justice Voting system Governor (United States) Richmond, California Jill Stein Durham (North Carolina)
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