May our differences unite,
not separate us

• Intro
• Third Parties
• Analysis
• Prayer for Americans
• Peace Party
• Links

I believe more Americans should consider voting for third-party candidates in the 2008 presidential elections. Many people balk at this, believing that to do so is to throw their vote away. However, a look at the current major party candidates shows that to vote for any of them would be to throw your vote away: whichever one wins, we're not going to have a good president. The Republicrat mega-party will retain power. But by voting third party, you can help motivate political change in future elections.

The page gives you a simple and quick breakdown of the major third parties' platforms, free from ads and the other usual distracting clutter. I've selected the issues that seem most interesting to me, either because they are original, or because they give you a good idea of the party's orientation. For more information, links to the party websites and their platforms are supplied.

This was an educational experience for me. If you're interested in my own analysis, click here. My basic conclusion is that there are some good ideas floating around, but not necessarily all in any one party.

I've restricted the list here to only third parties likely to have 'viable' presidential candidates. There are many more third parties involved in state and local elections. You can find many of these listed here.

Contents:

• Constitution Party
• Green Party
• Libertarian Party
• Prohibition Party
• Socialist Party
• Reform Party
• Peace and Freedom Party

Constitution Party

Domestic

• 'Pro-Life' (No abortion)
• Abolish Congressional pensions
• Prohibit 'riders' on Congressional bills
• No military conscription (draft)
• Balance budget / reduce deficit
• Supports capital punishment
• Election reform: end special 'Major Party' status
• Repeal Endangered Species Act
• 'Pro gun'
• Moratorium on immigration
• State rights
• End federal income tax

• No deployment of troops without formal declaration of war
• Military priority on self-defense, not intervention
• Quit the United Nations
• End foreign aid

Green Party

Domestic

• Political reform based on grass-roots participation
• Campaign reform
• Alternative voting systems (proportional voting)
• Better mass transportation
• Corporate tax reform (better enforcement)
• Call for equal representation of women in Congress
• Abortion rights
• Social equality (minorities, gender-equality, sexual orientation, indigenous people, mentally ill)
• Remove religious symbols from public buildings
• Prosecute environmental crimes
• Increased domestic spending

• Reduce militarism
• Phase out foreign military bases
• Support U.N. contraception programs
• Demilitarization of space
• More U.N. involvement
• Fair solution to Israel & Palestine issue

Libertarian Party

Domestic

• Challenge the 'cult of the omnipotent state'
• Reduce the dominance of government
• End censorship and all communication control
• 'Pro-gun'
• No conscription ('draft')
• 'Pro choice'
• Repeal laws that define marriage, or which give special tax or other benefits based on marital status
• Balanced Budget Amendment
• End corporate welfare
• De-prioritize 'victimless' crimes; repeal all anti-drug use laws

• No military intervention
• Simpler, fairer, more transparent immigration policy

Prohibition Party

Domestic

• Balanced budget
• Reduced taxes
• Return to gold-standard currency
• End employment and educational quotas
• Right of the unborn; ban 'partial-birth' abortions
• School vouchers (let's parents choose schools; supports educational competition)
• Right to prayer and Bibles in public schools
• End the two-party 'duopoly'; reforms aimed to end suppression of independent and third-party candidates
• Farm aid
• Maintain anti-drug abuse laws
• Increase taxes on alcohol to offset social costs
• Alcoholic beverages under jurisdiction of FDA

• Reduce foreign involvement
• End non-humanitarian foreign aid
• No interference in sovereignty of other nations
• Reduce immigration

Socialist Party USA

Domestic

• Transformation of capitalism through compassion
• New social order oriented to workers and communities
• Collective ownership of 'productive resources'
• Strengthen unions
• 30-hour work week with no loss of pay
• $15/hr minimum wage
• Eliminate corporate welfare
• More support for arts, artists, culture
• Enhance school programs (more music, foreign languages, etc.)
• Mandate smaller class sizes
• Rent control
• Promote mass transit, bicycles
• Public ownership of airline & pharmaceutical industries
• Public ownership of energy resources
• Right to assisted suicide
• Abolish FBI
• Public campaign financing, including alternative parties
• Prison reform; end prison labor for private profit

• Immediate withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan
• Call for Israel's withdrawal from West Bank; end all U.S. aid to Israel
• Immediate 50% reduction of US military budget
• Pay debts to UN
• Constitutional amendment requiring binding vote of public before war
• Withdraw from international trade organizations (NAFTA, etc.)
• Cancel third-world debt
• De-militarize the US/Mexican border

Reform Party

Domestic

• Balance federal budget
• Reduce national debt
• End corporate welfare and special interest subsidies
• Reduce unnecessary federal programs
• Immigration reform (less immigration)
• Eliminate off-shore corporate tax havens
• Social security reform (encourage private accounts)
• Simplify tax system
• Term limits (2 terms Senate, 3 terms House)
• Environmental concern, sustainable lifestyle, alternative energy

• Reject use of military intervention and 'nation-builiding'
• More selective foreign aid (people-based, not corporate-based)

Peace and Freedom Party

Domestic

• Public ownership of industry and natural resources
• Right to work
• 30-hour work week, same pay
• minimum 4-weeks vacation
• End prison labor for private profit
• Right to strike (no replacement workers)
• Gender rights: equal pay for equal work
• Free abortion on demand
• 'Gay' rights: marriage, adoption, visitation privileges, etc.
• Improve environment with regional planning
• Community open spaces
• 'Massive' development of public transportation
• Tuition-free higher education available to all
• Rent control
• Public health care
• Election reform (proportional representation)
• Repeal sales tax

• No military intervention
• Stop arms exports
• Dissolve military pacts
• Abolish Selective Service System
• No weapons in space
• Open borders

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world" - Margaret Mead, Anthropologist

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." -- Goethe

(c) 2007-2008 John Uebersax PhD    email