Ain't No Party Like a Political Party!

Disclaimer: A Political Post

Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you who to vote for! I think America's political process is exciting, as are the debates and the reasons people vote the way they do. I was reading TIME magazine, which outlined how people vote - statistics and whatnot. It got me thinking and wondering - do we mostly vote the way we were raised to vote? Does the way we vote reflect where we live? Our economic status? Our religion? Our moral beliefs?

I will reveal that, until the 2004 election, I had never voted for a Democrat or Republican for president - I always voted for another political party, like Independent, Green, or Libertarian. Why? Because I tried to find the candidate who fit my beliefs about the issues, not just, as some voters have admitted, "The guy I'd most like to have a beer with."

I do not consider myself a Democrat or a Republican - I am not, nor will probably ever be, affiliated with a major political party. I am registered as "independent."

While we like to think of the U.S. as a place where anyone can become president, the U.S. is considered a two-party system, where two political parties dominate the system to the extent that getting elected under any other party is extremely difficult.

What do you think? What makes you vote the way you do? Do you fit in one of these categories?

Major Political Parties

The Socialist Party bases most of its philosophies on revising the system of capitalism (our current economic structure). Need to visit the hospital? Forget insurance. The Socialists believe in universal health care (a system practiced in many European countries), meaning that everyone can get medical coverage, no matter who they are and how much they make. Like the Greens, the Socialists also believe in preserving the environment by the use of other non-destructive forces, like solar energy and hydro power.

The Socialist Party strives to establish a radical democracy that places people's lives under their own control - a non-racist, classless, feminist socialist society... where working people own and control the means of production and distribution through democratically-controlled public agencies; where full employment is realized for everyone who wants to work; where workers have the right to form unions freely, and to strike and engage in other forms of job actions; and where the production of society is used for the benefit of all humanity, not for the private profit of a few.

Socialists believe socialism and democracy are one and indivisible. The working class is in a key and central position to fight back against the ruling capitalist class and its power. The working class is the major force worldwide that can lead the way to a socialist future - to a real radical democracy from below. The Socialist Party fights for progressive changes compatible with a socialist future. Socialists support militant working class struggles and electoral action, independent of the capitalist controlled two-party system, to present socialist alternatives. We strive for democratic revolutions - radical and fundamental changes in the structure and quality of economic, political, and personal relations - to abolish the power now exercised by the few who control great wealth and the government. The Socialist Party is a democratic, multi-tendency organization, with structure and practices visible and accessible to all members.

The Constitution Party was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party in 1992. It ranks third nationally amongst all U.S. political parties in registered voters, with 366,937 registered members as of November 2006. The Constitution Party advocates a platform which aims to reflect the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights.

Seven Principles of the Constitution Party are:

1. Life: For all human beings, from conception to natural death;


2. Liberty: Freedom of conscience and actions for the self-governed individual;


3. Family: One husband and one wife with their children as divinely instituted;


4. Property: Each individual's right to own and steward personal property without government burden;


5. Constitution: and Bill of Rights interpreted according to the actual intent of the Founding Fathers;


6. States' Rights: Everything not specifically delegated by the Constitution to the federal government is reserved for the state and local jurisdictions;


7. American Sovereignty: American government committed to the protection of the borders, trade, and common defense of Americans, and not entangled in foreign alliances.

The Republican Party is often considered "the Right" or "conservative" party, the Republican Party opposes gay marriage, high taxes and abortion (except in the case of rape, incest or problem pregnancies). Many republicans support harsher punishments for drug users, standardized testing within schools and a strong military force. The Republicans were among the first and strongest supporters of the war in Iraq. They also favor privatization of health care.

Founded in 1854 by anti-slavery expansion activists and modernizers, the Republican Party quickly surpassed the Whig Party as the principal opposition to the Democratic Party. Today, the party supports a neoconservative platform with further foundations in supply-side fiscal policies, partial government ownership of the financial industry, and social conservatism.

Republicans like to think of themselves as the conservative party—for small government, a strong national defense, and traditional moral values. The Republican party's beliefs include: a fiscally responsible government that allows “individuals to keep more of the money they earn” and the “best government is that which governs the least.” Translated—lower taxes and more laws decided at the state level. Small government means our federal government should only intervene on issues and laws outlined in the Constitution; otherwise, issues of public policy should be resolved at the state level.

The Libertarian Party is currently one of the largest third political party in the United States with 200,000 registered members. Libertarians are deeply supportive of the concept of individual liberty as a precondition for moral and stable societies. In their ''Statement of Principles,'' they declare: ''We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal rights of others to live in whatever manner they choose.'' To this end, Libertarians want to reduce the size of government (eliminating many of its current functions entirely).The party tends to favor minimally regulated economic markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration across borders, and non-interventionism in foreign policy with a respect for freedom of trade and travel to all foreign countries. Combing aspects of both popular parties, Libertarians tend to focus on reduced taxation, privatization of Social Security and welfare, reduced regulation of business, rollbacks of labor regulations, and reduction of government interference in foreign trade. They tend to support the unrestricted right to guns, abolishing laws against victimless crimes such as drug possession, prostitution and driving regulations.

The big issue that most Libertarians are known for is their love of guns. They take the second amendment very seriously and even refer to it as their "hot-button" issue for the 2004 election. The Libertarians like to stress the individual and believe that the government is too controlling and intrusive on many issues. They favor the privatization of certain services, such as health care and schooling. Sounds a little republican? While they do seem to have much in common, a couple of things separate these groups, such as the Libertarians' stance on the legalization of marijuana, abortion rights and gay marriage - they believe in the rights of the individual to make these decisions. In addition, the Libertarians believe morals are an individual's concern and should not be dictated by the government.

Key tenets of the Libertarian Party platform include the following:

• Adoption of laissez-faire principles which would reduce the state's role in the economy. This would include, among other things, markedly reduced taxation, privatization of Social Security and welfare (for individuals, as well as elimination of "corporate welfare"), markedly reduced regulation of business, rollbacks of labor regulations, and reduction of government interference in foreign trade.


• Protection of property rights.


• Minimal government bureaucracy. The Libertarian Party states that the government's responsibilities should be limited to the protection of individual rights from the initiation of force and fraud.


• Strong civil liberties positions, including privacy protection, freedom of speech, freedom of association, and sexual freedom.


• Opposition to civil rights laws that regulate the private sector, such as affirmative action and non-discrimination laws.


• Support for the unrestricted right to the means of self-defense (such as gun rights, the right to carry mace or pepper spray, etc).


• Abolition of laws against "victimless crimes" (such as prostitution, driving without a seat belt, use of controlled substances, fraternization, etc.).


• Opposition to regulations on how businesses should run themselves (e.g., smoking)


• A foreign policy of free trade and non-interventionism.


• Support for a fiscally responsible government including a hard currency (commodity-based money supply as opposed to fiat currency).


• Abolition of all forms of taxpayer-funded assistance (welfare, food stamps, public housing, Health care, etc.)

Libertarians state that their platform follows from the consistent application of their guiding principle: "mutual respect for rights." They are therefore deeply supportive of the concept of individual liberty as a precondition for moral and stable societies. In their "Statement of Principles," they declare: "We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose." To this end, Libertarians want to reduce the size of government (eliminating many of its current functions entirely).

The Democratic Party was originally known as "the party of the common man." Called "the Left" or "liberal" party, the Democrats have been linked to the middle class and receive a large percent of minority vote in elections. They are opposed to corporate tax breaks and focus more on providing public services. Mainly pro-choice, the party has strong support from many feminist groups, like Planned Parenthood and FMLA (Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance). Originally supportive of the war in Iraq, many democrats feel that the time has come to leave the Middle East and rebuild alliances with foreign nations. As for gay marriage, many dems are for gay unions--equal rights, but not exactly the same as marriage. The Democrats continue to focus their energy on working class America and hope to strengthen the middle class.

Since the 1890s, the Democratic Party has favored "liberal" positions (the term "liberal" in this sense describes social liberalism, not classical liberalism). In recent exit polls, the Democratic Party has had broad appeal across all socio-ethno-economic demographics. Historically, the party has favored farmers, laborers, labor unions, and religious and ethnic minorities; it has opposed unregulated business and finance, and favored progressive income taxes.

In recent decades, the party has adopted a centrist economic and more socially progressive agenda, with the voter base having shifted considerably. Once dominated by unionized labor and the working class, the Democratic base now consists of social liberals who tend to be well-educated as well as the socially more conservative working class. Today, Democrats advocate more social freedoms, affirmative action, balanced budget, and a free enterprise system tempered by government intervention (mixed economy). The party believes that government should play a role in alleviating poverty and social injustice, even if such requires a larger role for government and progressive taxation.

The Green Party was officially formed in 2001 after several state chapters of the Green Party came together. Their initial goal was to help the state politicians grow, however they burst onto the national scene when Ralph Nader was nominated and placed third in the 2000 presidential election. The defining position of the Greens is their dedication to environmental issues--hence the name "Green." They also believe in grassroots democracy, supporting local activism, smaller and independently owned business, abortion rights, as well as the restructuring of certain political institutions. Openly opposed to the war since the beginning, the Greens support the removal of the troops from Iraq immediately and if elected would support a decrease in military spending.

The Green Party of the United States emphasizes environmentalism, non-hierarchical participatory democracy, social justice, respect for diversity, peace and nonviolence. Their "Ten Key Values," which are described as non-authoritative guiding principles, are as follows:

1. Grassroots democracy


2. Social justice and equal opportunity


3. Ecological wisdom


4. Non-violence


5. Decentralization


6. Community-based economics and economic justice


7. Feminism and gender equity


8. Respect for diversity


9. Personal and global responsibility


10. Future focus and sustainability

I've taken several political quizzes to see where I fit. I've found that I usually fall somewhere between Libertarian and Socialist. While I do believe in a lot of the Libertarian platforms, I differ about gun control, their "hot button" issue.

Interested in quizzing yourself? Try one of these (I tried to only post quizzes that include other parties, not just the Big Two):

http://www.politicalcompass.org/index
You don't need to provide any personal information here, which is a bonus. This test shows where your political compass puts you on a spectrum, not which party you would fit. It showed that my political compass puts me right between Gandhi and the Dalai Lama. Wow!

http://quiz.myyearbook.com/myspace/PersonalityEmotion/390235/Which_Political_Party_Represents_You_Best.html This one pins me as Libertarian...

http://www.selectsmart.com/FREE/select.php?client=Smood
This very short quiz says I'm Green Party...

http://www.gurl.com/play/quizzes/pages/0,,647035,00.html
A good quiz, very girl-centric though. This one says I'm Socialist...