Compare/Contrast of Political Parties Essay

INDEPENDENT PARTY 1) Values and Beliefs -Protect the right to life of the innocent unborn; -Stop the undeclared wars which are daily costing American lives and billions of tax dollars; -Stop reckless spending, including foreign aid, and take care of America’s domestic needs -End debt financing of both Federal and State governments; -End the Federal income tax, and restore a tariff based revenue system; -Immediately terminate international trade agreements such as NAFTA, WTO, and the proposed FTAA, and stop sending high paying American jobs to foreign countries; -Reduce immigration, and stop all government subsidies to illegal aliens; no driver’s licenses for illegals; deport all illegal aliens; -Defend America’s moral values; keep God in the pledge of allegiance; -Support high standards in education, including encouragement of private schools and home schooling; -Stop the pillaging of consumers and taxpayers by the energy/utility monopolies; -Defend Second Amendment rights; -Restore a debt free, interest free money system; -Uphold traditional marriage and family values; 2)History of the Independents -California’s American Independent Party has been a ballot qualified political party since 1968. The American Independent Party, which now has some 300,000 registered members in California, is affiliated at the national level with the Constitution Party. -On July 8, 1967, formal organization of California’s American Independent Party was completed at a convention held in Bakersfield. â€Å"A new party is urgently needed today because the leaders of the two existing parties, Democrat and Republican, have deserted the principles and traditions of our nation’s founding fathers. Control of the government, under the domination of these two existing parties, has left the hands of the people our government was created to serve.† -In 1967, Gov. George C. Wallace of Alabama was on the move to run for President on a new party ticket. Wallace supporters greeted with enthusiasm the formation of the American Independent Party. -On August 3, 1968, the delegates to the state convention of the American Independent Party adopted the party’s first platform. This document held tremendous significance for A I P activists who had joined the new party because they wanted major changes in public policies. 3)Why Independent? -The American Independent Party has kept alive the best of the American principles which have largely been abandon by the Democrat and Republican parties.The American Independent Party has survived for over a quarter of a century because the party has had effective leaders, along with a popular platform, emphasizing respect for life, fiscal responsibility, a reduced role of government in people’s lives, reduction of the tax burden, control of crime, protection of American businesses, workers, and farmers from  unfair foreign competition, and an America first non-interventionist foreign policy. 4)Young Independents Today -Some have suggested that the American Independent Party may be out of step with young Americans whose views are alleged to be radically different from those of middle aged and older Americans. The commitment of Young Americans to the country’s traditional moral, political, and economic values, however, remains comparable to that of other age groups. -The future of the American Independent Party is assured by a market for its views among young Americans who do not have years of commitment to the dominant parties. Today, the political climate in America is changing. The people are looking for new voices, new choices, new vehicles for political expression. The people are looking to the American Independent Party for leadership. POPULIST PARTY 1)History -delegates adopted the platform of the People’s party also called the Populist party -the populists represented a grand coalition of farmers, laborers, and reformers, which aimed to put government back into the hands of the people -populist leaders were diverse and colorful -the populists chose their candidates amid calls for restricted immigration and a shorter workday for industrial laborers. -the party also aimed to convince the government to allow the free coinage of silver, a measure that would make silver, not just gold, legal tender. -despite action by the farmers alliances and the grangers the plight of thousands of farmers worsened. -the platform of the populist party called for extensive reforms -reformers believed that farmers and workers should be freed from the exploitative practices of banks and railroads and merchants -the populists gained 14 seats in congress, won 2 governorships, and received the largest number of popular votes cast for any third party in the 1800s -by the time of the 1896 election the populist party itself had declined but some of its ideas entered the mainstream -the continuing depression forced the democratic party into a more radical position on one key issue-unlimited coinage of silver -this stance led many populists to support the democratic candidate william jennings bryan of nebraska -populism began to decline -one factor limited populism’s strength in the south -peoples party failed to gain wide support in the south -the southern alliance advised its memebers to support major party candidates who favored agricultural interests -the underlying reason for the failure of populism in the south was the issue of white supremacy -the southern alliance feared that populism might lead to gains for african americans