All The Usual Suspects.....

Communist Party USA

Exactly what it sounds like. Founded in 1924, since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the infusion of funds, the party has had to fend for itself and cutback on many of its activities and goals.

Democratic National Committee

The Democratic Party controls roughly half of the government of the United States. You can see them and hear them on any given day. Contains a wide range of groups from what might be described as proto-socialist to pragmatic moderate liberals and centrists. Probably a little less fragmented than the Republican Party, with most individuals in the Democratic Party in agreement on basic issues.

Green Party of the United States of America

Left-of-center, the Green Party of the United States probably comes closet to being a viable third party -- or perhaps fourth, if you count the Libertarian Party. Inspired by the more successful Green Parties of Europe, the party derives its raison d'etre from the environmental movement, and ideas about grassroots democracy, social justice, peace and non-violence, and a sustainable world.

Green Party USA

A bit more vocal, a bit more left than the Green Party of the United States. It advocates many, if not most, of the same aims and goals as the Green Party of the United States, but is more left-leaning its ideology. Charges that it is Marxist are probably unfair and inaccurate.

Libertarian Party

"America's Third Party" and the Party of Principle are descriptions used by the Libertarians to describe themselves. Committed to: (1) individual liberty and personal responsibility, (2) a free-market economy of abundance and prosperity, and (3) a foreign policy of non-intervention, peace, and free trade, they have much in common with the Jeffersonian Republicans (NOT to be confused with modern Republicans, who would have caused Jefferson to run of Monticello, screaming into the night!). They believe in total individual liberty and, therefore, are for the legalization of drugs, prostitution, etc., as well as pro-choice, pro-gay, pro-firearm, pro-free trade, anti-regulation, anti-income tax, anti-welfare, and so forth. Often fielding candidates in local elections, the Libertarian Party has not been notably successful at higher levels of government.

Socialist Party USA

The Socialist Party is within the mainstream social democratic party tradition often seen in European countrys. Founded in 1900-1901 by labor leader Eugene V. Debs, it represented -- at one time -- a viable third party. It advocates change by ballot, rather than bullet, and often espouses pacifist positions. It is anti-communist in its ideology.

Socialist Labor Party of America

The Socialist Labor Party was founded in 1877 and has been more militant than the Socialist Party, which was created when moderates left and founded that party in 1900-1901. It last fielded a presidential candidate in 1976 --I remember the support in Madison Wisconsin, in my first year of graduate school there. Money and legal procedures, controlled by the incumbant parties, have made it difficult to field significant candidates since then.

Socialist Workers Party

Founded as a pro-Trotsky party, in 1938, it became Stalinist, and eventually, Fidelist. Fields candidates, including presidental candidates, on a regular basis.

Republican National Committee

Controls roughly one-half of the government of the United States. Pro-big business, pro-gun, pro-interventionist, anti-regulation, anti-tax, anti-abortion, anti-gay, anti-social welfare, and so forth. Since the days of Lincoln, a "lash-upped" party of a wide variety of interests, split now between (1) the Extreme Religious Right...represented by your favorite televangelists...and others such as Trent Lott, Jesse Helms (now gone), and John Ashcroft, with his scorn for personal liberties and his religiously motivated legal decisions, (2) Centrists ...represented by people like Richard M. Nixon, Nelson Rockerfeller, with their strong international outlook, more balanced approach to the environment, and belief in regulation and intervention in business and safety issues, (3) traditional conservatives such as Barry Goldwater, George Bush, Sr., George Wills, and William F. Buckley (4) moderates like Colin Powell and John McCain, (5) Libertarians looking for a bigger home, and (6) various odds-and-ends.

And Some Unusual Suspects, too...

Grassroots Party

The Grassroots Party originated as a Minnesota-based liberal party. It advocates the legalization of marijuana, promotes hemp farming and the establishment of a national system of universal health care. In ideology, it is very similar to the Greens -- but with a much stronger emphasis on marijuana/hemp legalization issues. Some sensible ideas, but hasn't done too well thus far.

Independence Party

Jesse Ventura's party. Describes itself as "Socially Inclusive and Fiscally Responsible." Like Ventura, the Independence Party is pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-medical marijuana, pro-gun rights and fiscally moderate. A party whose ideas appeal to many, but lacking Ventura's leadership, may fade away.

The Labor Party

Formed in 1996 by a number of important labor unions, it was formed because "on issues most important to working people -– trade, health care, and the rights to organize, bargain and strike." It also supports free higher education. Wow, what a concept. Maybe it will catch on....

Peace and Freedom Party

It orgins are in opposition to the Viet Nam War in the 1960s, but it has gone through several incarnations. Located largely in California, it is mostly ineffective.

Reform Party

Founded by Ross Perot in 1995, this party this group seems to hold generally libertarian social views. Has not accomplished much due to nasty internecine warfare, which is fun to watch.

U.S. Pacifist Party

I guess the title speaks for itself, but in case you don't get it, the party opposes military actions in all circumstances and wants to transform the US military into "a non-violent defense and humanitarian service corps." The USPP platform advocates generally left-wing political stances and slashing the military budget to "zero."

We The People Party

A politically centrist party, founded in 2000. Extremely tiny.

Workers World Party

Originally a splinter faction of the Socialist Labor Party, founded in 1959, by pro-Chinese Communist faction. Usually takes a pro-Castro/pro-Chinese stance. The FBI actually thinks they are a danger to the United States. So much for the Federal Bureau of Ineptitude.

Democratic Socialists of America

member party of the Socialist International, which includes Tony Blair's UK Labour Party, the French Parti Socialiste and nearly 140 other political parties around the world. A little more left than the Social Democrats USA, they would like to establish a strong socialist presence in American politics.

World Socialist Party of the United States

Marxist in ideology, but with a distinctly utopian slant. They reject violence, Soviet-style totalitarianism, money and all forms of leadership. They advocate a classless, "wageless, moneyless, free access society" without any national borders.

The Pail and Shovel Party

Founded in Madison Wisconsin, in 1978 by Jim Mallon and Leon Varjian, with the credo college was a time to have fun. They vowed to put Ogg Hall on rollerskates and move it around campus, flood Camp Randall for mock naval battles and have all the deans stuffed, not to mention bringing Miss Liberty to Madison (Hey, people! There is at least one picture of Miss Liberty on the ice of Lake Mendota with me in it!!! I am so proud!!!) One day the erected a giant penis on Bascom Hill and another day they covered the whole hill with pink flamingos. (I stole two...then someone stole them from me.) And I will never forget the Telephone Olympics, back before AT&T was forced to break up. And then there was the "Boom Box Parade"...I was walking down State Street toward the Graduate Research Libary, and here came Leon, in a drum majors uniform (sort of) with an entire band of boom-boxes right behind him playing in unison....more or less. What a sight to behold!!! See the slide show on their homepage. The party never has managed to field national candidates. Mallon produces Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Varjian teachs math in New Jersey. Come on guys! Run for president. It couldn't hurt.

And Some REALLY Unusual Suspects,...

American Falangist Party

A blend of facist ideology, nationalism, and conservative Christianity. Quote from another website: The AFP states they are "dedicated to the application of these ideas to the Americas." The AFP supports: abolishing the IRS and Federal Reserve System, returning to the silver standard for US dollars, ending "the materialistic, hedonistic, selfish and carnal emphasis" in US culture, "the unification of all the Countries in North, Central and South America into a Confederation of Falangist States," creating one mandatory net portal entrance for all X-rated web sites "so that parents only have to block one web address to prevent their children from viewing pornography or other objectionable material," banning all abortions and repealing gay rights laws, legalizing the right of US citizens "to own fully automatic assault weapons" and demanding the freedom of Falangist political prisoners being held captive in Syria.

America First Party

Pat Buchanan's schills. Need I say more? Founded in 2002. Reminds me -- vaguely -- of the nativist movements in the mid-1800s, along with an admixture of religious zealotry and various other isolationist and similar views. They sometimes ...sometimes...sound a bit sensible. Why am I scared by that?

The American Party

Founded in 1972, the American Party is a small, ultra-conservative Christian party, which has...thankfully....dwindled to nearly nothing except a website, few candidates, and fewer votes. Its agenda is pro-gun, pro-life, and anti-tax. It also opposes federal involvement in education, supports abolition of the Environmental Protection Agency, supports repeal of NAFTA, opposes minimum wage laws, opposes land use zoning regulations. As you might expect, the American Party also opposes the United Nations, the New World Order, communism, socialism, the Trilateral Commission, anything that smacks vaguely of a global community of human beings who might be vaguely different from "True Amerikans".

American Heritage Party

Yet another "Christian" religious party, promoting "Christian statesmanship" and "a political party that offers training in life and public service in order to build a new generation of dedicated Christian statesmen!" Founded in 2000, it is "a political party that adopts the Bible as its political textbook and is unashamed to be explicitly Christian ... [and] whose principles are drawn from Scripture." Oh, my....

American Independent Party

Founded by George Wallace in 1968, now virtually dead....

American Reform Party

Liked Ross Perot...then didn't like Ross Perot. Formed their own party. Did you ever hear of it? Well, that should tell you something, shouldn't it?

The Christian Falangist Party

Every hear of these guys? Well, they are fighting the "forces of evil" in a neighborhood near you... Well, not really. There aren't that many of them, which may be a good thing. They seem to be related to Lebanese branch of the Falangist movement, and were founded in 1985, dedicated "to fighting the 'Forces of Darkness' which seeks to destroy Western Christian Civilization." This includes: Radical Islam, Communism/Socialism, the New World Order, the New Age movement, Third Position/Neo-Nazis, Free Masons, abortionists, euthanasianists, radical homosexuals and pornographers. They plan to eventually field a candidate...in some election....at some future date....

The Constitution Party

A conglomeration of small, splinter, right-wing parties formed in 1992. They are pro-life, anti-gun control, anti-tax, anti-immigration, protectionist, "anti-New World Order," anti-United Nations, anti-gay rights, anti-welfare, pro-school prayer. Should you suspect they are hard, hard-core Religious Right...well, you wouldn't be wrong.

Constitutionalist Party

Sort of libertarian, they claim to be strict constructionists, and are pro-choice, pro-gun rights, anti-death penalty, anti-Affirmative Action quotas, anti-regulation of sexual activities between consenting adults, pro-medical marijuana, pro-flat tax, pro-tax cuts, and anti-United Nations

The Family Values Party

Its founder claims that God spoke to him directly in his bedroom (????) and told him to found the party. Oh, my.... Anti-abortion. Doesn't seem to have anyone in it but the founder, as far as I can tell....

Freedom Socialist Party

Radical Trotskyites, found the party in 1966. "Revolutionary feminist internationalists."

The Light Party

Liberal, environmentalist, New Age.

Natural Law Party

Oh,...I don't know. Go to their website and see. Something about holistic approaches, Transcendental Meditation (TM), "yogic flying," and other peaceful "New Age" and "scientific" remedies for much of our national and international problems....BTSOOM

The Prohibition Party

"Find an Oasis of Genuine Constitutional Rights and Moral Values." "If you are a reform-minded conservative and a non-drinker, the Prohibition Party wants you," this is the party for you...and I mean Party, not party. It is ultra-conservative Christian social agenda mixed with anti-drug and international anti-communist. Anyone for a beer?

The Revolution

This "party" seems to be an ideological hybrid between libertarianism and environmentalism, with a dash of New Deal liberal views thrown into the mix. The Revolution's 20-point platform calls for the legalizations of all victimless crimes (drugs, prostitution, etc.), the use of clean energy to stop global warming, massive tax cuts, an end ot corporate welfare, military spending cuts, an emphasis on human rights in foreign policy decisions, abolishing the CIA, government funding of the sciences to encourage "altruistic scientific and technological projects," and a promise to "repeal five times as many laws as we pass."

Socialist Action Party

"Socialist Action stands for workers' democracy and socialism, for human needs, not profits--for the full liberation of the workers and oppressed peoples everywhere. We are a multiracial political party of workers, students, youth, feminists, and human rights activists committed to the interests of the working class." Vaguely Trotskyite, a splinter group of the Socialist Workers Party. Pro-Castro.

Socialist Equality Party

Trotskyite. Founded in the 1980s. Not much lately, other than their website.

The Southern Party

I had to steal this description from another website. It is priceless.

The Southern Party, founded in 1999 by League of the South activists, describes themselves as "a truly nationalist party of the South." Touting a "National Flag of Dixie" -- the third national flag adopted by the original CSA government (which incorporates the controversial old Confederate battle flag) -- the party is calling for the formation of "a new Southern republic of republics as a free and independent nation" (i.e., a re-formation of the secessionist Confederate States of America ... plus Maryland, Oklahoma and West Virginia). The party attacks the Democrats as "a party of socialism" and the Republicans as "representing primarily the interests of globalist corporations." Generally conservative, the party also denounces the "corrupt two-party system ... the precipitous decline of public virtue and morality ... cultural bigotry and oppression being waged against Southerners by the establishment" and the centralized federal government. Describing themselves as "decent, God-fearing, Southerners," they denounce "an attitude of racial malice towards people of non-European origin" -- while simultaneously attacking their enemies "the news media, left-wing agitators and the entertainment industry." The SP claims to be the among the only national separatist parties in the US (akin, for example, to the Parti Québécois in Canada). The Southern Party also battled nearly two years of internal dissention immediately after the founding -- ultimately leading to the founding of rival party organzations. The SP began fielding candidates for a few local offices in 1999 (even winning a small-town mayoral and a county commission race in Alabama in 2000) -- and formed an alliance in 2001 to endorse the future candidates of the Constitution Party for higher-level offices. Southern Party co-founder George Kalas and his followers bolted in early 2000 -- because of purported disputes with SP National Chairman and co-founder Jerry Baxley -- to found the rival Southern Independence Party. As of the end of 2000, the SP claimed approximately 3,000 members -- all conservatives -- including some blacks, Native Americans, Jews, Catholics and others ("even some former Yankees who moved South," joked Baxley). The youth branch of the SP is the Southern Party Collegiate Club.

Talk about it being sad when cousins marry!!

Southern Independence Party

The previous bunch, redux.

Constitutional Action Party

More whackos from the Christian Religious Right. Founded in 1995, "they" want to abolish the federal income tax, ban all abortions, end Affirmative Action, impose protectionist trade tariffs, fight pornography and end federal involvement in education.

Multicapitalist Party

Capitalism for everyone. Denounces traditional capitalsim and traditional communism and socialism. Supports an economic ideology whereby "the government insures that every citizen will become a successful capitalist and land owner without excessive taxation or loss of privacy or freedom." Beyond the economic issues, the party believes all social issues (drugs, sex, abortion, criminal punishment, etc.) should be decided by a direct democratic vote of the nation in plebiscites -- with the states individually following the positions held by a majority of the voters in each state.

Pansexual Peace Party

Hummm..... Left-wing...maybe. Wiccan, probably. Basically, about sex and how great it is.

The Pot Party

Guess what they are all about?

Progressive Labor Party

Stalinist, working to achive world-wide revolution. Intentionally, fields no political candidates. You want ideology? Go here.

Revolutionary Communist Party

Maoist, working for world-wide revolution. It has no use for elections, but rather seeks change through revolution.

Workers Party USA

Founded in 1992, Marxist-Leninist in its ideology, and determined to politicize the proletariat.

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Last updated: Ides of September, 2002