Even though my civic issue blog focuses on the third parties in the American political system that may not receive the same attention as larger parties, I still want to touch on the upcoming presidential campaigns. We have already heard of Ted Cruz declaring, and Hillary Clinton’s big announcement this week is generating buzz. The political cycle is beginning to heat up, and it’s only a matter of time before we hear more candidates declaring their campaigns. In this time, the American public needs to ensure they understand their political beliefs and choose the candidate that best represents their values, even if they come in the form of a third party candidate.

Now on to this week’s third party: the Constitution Party. The Constitution Party is founded on the belief that the principles of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and the Bible should be set forth in politics, and the platform of the party reflects the Party’s interpretation of these principles. The following of the Bible indicates the Party believes the United States was founded as a Christian nation, and the legal system should be founded on “Biblical foundations.” The Party is a far-right political party, and its religious beliefs reflect this conservatism.

The Constitution Party started as the U.S. Taxpayer’s Party in 1992, consisting of members fed up with the ultimate political control that major party Congressman and elected officials have over American citizens. The members of the party believe that there are little areas where government is not involved in our lives, and the party was founded to decrease the power that reaches outside of constitutional limits. The party was founded by Howard Phillips, Chairman of the Conservative Caucus grass-roots lobby from Virginia. Even though the party received little votes in its first election in 1992, they became a nationally recognized party in 1996 through the Federal Election Commission, expanding the ballot access to 39 states for the 1996 election. The U.S. Taxpayer’s Party changed names to the Constitution Party in 2000, but they have still been committed to bringing politics that reflect important American documents and the Bible.

The party’s conservative beliefs are drawn upon as they attempt to reform government, and their platform indicates these conservative beliefs. The party adheres to the Seven Principles: Life, Liberty, Family, Property, State’s Rights, American Sovereignty, and the Founding Documents. Life indicates their pro-life beliefs, as they will not support government funding for abortions to occur. Liberty promotes religious freedom to ensure that citizens do not feel persecuted, and that we must maintain our own freedom when faced with a deadly opponent. Family expresses their beliefs in the family defined as a man and woman with their children, and the party is opposed to gay marriage, refusing to grant them legal recognition. Property expresses a belief that citizens are granted privacy, unless they are forced to abandon it through criminal search warrants. State’s Rights refer to the belief that the Constitution refers to the federal government, and any power that it not included is left in the hands of the states. American Sovereignty holds the beliefs that the United States should go back to Washington’s ideas of neutrality to avoid foreign involvement that brings the country into unconstitutional and unjustified wars with other countries.

Other parts of the Constitutions Party’s platform include reducing spending and replacing income tax with a tariff-based revenue system supplemented by excise taxes. The party also calls for the end of Social Security and the Seventeenth Amendment, which is the popular election of Senators to Congress. Regarding the environment, the party believes that the nation should search for sustainable sources through the free market and by abolishing the Department of Energy. The party also seeks for stricter immigration controls and for the military to enforce these strict rules.

While the party may appeal to religious people and those who want to resort to the democratic roots of the country, the beliefs of the party are very polarizing. It appears difficult for any person with even a small liberal mindset to identify with this party, as the far-right beliefs appear difficult to stand behind. The Constitution Party, in its short history, appears to compliment the goals of the Republican Party and have similar stances on social, economic, and political views. It would not be a surprise to see the Constitution Party being combined with the Republicans, but for the time being, the membership of the Constitution Party indicates their legitimacy as a third party. While I don’t think that the party will be going anywhere soon, the Constitution Party may have to change some of their direct interpretative beliefs to achieve greater popularity and support in the United States.

http://www.constitutionparty.com/the-party/history/

http://www.constitutionparty.com/our-principles/seven-principles/

http://www.constitutionparty.com/our-principles/2012-2016-platform-and-resolutions/

This week’s civic issue post focuses on another third party in the United States becoming prominent among the citizens: the Green Party. Priding itself on the beliefs in grassroots organization and environmental protection, the Green Party has consistently made progress for further recognition and continues to portray different ideals from the major political parties.

The Green Party in the United States (green parties are a common party throughout European countries) was formed in 2001 from the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP), which was in place from 1996 to 2001. Using the ideas brought from the ASGP, the party was successful in the during its origin, as it was able to nominate Ralph Nader, the party’s first presidential candidate, for the 2000 election. The continued influence of the party continued throughout the next three elections, as David Cobb was nominated in 2004, Cynthia McKinney in 2008, and Jill Stein in 2012.

The Green Party’s platform is very broad, encompassing many aspects of government that they believe should be altered to resemble the classic democratic system instead of the government’s current state. The Ten Key Values of the Green Party are usually drawn upon for its policies and beliefs, each representing changes from the corruption and greed within politics today.

The first value is grassroots democracy, which attempts to increase public participation in government by creating political organizations that will allow for more citizen participation in the democratic process. The second value is social justice and equal opportunity, which ensures that every citizen, no matter their background, will be protected under the law and benefit from the resources of society and the environment. The third value is ecological wisdom, which stresses the belief that humans should live with the environment and maintain an ecological balance, which can be accomplished by creating a sustainable society and better agricultural practices. The fourth value is non-violence, stressing the need for a decreased sense of violence in our society and government to promote national and worldwide peace among all nations. The fifth value is decentralization, which indicates the need for restructuring social, political, and economic institutions to promote more democracy and less bureaucracy.

The sixth value of the Green Party is community-based economics and economic justice. The party believes that a vibrant and sustainable economic system should be created, which can be accomplished by offering meaningful work, paying wages the person deserves, and economic development that assures protection of the environment and workers’ rights. The seventh value is feminism and gender equality, which calls for more recognition of women in politics and shifting human values to reflect cooperation of different opinions and gender. The eighth value is respect for diversity, which calls for valuing the cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious, and spiritual diversity in society. Also, the value expresses that diversity should be promoted in organizations and decision-making bodies by having diverse members in leadership positions. The ninth value is personal and global responsibility, indicating the party’s determination to join people and organizations that seek to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet. The tenth value is future focus and sustainability, reflecting the party’s belief to develop long-term goals to problems in society instead of just solving problems at first instant.

Although the Green Party has remained small, their impact on the political system is being felt throughout the country. Recently, the party has engaged in “Spring Rising”, four days of anti-war and pro-peace events in the nation’s capital. The party is responding to the provocation by the United States against Iran, Venezuela, and Russia, which the Greens believe will cause a greater conflict. Promoting their beliefs in non-violence, the party has continued to criticize the government’s role in interacting negatively with these countries to avoid an unnecessary war. They also are angered with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which they note are responsible for one third of the national debt and have caused over 700,000 wounded U.S. veterans and civilian casualties in both countries.

So what does the future of the Green Party hold? The party has continued to run candidates for presidency and governor in multiple states. Elections for Congress are seeing more members for the Green Party running. The national support is gaining, as more and more citizens are backing the values of the grassroots democracy over the current system of democracy in the nation. As of now, I think it is looking bright, and their beliefs will not be ignored in the political landscape.

I think that many of the party’s values seem very hard to alter. While many of the topics of equality and environmental protections can be easy to fix, their political and economic stances seem to be more difficult. The grassroots democracy will be difficult to change from the current system of government, as its nature will take away many of the benefits of the centralized government. The economic beliefs are too ideal, and their long term goals regarding the economy will be difficult to utilize because of its constantly changing nature. However, the Greens look prepared to be relevant in elections and politics, hoping to rise above their third party status.

http://www.gp.org/what-we-believe/10-key-values http://www.gp.org/newsroom/press-releases/details/4/787

On Sunday, I was able to attend the deliberation put on by the other group in our class, which focused on the status of education in our nation. In their deliberation, they went into depth about the multiple options that exists for education and how children react to each type. I thought that the group did a great job on fostering discussion on their approaches and asked effective questions that kept the deliberation moving at a great pace with different viewpoints that all contributed to the topic.

The first approach that the deliberation focused on was the emphasis on knowledge, which is commonly practiced in schools today. The introduction touched on how our schools follow a system of teaching and testing, maintaining a structured learning environment that is difficult to change. Students may feel that they are solely judged on how much information that can recall, a skill that may develop for some students later than others. The discussion quickly went into criticisms for this education system, which the consensus of the group appeared to disapprove as the dominant teaching system in our country. I was interested to see that so many people shared my same opinions on our current teaching style, as students will not be able to just recall the information they are taught in school and expect results. A point that was brought up was following the style of England, which allowed students to send in scores from a certain subject. While this would make us confident in our abilities over subjects that we are weaker in, undecided students would be left in a tight spot, being forced to pick a subject they may not show interest later.

The next approach was critical thinking, which encourages students to learn by independently solving problems with reasonable solutions that they create themselves. This approach seems logical for teaching students as they must learn to solve the world’s toughest problems in the future that may not have solutions set in stone. In order to be successful in this aspect, we must apply critical thinking skills to every problem that we may perceive as difficult. I think this is an aspect that schools are trying to implement, but are forced to follow the curriculum that is required for them to follow. One of the discussion points that I thought was important in the deliberation had to deal with the increase in technology and its effect on critical thinking. In my experiences, I think that technology makes it much easier for the answers to problems to be found, as someone has already thought for you and the answer is already solved. This does not encourage individuals to think for themselves, knowing that people thinking for them will allow them to coast through education.

The last approach that was discussed was social and civic development, encouraging students to learn by collaborating with others to learn. This approach touched on the fact that in order to learn, we must be able to learn from our peers. During the deliberation, many of the participants discussed their dislike of group work, as they thought that many people take for granted that they work with other people and do not contribute their best effort to the assignment. Another problem with working in groups is the egos of others. Some people are dominant and want to dictate the assignment, disregarding the input of others within their group. Even though some people may not be as vocal as others, their thoughts are still vital to the group’s success and may contribute positively to what the task.

Overall, I thought this deliberation touched on many important aspects of the current education system and how we can alter it for the better. Each approach group had their topics well prepared and kept the participants fully engaged in the discussion at hand. I never felt that they were lapses in the conversation, and the group was effective in keeping on task with the main ideas of education. I would definitely attend another deliberation event of this scale, forcing the participants to think outside of the box and ponder the various arguments for each approach to education. While the aspects of knowledge, critical thinking, and social and civic development are different approaches in context, they can all be combined to form a comprehensive education system that will ensure our youth will be prepared for the future.

While I don’t think this is allowed (sorry Dr. J), I switched my civic issue blog to focus on particular third parties in the American political system. While my first blog opened up the idea of the two dominant parties in the US, Republican and Democratic, I think that much of our political interest draws from the various third parties that exist. While I could discuss every third party that ever existed in American history, I am going to focus on those you have probably heard of on the national scale, but are not sure what they stand for (sadly I am omitting Jimmy McMillan and the Rent Is Too Damn High Party, a personal favorite).

First up, the Libertarian Party. Although Libertarians now make up the third largest political party in the United States, they began as a group of activists in 1971 Colorado. Within a year, the party was able to host its own national convention in Denver, where John Hospers was named the presidential candidate in the 1972 election. Hospers, along with his running mate Tonie Nathan, were able to secure enough votes to earn 1 electoral vote in the election, indicating that the influence of the party was growing. As time went on, Libertarians began to spread their beliefs and philosophies across the nation, gaining a large following and gaining a respectable percentage of the vote in state and federal elections.

The Libertarian Party formed by the Colorado activists that were unhappy with the government, believing they had too much. According to Merriam-Webster, a libertarian is “a person who upholds the principles of individual liberty especially of thought and action.” Much of their beliefs are centered around laissez-faire, wanting little government intervention and leaving people to make their own decisions. The party works to promote the rights of the individual and increasing their civil liberties without interaction with the strong federal government. Economically, they believe that regulations like the minimum wage, interest rates, income tax, and federal programs like the Internal Revenue Service and Federal Reserve System, should be repealed and eliminated. This free market belief carries over to education, health care, and Social Security, which Libertarians believe are being harmed by the government. Socially, they hold to the belief that individuals are free to express themselves in anyway they see fit without being punished by the government. This applies to abortion, LGBT rights, free speech, censorship, the right to bear arms, and sexual practices. Libertarians also adhere to a a neutral foreign policy, hoping to avoid conflict and work on building relations through free market trade. In a nutshell, Thomas Jefferson (and oddly people who like sex, since they approve of pornography and prostitution) would approve of this modern party.

So now that we have a background on the Libertarian Party, we can now understand and see how they have spread their influence in the past couple of years. While Libertarians have not made a large breakthrough in being elected to office, the voting numbers for Libertarian candidates set records in the 2014 mid-term elections. Voters were able to give candidates in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas a decent percentage of the vote, even when some of the races were decided by a few percentage points. Americans are now recognizing with the beliefs of the party, particularly the social issues regarding gay rights and decriminalizing marijuana. The generation that was responsible for electing Obama in the last two elections has decreased much of their Democratic support to not supporting any party. With prominent figures like Ron and Rand Paul leading the Libertarian charge, the 2016 election could see an infusion of party ideas and beliefs that will be shown to the masses, hoping to bring the party to a new popularity and influence.

The Libertarian Party’s rise in the American political system accompanies our changing society, as well as our increasing frustration and distrust with the American government. The party is an alternative for those that seek a new political system, one where the individual has control over their actions without the threat of the government decreasing their rights. The nation may be unprepared for a Libertarian takeover, and it may take some years for the party to take off and become a consistent force in elections between Democrats and Republicans. However, the party has continued to gain support among the nation’s youth, signifying a new sense of American pride and support for protecting civil liberties. Even though I think that some of the party’s platform may be hard to achieve, it has no doubt made an impact on my political beliefs and has made me think about how government should be run.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/25/inside-the-beltway-libertarians-have-good-reason-t/?page=all                                 http://www.lp.org/               http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/magazine/has-the-libertarian-moment-finally-arrived.html?_r=0

For my first civic issues post on the political parties in the United States, I decided to look at the changing landscape of political parties in American history. Even though the United States is a relatively new country, we have undergone many changes in the ways our parties are set up. With a new generation comes a new belief system and hopes for the government, which are reflected in the goals for the political parties. Although the Democrats and Republicans appear to be in control of the political landscape at the moment, these parties were not dominant in the origins of the nation.

After the American Revolution ended, the Founding Fathers were tasked with developing and maintaining a new government. At the time, they were initially hesitant to form political parties, believing they would cause debate among citizens who had just received their independence. George Washington, in his Farewell Address, stated that he disapproved of the separation that parties create, and deeply wanted them to stay out of American political lives. Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson also wanted to stay away from the party system, seeing the same potential damage that Washington warned of. However, these two eventually went on to change these beliefs and formed the first two major parties the nation.

Hamilton first formed the Federalist Party in 1787 with the belief that a strong centralized government was necessary for the success of the nation. He gained support from Northern merchants and bankers, who adhered to the belief that capital and industry were the basis of a healthy nation and the country should protect its industries. Jefferson, believing in an agrarian society with little government intervention, formed the Democratic-Republican Party in response to Hamilton, believing in the “Anti-Federalist” mindset. With the acceptance of these two parties in the political landscape, the country formed the first signs of divide between the citizens by recognizing with particular beliefs in a party.

With the two parties set in place, debate began to increase about the direction the country should take. While the Federalists were in control at the beginning after Washington with the election of John Adams, the party began to crumble as Jefferson was elected in 1800, and shifting the landscape of politics towards Democratic-Republicans tendencies. When James Monroe was elected in 1817, he brought about the “Era of Good Feelings”, a period during his presidency where the country experienced a break from intense partisanship that threatened the nation. However, the election of Andrew Jackson in 1829 caused the nation to undergo another split in political parties.

The two major parties that evolved from this split were the Democrats (Jackson’s party) and the Whigs. The Democrats were heavily represented in the South and the expanding West, and opposed of the strong power that Jackson was having over the nation by increasing the strength of the executive branch. The Whigs were in direct opposition of Jackson and the Democrats, who believed that he was abusing his power. This continued until 1852, when the Whigs fell apart when the issue of slavery came to the forefront of American politics.

When slavery and states’ rights became the largest issues in the nation, the Democrats split into Northern and Southern factions, with the South believing in slavery and states’ rights, as well as possible secession. Anti-slavery forces at the same time combined to form the Republican Party, who strictly in the abolishment of slavery by the government to advance the nation. This party would remain a vital part of the nation when Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860, even though the South seceded and caused the Civil War.

After the Civil War was won by the Union, the Democrats and Republicans continued to remain the prominent parties in the nation. While the Democrats believed in less government intervention, and the Republicans believing in increased control, the perspective of the parties changed when Franklin D. Roosevelt came was elected in 1932. His Democratic beliefs were concerned with multiple government payments, included in the New Deal, to those suffering in the Depression. However, the Republicans wanted free market practices to be adhered and disagreed with Roosevelt’s social practices. This divide in the parties became what we recognize with today, with the Democrats and Republicans maintaining the majority in the nation’s government.

Over the course of history, it is still up to debate whether the formation of political parties has been effective or detrimental to the possible success of the nation. While I agree with the purposes of both parties, I think that they have had a relevant part in history and promote further government changes. If the Democrats and Republicans could look at parties in the past and understand their differences, out nation would be able to accomplish more than the ineffective Congress can today. Washington’s Farewell Address warned against situations like today’s government, and I hope that it can be resolved in my lifetime.

http://www.thegreenpapers.com/Hx/AmericanMajorParties.html http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/political-parties        http://www.hank-edmondson.com/amgovchapt7/a-brief-history-of-american.html