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Green Party (United States)
Encyclopedia
The Green Party of the United States (GPUS) is a nationally recognized political party
which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties. The Association of State Green Parties (ASGP), a forerunner organization, first gained widespread public attention during Ralph Nader
's presidential runs in 1996 and 2000. With the founding of the Green Party of the United States, the party established a national political presence. GPUS became the primary national Green organization in the U.S., eclipsing the earlier Greens/Green Party USA
, which emphasized non-electoral movement building.
The Green Party in the United States has won elected office at the local
level; most winners of public office in the United States who are considered Greens have won nonpartisan elections. The highest-ranking Greens ever elected in the nation were: John Eder
, a member of the Maine House of Representatives
until his defeat in November 2006; Audie Bock
, elected to the California State Assembly
in 1999 but switched her registration to Independent seven months later running as an independent in the 2000 election; and Richard Carroll
, elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives
in 2008 but switched parties to become a Democrat five months after his election. In 2005, the Green Party had 305,000 registered members in states allowing party registration, and tens of thousands of members and contributors in the rest of the country.
, 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:
The Green Party does not accept donations from corporations. Thus, the party's platforms
and rhetoric critique any corporate influence and control over government, media, and American society at large.
The political movement that began in 1984 as the decentralized Committees of Correspondence (GCoC) evolved into a more centralized structure by 1990, opening a national clearinghouse, and forming governing bodies, bylaws, and a platform under the name The Green Committees of Correspondence (GCoC) and by 1990, simply, The Greens. The organization conducted non-electoral grassroots organizing efforts, educational activities, and electoral campaigns.
Internal divisions arose between members who saw electoral politics as ultimately corrupting and supported the notion of an "anti-party party" formed by Petra Kelly
and other leaders of Die Grünen
in Germany
., vs. those who saw electoral strategies as a crucial engine of social change (organized as The Green Politics Network in 1990 and The National Association of Statewide Green Parties by 1994). A struggle for the direction of the organization culminated a "compromise agreement," ratified in 1991 at the Greens National Congress in Elkins, West Virginia
in which both strategies would be accommodated within the same organization under a 527 political organization renamed The Greens/Green Party USA.
The compromise agreement subsequently collapsed and two Green Party organizations have co-existed in the United States since the mid-1990s, now operating independently as The Green Party USA and the U.S. Green Party.
:
(CA), Farheen Hakeem (MN), Julie Jacobson (HI), Jason Nabewaniec
(NY), David Strand (MN), and Craig Thorsen (CA). They are elected from the delegates who serve on the Green National Committee. The Secretary is Holly Hart (IA). The Treasurer is Jeff Turner (HI).
Three other caucuses are working toward formal recognition by the GNC:
The Blue Greens (workers' caucus) and the Native American caucus also exist, but have not established organizing committees as of yet.
- not yet affiliated with the national, Green Party US
- currently inactive
One challenge that the Green Party (as well as other third parties) faces is the difficulty of overcoming ballot access
laws in many states. This has prevented the Green Party from reaching a point of critical mass in party-building momentum in many states.
As of December 14, 2008, the Green Party had at least 193 party members in elected office in the United States. By comparison, there were 207 elected Libertarians
serving in office across the United States at that time. Yet, the 193 office-holder number exceeds the numbers of the Progressive Party
and the Socialist Party
in their Progressive Era
peaks. In April 2007, the Greens reached the most officeholders serving at one time ever when there were 230 greens in office. With the November 2008 election of Richard Carroll
as State Rep. District 39 (Little Rock) the Green Party gained its first ever state Rep. in Arkansas and the only currently elected state representative of any nationally organized Third Party
. Gayle McLaughlin
, is mayor of Richmond, California
. With a population of 103,000, Richmond is the largest city in the United States to have a Green Party mayor. There are also Green Party members on city councils (or equivalent) in San Francisco, Boston
, Cleveland
, Minneapolis
, Cleveland
, Madison
(5 Members), and New Haven.
Explanations of the ten key values
Third party (United States)
The term third party is used in the United States for any and all political parties in the United States other than one of the two major parties . The term can also refer to independent politicians not affiliated with any party at all and to write-in candidates.The United States has had a...
which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties. The Association of State Green Parties (ASGP), a forerunner organization, first gained widespread public attention during Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
's presidential runs in 1996 and 2000. With the founding of the Green Party of the United States, the party established a national political presence. GPUS became the primary national Green organization in the U.S., eclipsing the earlier Greens/Green Party USA
Greens/Green Party USA
In the United States, people speak generally of the "Green Party," but there is actually more than one national-level Green political organization in the United States.- History :...
, which emphasized non-electoral movement building.
The Green Party in the United States has won elected office at the local
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
level; most winners of public office in the United States who are considered Greens have won nonpartisan elections. The highest-ranking Greens ever elected in the nation were: John Eder
John Eder
John Eder is an American activist and politician from the state of Maine. Eder lives in Portland and is a member of the Maine Green Independent Party, the Maine affiliate of the national Green Party. He served in the Maine House of Representatives as the legislature's first member of the Green...
, a member of the Maine House of Representatives
Maine House of Representatives
The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 members representing an equal amount of districts across the state. Each voting member of the House represents around 8,450 citizens of the state...
until his defeat in November 2006; Audie Bock
Audie Bock
Audie Elizabeth Bock is an American film scholar and politician who served in the California State Assembly from 1999 to 2000....
, elected to the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
in 1999 but switched her registration to Independent seven months later running as an independent in the 2000 election; and Richard Carroll
Richard Carroll (politician)
Richard Carroll is an American politician. He ran for District 39 of the Arkansas House of Representatives on the U.S...
, elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives
Arkansas House of Representatives
The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the state. Each district has an average population of 26,734...
in 2008 but switched parties to become a Democrat five months after his election. In 2005, the Green Party had 305,000 registered members in states allowing party registration, and tens of thousands of members and contributors in the rest of the country.
Ideology
The Green Party of the United States of America emphasizes environmentalismEnvironmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, non-hierarchical
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
participatory democracy
Participatory democracy
Participatory Democracy, also known as Deliberative Democracy, Direct Democracy and Real Democracy , is a process where political decisions are made directly by regular people...
, social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, respect for diversity
Diversity (politics)
In the political arena, the term diversity is used to describe political entities with members who have identifiable differences in their backgrounds or lifestyles....
, peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
and nonviolence
Nonviolence
Nonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
. Their "Ten Key Values," which are described as non-authoritative guiding principles, are as follows:
- Grassroots democracyGrassroots democracyGrassroots democracy is a tendency towards designing political processes where as much decision-making authority as practical is shifted to the organization's lowest geographic level of organization: principle of subsidiarity....
- Social justiceSocial justiceSocial justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
and equal opportunityEqual opportunityEqual opportunity, or equality of opportunity, is a controversial political concept; and an important informal decision-making standard without a precise definition involving fair choices within the public sphere... - Ecological wisdom
- NonviolenceNonviolenceNonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
- DecentralizationDecentralization__FORCETOC__Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people and/or citizens. It includes the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or areas like engineering, management science, political science, political economy,...
- Community-based economicsCommunity-based economicsCommunity-based economics or community economics is an economic system that encourages local substitution. It is most similar the lifeways of those practicing voluntary simplicity, including traditional Mennonite, Amish, and modern eco-village communities...
- FeminismFeminismFeminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
and gender equalityGender equalityGender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :... - Respect for diversityRespect diversityThe prerogative to respect diversity, often said to "begin with biodiversity" of non-human life, is basic to some 20th century studies such as cultural ecology, Queer studies, and anthropological linguistics....
- PersonalSelf-helpSelf-help, or self-improvement, is a self-guided improvement—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. There are many different self-help movements and each has its own focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents and in some cases, leaders...
and global responsibilityEcological footprintThe ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems. It is a standardized measure of demand for natural capital that may be contrasted with the planet's ecological capacity to regenerate. It represents the amount of biologically productive land and sea area necessary to... - Future focusGoal settingGoal setting involves establishing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-targeted goals. Work on the theory of goal-setting suggests that it's an effective tool for making progress by ensuring that participants in a group with a common goal are clearly aware of what is expected from...
and sustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
The Green Party does not accept donations from corporations. Thus, the party's platforms
Party platform
A party platform, or platform sometimes also referred to as a manifesto, is a list of the actions which a political party, individual candidate, or other organization supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said peoples' candidates voted into political office or...
and rhetoric critique any corporate influence and control over government, media, and American society at large.
Early years
GPUS is descended of The Green Committees of Correspondence (GCoC), a decentered network of green organizations formed by members of the North American Bioregional Congress in the early 1980s. During the 1980s, the GCoC evolved from a network to a formal organization under the name The Greens, and established a national clearinghouse, national council, and annual national congress. adopted the name The Greens/Green Party USA in 1991 with the merging of the electoral and non-electoral wings of the organization.The political movement that began in 1984 as the decentralized Committees of Correspondence (GCoC) evolved into a more centralized structure by 1990, opening a national clearinghouse, and forming governing bodies, bylaws, and a platform under the name The Green Committees of Correspondence (GCoC) and by 1990, simply, The Greens. The organization conducted non-electoral grassroots organizing efforts, educational activities, and electoral campaigns.
Internal divisions arose between members who saw electoral politics as ultimately corrupting and supported the notion of an "anti-party party" formed by Petra Kelly
Petra Kelly
Petra Karin Kelly was a German politician and activist. She was instrumental in founding the German Green Party, the first Green party to rise to prominence worldwide.- Early life :...
and other leaders of Die Grünen
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
., vs. those who saw electoral strategies as a crucial engine of social change (organized as The Green Politics Network in 1990 and The National Association of Statewide Green Parties by 1994). A struggle for the direction of the organization culminated a "compromise agreement," ratified in 1991 at the Greens National Congress in Elkins, West Virginia
Elkins, West Virginia
Elkins is a city in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. The community was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins , a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. The population was 7,032 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County...
in which both strategies would be accommodated within the same organization under a 527 political organization renamed The Greens/Green Party USA.
The compromise agreement subsequently collapsed and two Green Party organizations have co-existed in the United States since the mid-1990s, now operating independently as The Green Party USA and the U.S. Green Party.
Committees
The Green Party has two national committees recognized by the Federal Election CommissionFederal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
:
- the Green National Committee (GNC)
- the Green Senatorial Campaign CommitteeGreen Senatorial Campaign CommitteeThe Green Senatorial Campaign Committee is the Green Party committee for the United States Senate, working to elect Greens to that body. The GSCC filed with the FEC for official recognition in September 2006, it was received in February 2007...
(GSCC)
Green National Committee
The Green National Committee is the central governing body of the Green Party of the United States. The GNC is composed of delegates from each of the affiliated state party organizations and from recognized caucuses. The GNC oversees all national party functions and elects a Steering Committee to oversee day-to-day operations.Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is composed of seven Co-chairs together with the Secretary and Treasurer. The Co-chairs of the Green Party of the United States are currently (2010 December): Theresa El-Amin (NC), Mike FeinsteinMike Feinstein
Mike Feinstein is an American politician and a member of the Green Party. Feinstein has been involved in political activism since 1988, after he attended a conference at the Findhorn community in Scotland entitled "The Individual and the Collective: Politics as If The Earth Mattered"...
(CA), Farheen Hakeem (MN), Julie Jacobson (HI), Jason Nabewaniec
Jason Nabewaniec
Jason Nabewaniec is an American Green politician and has twice been elected to two-year terms as one of the seven co-Chairs of the Green Party of the United States....
(NY), David Strand (MN), and Craig Thorsen (CA). They are elected from the delegates who serve on the Green National Committee. The Secretary is Holly Hart (IA). The Treasurer is Jeff Turner (HI).
Standing committees
The GNC has several standing committees:- Accreditation
- Annual National Meeting
- Ballot Access
- Bylaws, Rules, Policies & Procedures
- Communications
- Coordinated Campaign
- Dispute Resolution
- Diversity
- EcoAction
- Finance
- Fundraising
- Green Pages (newspaper editorial board)
- International
- Media
- Merchandising
- Outreach
- Peace Action
- Platform
- Presidential Campaign Support
- Steering
Caucuses
Three identity caucuses have achieved representation on the GNC:- Black Caucus - Acting Co-Chairs: Alfred Molison, Martina Robinson
- Lavender GreensLavender GreensThe National Lavender Greens Caucus is the United States Green Party's advocacy group on gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer issues and is an officially accredited Identity Caucus of the Green Party...
(LGBTIQ)- Chair: Jason Jones - Women's Caucus - Co-Chairs: Nan Garrett, Sylvia Inwood
Three other caucuses are working toward formal recognition by the GNC:
- Disability Caucus
- Latino Caucus
- Youth Caucus
The Blue Greens (workers' caucus) and the Native American caucus also exist, but have not established organizing committees as of yet.
State parties
- achieved 2008 ballot line- not yet affiliated with the national, Green Party US
- currently inactive
- Alabama Green Party
- Green Party of AlaskaGreen Party of AlaskaThe Green Party of Alaska is the state party organization for Alaska of the Green Party of the United States. Alaska was the first state to gain Green Party ballot access, in 1990, when Jim Sykes ran for governor. Sykes had previously filed a ballot access lawsuit, citing an earlier case, Vogler v...
- Arizona Green PartyArizona Green PartyThe Green Party of Arizona is the affiliate of the Green Party in Arizona. It was founded by Carolyn Campbell and others in the 1990s.The Arizona Green Party is perhaps best known for its strong stances on immigration...
- Green Party of ArkansasGreen Party of ArkansasThe Green Party of Arkansas is the state party organization for Arkansas of the Green Party of the United States.With the November 2008 election of Richard Carroll as representative for the 39th District in the Arkansas House of Representatives, the Arkansas Green Party gained its first ever state...
- Green Party of CaliforniaGreen Party of CaliforniaThe Green Party of California is the California affiliate of the Green Party. The party is a ballot-qualified in California, first established as such in 1991, using the petition method of gaining state recognition....
- Green Party of ColoradoGreen Party of ColoradoThe Green Party of Colorado is the state party organization for Colorado of the Green Party.The Green Party of Colorado first attempted to qualify for statewide ballot status in 1994. While the party was unsuccessful in gaining ballot access, the party did qualify for Qualified Political...
- Green Party of Connecticut
- D.C. Statehood Green PartyD.C. Statehood Green PartyThe D.C. Statehood Green Party, also known as the D.C. Statehood Party, is a political party in Washington, D.C. The party is the D.C. affiliate of the national Green Party, but has traditionally been involved primarily with issues related to D.C. Statehood...
- Green Party of DelawareGreen Party of DelawareThe Green Party of Delaware is the state party organization for Delaware of the Green Party of the United States.The Green Party of Delaware qualified for statewide ballot status in March 2000 and has retained ballot status ever since....
- Green Party of FloridaGreen Party of FloridaThe Green Party of Florida is the state party organization for Florida of the Green Party of the United States.-History:The Green Party of Florida was organized in 1992. At that time the State of Florida had a very stringent standard applied to what were considered minor party candidates in...
- Georgia Green Party
- Green Party of HawaiiGreen Party of HawaiiThe Hawaii Green Party is the official organization of the Green Party of the United States in the state of Hawaii.The HGP qualified for the ballot in May 1992, one of the earliest state Green Parties to do so....
- Idaho Green Party
- Illinois Green PartyIllinois Green PartyThe Illinois Green Party is a statewide political party in Illinois.The party is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States. Its stated mission and purpose are to advance the Ten Key Values of the Green Party in Illinois through political means and to support individual members and the...
- Indiana Green Party
- Iowa Green Party
- Kansas Green Party
- Green Party of Kentucky
- Green Party of Louisiana
- Maine Green Independent PartyMaine Green Independent PartyThe Maine Green Independent Party is the oldest state Green party in the United States. It was founded following an informal meeting of 18 environmental advocates, including Bowdoin College professor John Rensenbrink and others in Augusta, Maine...
- Maryland Green PartyMaryland Green PartyThe Maryland Green Party is the state party organization for Maryland of the Green Party of the United States.The Maryland Green Party qualified as a recognized political party on August 17, 2000, since that time the party has grown dramatically and as of June 30, 2007 there were 8,108 Greens in...
- Massachusetts Green-Rainbow PartyGreen-Rainbow PartyThe Green-Rainbow Party is a political party in Massachusetts. It is the Massachusetts state affiliate of the Green Party of the United States.-Establishment of official party status:...
- Green Party of MichiganGreen Party of MichiganThe Green Party of Michigan is the state party organization for Michigan of the Green Party of the United States. The party has had ballot access in Michigan since November 2000...
- Green Party of MinnesotaGreen Party of MinnesotaThe Green Party of Minnesota is the fourth largest political party in Minnesota and was founded in 1994 on the Four Pillars of the Green Party: Ecological Wisdom, Social and Economic Justice, Grassroots Democracy, and Nonviolence and Peace...
- Green Party of Mississippi
- Green Party of Missouri formerly Progressive Party of Missouri
- Missouri Green Party
- Montana Green Party
- Nebraska Green PartyNebraska Green PartyThe Nebraska Green Party is the state party organization for Nebraska of the Green Party of the United States.The Nebraska Green Party is a small but swiftly growing party. In the 2004 election three Congressional candidates, Roy Guisinger, party Co-Chair Steve Larrick and Dante Salvatierra...
- Green Party of Nevada
- New Hampshire
- Green Party of New JerseyGreen Party of New JerseyThe Green Party of New Jersey is the state party organization for New Jersey of the Green Party of the United States.The Green Party of New Jersey is one of the more active Green state affiliates having run over 150 candidates for office. Its co-founders were Nick Mellis and Steve Welzer...
- Green Party of New MexicoGreen Party of New MexicoThe Green Party of New Mexico is the state party organization for New Mexico of the Green Party of the United States.New Mexico is the only state that requires the nominee of a qualified party to submit his or her own petition...
- Green Party of New York State
- North Carolina Green PartyNorth Carolina Green PartyThe North Carolina Green Party is a third party in the state of North Carolina, and the NC affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. It does not currently hold ballot access, although currently they are working with the North Carolina Libertarian Party to change this.-External links:*...
- North Dakota
- Green Party of OhioGreen Party of OhioThe Green Party of Ohio is the state party organization for Ohio of the Green Party of the United States. The Green Party of Ohio had its beginnings in the Green Party of Northeast Ohio in the early 1990s...
- Green Party of OklahomaGreen Party of Oklahoma- Key values :The Green Party of Oklahoma is a third party founded on the Four Pillars of the Green Party: ecological wisdom, social justice, grass-roots democracy and non-violence.- History :...
- Pacific Green Party of Oregon
- Green Party of PennsylvaniaGreen Party of PennsylvaniaThe Green Party of Pennsylvania is the state party organization for Pennsylvania of the Green Party of the United States. In June 2007, 31 Pennsylvania Greens held elected office, including Mathew Ash, the Mayor of Boswell...
- Green Party of Rhode IslandGreen Party of Rhode IslandThe Green Party of Rhode Island is one of the oldest active Green parties in the United States. The party was founded on March 6 1992 at a meeting of 40 activists, from Rhode Island's environmental, peace, neighborhood, and human rights movements...
- South Carolina Green PartySouth Carolina Green PartyThe South Carolina Green Party is a ballot-qualified political party in the state of South Carolina. It is the state affiliate party of the national Green Party of the United States....
- South Dakota
- Green Party of Tennessee
- Green Party of TexasGreen Party of TexasThe Green Party of Texas is the state party organization for Texas of the Green Party of the United States.-History:The Green Party of Texas began to organize a serious, statewide, grassroots effort in the late 1990s...
- Green Party of Utah aka Desert Greens
- Vermont Green Party
- Green Party of VirginiaGreen Party of VirginiaThe Green Party of Virginia is the Virginia state affiliate of the Green Party of the United States.-Campaigns:GPVA focuses on local elections for offices such as the Virginia House of Delegates, town council, board of supervisors, and soil & water conservation district board of directors...
- Green Party of Washington StateGreen Party of Washington StateThe Green Party of Washington State is the state party organization for Washington of the Green Party of the United States. The Green Party has gone from one local in 1999 to nearly 10 affiliated locals in 2007...
- West Virginia Mountain PartyMountain PartyThe Mountain Party is a political party in the state of West Virginia that on July 8, 2007, at its state convention, voted to become the West Virginia affiliate of the Green Party. At the 2007 Green Party National Meeting the party was admitted to the Green Party as a state affiliate. It is a...
- Wisconsin Green PartyWisconsin Green PartyThe Wisconsin Green Party is an active member of the Green Party of the United States. In 2006, the party helped place antiwar initiatives on the ballots in 32 towns . WIGP member Ben Manski is a former co-chair of the Green National Committee.The WIGP emerged in the late 1980s when several...
- Green Party of Wyoming
Geographic distribution
The Green Party has shown its strongest popular support on the Pacific Coast, Upper Great Lakes, and northeastern United States, as reflected in the geographical distribution of Green candidates elected. Californians have elected 55 of the 226 office-holding Greens nationwide as of June 2007. Other states with high numbers of Green elected officials include Pennsylvania (31), Wisconsin (23), Massachusetts (18), and Maine (17). Maine has the highest per capita number of Green elected officials in the country, and the largest Green registration percentage with more than 29,273 greens comprising 2.95% of the electorate as of November 2006. Madison, Wisconsin, is the city with the most Green elected officials (8) followed by Portland, Maine, with (7).One challenge that the Green Party (as well as other third parties) faces is the difficulty of overcoming ballot access
Ballot access
Ballot access rules, called nomination rules outside the United States, regulate the conditions under which a candidate or political party is either entitled to stand for election or to appear on voters' ballots...
laws in many states. This has prevented the Green Party from reaching a point of critical mass in party-building momentum in many states.
Office holders
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
serving in office across the United States at that time. Yet, the 193 office-holder number exceeds the numbers of the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (United States, 1912)
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
and the Socialist Party
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
in their Progressive Era
Progressive Era
The Progressive Era in the United States was a period of social activism and political reform that flourished from the 1890s to the 1920s. One main goal of the Progressive movement was purification of government, as Progressives tried to eliminate corruption by exposing and undercutting political...
peaks. In April 2007, the Greens reached the most officeholders serving at one time ever when there were 230 greens in office. With the November 2008 election of Richard Carroll
Richard Carroll (politician)
Richard Carroll is an American politician. He ran for District 39 of the Arkansas House of Representatives on the U.S...
as State Rep. District 39 (Little Rock) the Green Party gained its first ever state Rep. in Arkansas and the only currently elected state representative of any nationally organized Third Party
Third party (United States)
The term third party is used in the United States for any and all political parties in the United States other than one of the two major parties . The term can also refer to independent politicians not affiliated with any party at all and to write-in candidates.The United States has had a...
. Gayle McLaughlin
Gayle McLaughlin
Gayle McLaughlin is a California politician. She is a member of the Green Party and, since 2006, the mayor of Richmond, California and a member of Richmond's City Council. McLaughlin was elected on November 7, 2006 by a 279-vote margin over incumbent mayor Irma A. Anderson...
, is mayor of Richmond, California
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
. With a population of 103,000, Richmond is the largest city in the United States to have a Green Party mayor. There are also Green Party members on city councils (or equivalent) in San Francisco, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Minneapolis
Minneapolis City Council
The Minneapolis City Council is the governing body of the City of Minneapolis. The City Council is composed of 13 single member districts, called wards. Barbara Johnson is president of the council. The council is dominated by members of the DFL Party with 12 members. The Green Party has one member...
, Cleveland
Cleveland City Council
Cleveland City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Cleveland in Ohio. Its members are elected from 19 wards to four-year terms. The number of council members has decreased over the years...
, Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
(5 Members), and New Haven.
Presidential tickets
- 1996: Ralph NaderRalph NaderRalph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
and Winona LaDukeWinona LaDukeWinona LaDuke is a Native American activist, environmentalist, economist, and writer. In 1996 and 2000, she ran for vice president as the nominee of the United States Green Party, on a ticket headed by Ralph Nader. In the 2004 election, however, she endorsed one of Nader's opponents, Democratic...
685,128 votes - 2000: Ralph NaderRalph NaderRalph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
and Winona LaDukeWinona LaDukeWinona LaDuke is a Native American activist, environmentalist, economist, and writer. In 1996 and 2000, she ran for vice president as the nominee of the United States Green Party, on a ticket headed by Ralph Nader. In the 2004 election, however, she endorsed one of Nader's opponents, Democratic...
2,882,000 votes - 2004: David CobbDavid CobbDavid Keith Cobb is an American activist and was the 2004 presidential candidate of the Green Party of the United States .-Career and political activities:...
and Pat LaMarchePat LaMarchePatricia Helen "Pat" LaMarche is an American political figure and activist with the Green Party; she was the party's vice-presidential candidate in the 2004 U.S...
119,859 votes - 2008: Cynthia McKinneyCynthia McKinneyCynthia Ann McKinney is a former US Congresswoman and a member of the Green Party since 2007. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives. In 2008, the Green Party nominated McKinney for President of the United States...
and Rosa ClementeRosa ClementeRosa Alicia Clemente is a United States community organizer, independent journalist and hip-hop activist. She was the vice presidential running mate of 2008 Green Party Presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election.Clemente was born and raised in South Bronx, New...
161,603 votes
List of national conventions/meetings
- 1996 – Los Angeles, CALos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
- 2000 – Denver, CODenver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
- 2001 – Santa Barbara, CA
- 2002 – Philadelphia, PA
- 2003 – Washington, DC
- 2004 – Milwaukee, WI
- 2005 – Tulsa, OK
- 2006 – Tucson, AZ
- 2007 – Reading, PA
- 2008 – Chicago, ILChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
- 2009 – Durham, NC
- 2010 – Detroit, MI
See also
- Greens/Green Party USAGreens/Green Party USAIn the United States, people speak generally of the "Green Party," but there is actually more than one national-level Green political organization in the United States.- History :...
- Worldwide green partiesWorldwide green partiesA Green party or ecologist party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of Green politics. These principles usually include social justice, reliance on grassroots democracy, nonviolence, and an emphasis on environmentalism...
- List of political parties in the United States
- California Green ArchivesCalifornia Green ArchivesThe California Green Archives and special collections was formally established in 2000. Its goal is to identify, collect, preserve, and make available records of the Green movement and Green party to green activists, scholars, writers, historians, and journalists, and for posterity...
- Jello BiafraJello BiafraJello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
- Audie BockAudie BockAudie Elizabeth Bock is an American film scholar and politician who served in the California State Assembly from 1999 to 2000....
- Peter CamejoPeter CamejoPeter Miguel Camejo was an American author, activist and politician. In the 2004 United States presidential election, he was selected by independent candidate Ralph Nader as his vice-presidential running mate on a ticket which had the endorsement of the Reform Party.Camejo was a three-time Green...
- Ben ChipmanBen ChipmanBen Chipman is a Maine politician. He was elected to the Maine Legislature in 2010 by defeating Democrat Jill Barkley in District 119. Chipman ran as an independent candidate but was a longtime activist with the Maine Green Independent Party, Maine's affiliate of the Green Party of the United States...
- John EderJohn EderJohn Eder is an American activist and politician from the state of Maine. Eder lives in Portland and is a member of the Maine Green Independent Party, the Maine affiliate of the national Green Party. He served in the Maine House of Representatives as the legislature's first member of the Green...
- Mike FeinsteinMike FeinsteinMike Feinstein is an American politician and a member of the Green Party. Feinstein has been involved in political activism since 1988, after he attended a conference at the Findhorn community in Scotland entitled "The Individual and the Collective: Politics as If The Earth Mattered"...
- Matt GonzalezMatt GonzalezMatthew Edward Gonzalez is an American politician, lawyer, and activist prominent in San Francisco politics. He currently serves as chief attorney in the San Francisco Public Defender's office....
- Daniel HamburgDaniel HamburgDaniel Hamburg is an American politician and a former Democratic Party Congressman and 1998 Green Party Gubernatorial candidate from California. He remains active in both the Democratic Party and Green Party.-Early life:...
- Howie HawkinsHowie HawkinsHowie Hawkins is an American politician and activist with the Green Party of the United States and Socialist Party USA. He co-founded the anti-nuclear Clamshell Alliance in 1976 and the Green Party in the United States in 1984. He was New York's Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in the...
- Jesse JohnsonJesse Johnson (politician)Jesse C. Johnson, Jr. is an Executive Committee member and former chair of the environmentalist Mountain Party, the West Virginia affiliate of the Green Party. He has twice been his party's candidate for Governor of West Virginia, and once for a Senate seat...
- Joel KovelJoel KovelJoel Kovel is an American politician, academic, writer, and eco-socialist. A practicing psychiatrist and psychoanalyst until the mid-1980s, he has lectured in psychiatry, anthropology, political science and communication studies. He has published many books on his work in psychiatry,...
- Pat LaMarchePat LaMarchePatricia Helen "Pat" LaMarche is an American political figure and activist with the Green Party; she was the party's vice-presidential candidate in the 2004 U.S...
- David McReynoldsDavid McReynoldsDavid McReynolds is an American democratic socialist and pacifist activist who described himself as "a peace movement bureaucrat" during his 40-year career with Liberation magazine and the War Resisters League...
- Gayle McLaughlinGayle McLaughlinGayle McLaughlin is a California politician. She is a member of the Green Party and, since 2006, the mayor of Richmond, California and a member of Richmond's City Council. McLaughlin was elected on November 7, 2006 by a 279-vote margin over incumbent mayor Irma A. Anderson...
- Brent McMillanBrent McMillanBrent McMillan is the national executive director for the Green Party, working out of the party's offices in Washington, D.C. . McMillan has served as the GPUS Political Director from February 11, 2004...
- Ross MirkarimiRoss MirkarimiRoss Mirkarimi is a member of the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, California, a marijuana legalization advocate, and co-founder of the Green Party of California. He was elected in 2004 to represent District 5...
- Malik RahimMalik RahimMalik Rahim is a former Black Panther, and a long-time housing and prison activist in the U.S. state of Louisiana. He gained publicity as a community organizer in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina....
- Kent Warner SmithKent Warner SmithKent Warner Smith was a founder of the Green Party of California. He worked on the First Planetary Meeting of Greens, held in Río de Janeiro May 30–31, 1992, as a member of the International Working Group of the U.S. Greens...
- Dona SpringDona SpringDona Spring was an American and activist and Green Party politician. She served on the Berkeley City Council from 1992 until her death in 2008....
- Charlene SpretnakCharlene SpretnakCharlene Spretnak is an American author, activist, academic, and feminist. Born in 1946 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Spretnak was raised in Columbus, Ohio. She earned her B.A. from St. Louis University and her M.A. in English and American literature from the University of California, Berkeley, in...
External links
- Green Party Ballot Status and Voter Registration Totals
- Green Senatorial Campaign Committee (GSCC)
- National Lavender Greens Caucus (GLBTIQ)
- National Women's Caucus (NWC)
- Disability Caucus Identity Caucus of the United States Green Party
- California Green Archives
- 2004 Green Party Platform pdf
- The Real Difference - comparison of Green Party positions with other Parties
Explanations of the ten key values