Before we know it, another presidential election season will be upon us. A powerful voter is an informed voter but unfortunately most relevant information is not readily available. Often, people who do participate in elections only vote for who they feel is the lesser of two evils. The candidate that an individuals should support is the one whose platform aligns best with that individual's beliefs. But how can one know what candidates stand for the same set of ideals? The only candidates given any meaningful airtime are those battling in the Democratic and Republican primaries.
Well, knowledge is power. And voters need to be empowered. Perhaps if the two incumbent parties were made to realize they did not have each election in the bag they would take the desires of the people more seriously. This article gives a brief description of the political parties other than the Democrats and Republicans that exist in the United States. There are over fifteen parties not including the two major ones but this piece will speak on only four of those parties because they have greater followings than the other parties. This list includes the Libertarian, Green, Constitution and Socialist parties. A brief summary will be offered in order to give an idea of that for which each party stands. This is by no means a comprehensive look at each party's platform but instead serves as a bit of teaser to whet the intellectual appetite of the politically curious.
The Libertarian ideals include the rights of an individual's pursuit of life, liberty and property ownership not being hampered in any way by the government. According to their Statement of Principle, "The Libertarian Party does not believe in or advocate the initiation of force to achieve social or political goals." (mi.lp.org) In short, they believe that, as long as their actions are not infringing upon the rights of other individuals, people have the right to engage in peaceful activities and pursue happiness in whatever matter they choose without government interference.
The platform of the Green Party are based upon the following ten Key Values:
Grassroots Democracy - every individual having a say in decision-making that affects his/her life; Social Justice and Equal Opportunity - all individuals have a right to social and environmental resources; Ecological Wisdom - understanding that humans are a part of nature, not separate from nature and must live accordingly; Non-Violence - developing alternatives to violence and elimination of all weapons of mass destruction;Decentralization - transference of control from the powerful few to the individual and local levels; Community Based Economics - encouraging employee ownership of business and workplace democracy; Feminism and Gender Equality - replacement of a male dominated culture with a one that is open to differences of opinion and gender; Respect for Diversity - valuing cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual differences;Personal and Global Responsibility - encouraging individuals to act in ways that improve their well-being while pursuing social harmony; Future Focus and Sustainability - establishing policies that are motivated by long-term goals. (gp.org)
I will address the characteristics of the other two larger minority parties in a second post. Until then...
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