Politics in the United States have long been dominated by atwo - party scheme . But over the course of the country ’s history , various group at state and federal levels have attempt to break into the system – each supporting issues and views unrepresented by the dominant party . Even barriers like the ballot entree laws that make it unmanageable for third parties to get on a tag have n’t check these substitute parties from occasionally come up to the vanguard .

In 2000 , theGreen Partywas just such a grouping , nominate political activist and former independent nominee Ralph Nader for chairman . Nader in the end took 2.7 percent of the democratic ballot in a race where a crack of only 0.5 per centum separated Republican candidateGeorge W. Bushfrom Democratic candidate Al Gore .

Due to this exposure and a growing state - level grassroots campaign , the Green movement continued to gain steam follow the 2000 election . head for the hills on such payoff as environmental responsibility , nonviolence and global obligation , the Greens currently boast 230 member in elected office throughout the U.S. and over 300,000 register party members nationwide . The Greens have even superintend to reach voting condition in 20 commonwealth and the District of Columbia .

But where did the Green motion come from ? What are its core time value and where is it going ? In this article , we ’ll answer each of these interrogation and get to the bottom of just how green politics oeuvre in the U.S.

Green Party Values

T­­he word " fleeceable " is often associated with environmental issues . Sure enough , the topic of bionomical responsibility plays a major theatrical role in Green Party positions . But just as the modern environmental movement begin to emerge in mainstream politics in the sixties , so too did a number of other socially liberal , peace - orient concepts .

The Greens divide their core feeling into what they call " The Greens ' Ten Key Values . "

In the next section , we ’ll take a look at the history of the Green Party and how it spring up to its spectacular third - party condition .

History of the Green Party

presently , there are two Green Parties in the United States . The more prominent and restrained of the two is theGreen Party of the United States , which currently holds national committee condition under the Federal Elections Commission . The other organization , The Greens / Green Party USA , is more of a political and environmental protagonism mathematical group , though a few province and federal candidates have run for office under its streamer .

Both organisation , however , can trace their history back to the Green Committees of Correspondence and various state - stratum Green Parties before that .

The Green Committees of Corresp­ondence

The first Green Parties in the U.S. sprang up at the state level in the early eighties . They were inspired by the success of Green Parties in Europe and the South Pacific . In 1984 , Green activists from across the country gathered in St. Paul , Minnesota to take shape the Green Committees of Correspondence . They named the group after a trunk devise by American colonists in 1764 to coordinate communication outside the colony . The early version of the Greens ' Ten Key Values emerged from the formation of the Green Committees of Correspondence .

In the years that follow , the country party see with local winner through a few grassroots maneuver :

Two parties

The Green Party in the U.S. advocated not only reform but radical variety in areas like national defence mechanism and environmental policy . They remained a loose federation of state mathematical group funded by member due andcontributionsfrom non - embodied supporters . But would the party be an activistic governance or a political party ? To clarify this , the Greens take over the name the Greens / Green Party USA , with " the Greens " representing their status as a political movement and " Green Party USA " representing their status as a growing political party .

However , a 1996 split in the Greens see the formation of theNational Association of State Green Parties ( NASGP ) . The unexampled group focused on mainstream , conventional political goals and the Greens / Green Party USA pushed left - wing ideas . The NACSGP was formed as a confederacy of body politic immature party , signify that its members were state - level gullible parties rather than individual .

The NACSGP convince attorney and political activist Ralph Nader to run as the party ’s presidential candidate that same year . American Indian environmentalist and feminist Winona LaDuke joined the ticket as Nader ’s running mate . Nader ’s campaign be a bare $ 5,000 but managed to get the candidate on the ballots of 22 land . He placed 4th in the election with 0.8 per centum of the vote , just behind Ross Perot , who ran on the Reform Party ticket .

But what happened in that famous contested 2000 presidential election ? What have the Greens done since then ? Find out on the next page .

The Green Party’s Recent History

The 2000 presidential election ascertain the Green Party rise to the head of third political party politics in the United States . This time around , the Nader / LaDuke military campaign raised gazillion of dollars . By running heavily on an anti - corporate platform , they were able to make the ballot in 44 states and capture 2.7 percent of the vote . Nader ran under the standard of the NACSGP and rejected the additional nominating speech of the Greens / Green Party USA .

Liberal Democrats who feared Nader would steal away balloting from Democratic candidate Al Gore had urged Nader to drop out of the race early on in the campaign . The party ’s reply , however , was that Gore differed little from Republican nominee George W. Bush . They emphasized that their goal was to make a lasting third party in the U.S.

But when Gore fall back to Bush by a simple ( and much contest ) 0.5 percent of the vote , many label Nader a spoiler . Critics reason that if he had not been there to attract the votes of registered Democrats , his 2.7 per centum of the vote would have given Al Gore enough votes to overcome Bush .

Nader guardian , however , debate that the real pamperer in the 2000 election were the U.S.Supreme Courtfor allegedly provide " election handling " by Florida Republicans , Al Gore for run a " weak campaign " and the Democratic Party itself for not properly suing or pushing for an investigating of the disqualification of 90,000 Florida voters [ source : Green Party of the United States ] .

Despite Nader ’s 2.7 percent in the 2000 election , the company need a full 5 percent of the national vote to become eligible for federal matching funds in the 2004 election . Still , Nader ’s campaign gained the Green Party additional exposure , pushing it ahead of the Reform political party as a dominant third company in American politics .

depend on on this success , the NACSGP vote in 2001 to become a co-ordinated , home party , changing its name to the Green Party of the United States . This change draw in a prominent number of members off from the Greens / Green Party USA .

While both Green Parties are still active , the Green Party of the United States claims a larger membership and commands a slap-up presence among elected official . Efforts to merge the two mathematical group have been abortive .

In the 2004 presidential election , Green Party General Counsel David Cobb won the political party ’s presidential nomination while Nader hunt down as an independent nominee . Nader wound up with 1 per centum of the pop voter turnout . Cobb gain 0.92 percent .

As of June 2007 , the Green Party of the United States claim 226 elect officials in 28 commonwealth . move toward the 2008 election , four Greens are presently seek the political party ’s nominating speech for president : Jesse Johnson of West Virginia , Green Party of Texas co - chair Kat Swift , former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and California environmentalist Kent Mesplay . The party also continues to court Ralph Nader to run under the Green Party banner .

Presidential aspiration apart , the party go forward to influence to cement their role as a vital third political party in the U.S. and not follow past notable third party into obscurity by having their key view absorbed .

For more information on the Green Party and elections , look over the connection on the next page .

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