Populist Party of America
Encyclopedia
- This article relates to the political organization founded in 2002. For the organization existing from 1887 to 1908 which was colloquially known by the same name, see Populist Party (United States)Populist Party (United States)The People's Party, also known as the "Populists", was a short-lived political party in the United States established in 1891. It was most important in 1892-96, then rapidly faded away...
.
The Populist Party of America, founded in 2002, is an "anti-statist", libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
which claims to offer "real solutions" to American problems through the establishment of what they have termed "constitutional democracy". The Populist Party of America should not be confused with original American "Populist Party" or any of the several other American parties called "Populist". The Populist Party of America is a coalition of libertarian activists, ranging in political ideology from the left to the center-right, who are working to enact democratic reforms to the American sociopolitical structure.
History
The Populist Party was founded in 2002 with the intent of offering "real solutions" by establishing what the party termed a "constitutional democracy." The party established a set of planks that its supporters follow. The Populist Party did not field a candidate in the 2004 United States Presidential election or the 2008 United States Presidential election.Platform
The Populist Party platform is based on a much-decentralized government in the United States, from where it is as of January 2008. Planks in the party include opposition to any federal government action that is not specifically authorized by the United States ConstitutionUnited States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. This affects a wide area of issues currently in play, such as the War in Iraq, which was started without a formal declaration of war from Congress.
Another platform establishes that the United States Constitution is a "failed Constitution." One tenet of this plank includes citizen-legislation on a local level. Another tenet says that the people should follow the advice of the Anti-Federalist Papers
Anti-Federalist Papers
The Anti-Federalist Papers are a collection of articles, written in opposition to the ratification of the 1787 United States Constitution. Unlike the Federalist Papers written in support of the Constitution, the authors of these articles, mostly operating under pen names, were not engaged in a...
and founding fathers such as Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry was an orator and politician who led the movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. A Founding Father, he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779 and subsequently, from 1784 to 1786...
and Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine
Thomas "Tom" Paine was an English author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
(who opposed the Constitution).
Another plank is that the party is opposed to American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as they were both started without a Congressional declaration of war
Declaration of war
A declaration of war is a formal act by which one nation goes to war against another. The declaration is a performative speech act by an authorized party of a national government in order to create a state of war between two or more states.The legality of who is competent to declare war varies...
. The plank includes an opposition to militarism in general, aiming for peaceful non-aggression, rather than the alternative.
The party emphasizes the Bill of Rights
United States Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty and property. They guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and...
and specifically the 9th Amendment
Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, addresses rights of the people that are not specifically enumerated in the Constitution.-Text:-Adoption:When the U.S...
and 10th Amendment
Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, was ratified on December 15, 1791...
to the United States Constitution.
The overall platform of the party supports a complete overhaul of the system of government in the United States, which they seek to achieve through the growth of a peaceful, “people-based” movement. They advocate direct citizen legislation with a “strict adherence to the Bill of Rights serving to protect the liberties of every person.”