United States Natural Law Party
Encyclopedia
The Natural Law Party was a United States
political party
affiliated with the international Natural Law Party
. It was founded in 1992 and mostly dissolved in 2004. Leading members of party were associated with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
, leader of Transcendental Meditation movement
.
The party proposed that political problems could be solved through alignment with the Unified Field of all the laws of nature through the use of the TM-Sidhi program
. Its other policies were uncontroversial.
The U.S. version of the Natural Law Party ran John Hagelin
as its presidential candidate in 1992, 1996, and 2000. The party also ran congressional and local candidates. It attempted to merge with the Reform Party
in 2000. The NLP in the United States and other countries parties were largely disbanded in 2004. Several state affiliates have kept their ballot positions and have allied with other small parties.
and more advanced techniques. Due to scientific studies of these techniques, it considered this to be a science-based approach.
The NLP proposed that a government subsidized group of 7,000 advanced meditators known as Yogic Flyers would lower nationwide stress, reduce unemployment, raise the gross national product, improve health, reduce crime, and make the country invincible to foreign attack. Hagelin called it a "practical, field-tested, scientifically proven" solution. TM would be taught to the military, to students, in prisons, and to ordinary citizens.
Hagelin predicted that implementation of the program would result in $1 trillion in savings from reduced costs for medical care, criminal prosecutions and prisons, national defense, and other government expenses. It recommended adoption of The Grace Commission
reforms. The party supported a flat tax
.
Election-related proposals included replacing the Electoral College
with popular vote, automatic voter registration, public funding of campaigns, reducing the campaign season, and the elimination of political action committee
s.
Civil right planks included equal rights for women and gays, replacing bans on abortion with prevention programs, and a national referendum on capital punishment
. It opposed the legalization of drugs. In 1992, it suggested the appointment of former Secretary of State George Schultz as drug czar
.
It endorsed organic, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and conservation.
Slogans included: "Only a new seed will yield a new crop", and "bring the light of science into politics". Catchphrases included: "prevention-oriented solutions" and "conflict-free politics".
, president of Maharishi University of Management
(then called "Maharishi International University"), was the founding chairman of the party, which was founded April 22, 1992, in Fairfield, Iowa
.
The party said it had no direction connection to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
or to TM. Hagelin said, "It's not a transcendental meditation party", and denied any connection between the Maharishi University of Management and his campaign. Tompkins said that more than half of its founders were connected to the TM movement. One critic said that it was "just another front group for the TM movement". By one report, almost all of the 92 candidates who ran on the NLP slate in California in 1996 were TM practitioners.
The Natural Law Party had to qualify separately in each state to nominate a presidential candidate. It used 300 signature gatherers, both paid and volunteer, in California alone. The party submitted 5,724 signatures in Iowa, as the party announced at a press conference attended by Mike Love
, a member of The Beach Boys
and a TM supporter. Nevada required 9,392 signatures. The NLP joined the another small party in suing the state over their early deadline, and they succeeded in getting a court to order a second chance to qualify. The NLP qualified after submitting 11,000 valid signatures. The party submitted the required 250,000 signatures in California too late to qualify for the ballot there. By the time of the election, Hagelin was on the ballot in 31 states plus the District of Columbia.
It was certified as a national party by the Federal Election Commission
(FEC) in September 1992, making it eligible for federal campaign funds.
, a 37-year old physics professor at Maharishi University of Management
(MUM), was the NLP candidate for president of the United States in the 1992. He said that he had been uninterested in politics and a Republican
by "default" prior to the campaign. Mike Tompkins
, also on the MUM staff, was his running mate
. They were formally chosen at the party's 400-person convention in Washington D.C. on October 5, 1992, although they had been campaigning already. Both of them took six-month leaves of absence from the university to campaign.
Hagelin proposed that all candidates should have their brain waves recorded by EEG
and the resulting "mental profiles" should be publicly disclosed, so that the voters could see which candidates had the best "brain-wave stability". He said that the test would "allow us to avoid the possibility of a brain-dead candidate". The proposal was dropped due to a poor reception.
Hagelin was excluded from the presidential debates and he asked the FEC to take over the process. He did participate in the Alternative Candidates' National Debate along with the candidates or representatives of three other parties. Hagelin's campaign cost several million dollars.
The NLP had nine candidates for U.S. Congress in California. The sole congressional candidate in Massachusetts was a movement employee. Two people tried to get on the ballot for congress in Missouri, but one succeeded in getting enough petition signatures. The party said it had 100 candidates running in state and local offices. The NLP ran a candidate in Illinois for Senate. There were reported to be between 80 and 175 candidates on the NLP slate.
The Beach Boys
raised funds for the NLP during a summer concert tour. Mike Love said he was switching his support from George H. W. Bush
to Hagelin.
In addition to its own slate, the NLP also endorsed candidates in other races, including Republicans and New Alliance Party
members.
Hagelin came in third in a non-binding straw poll held in Fayette, Missouri
, after visiting there twice. He received 20% of the 352 votes cast, ahead of Bob Dole
and Ross Perot
. The party published a 172-page platform booklet, the longest of any party.
Hagelin said that the party had been treated as a political curiosity in 1992, but had become a political force by 1995. The party was the subject of jokes on late-night TV shows, and its leaders admitted that some voters rejected the party due to the Maharishi's teachings.
By January 1996, the party had collected $400,000 in donations, while Hagelin's campaign had received about $300,000 plus $100,000 in matching funds.
Hagelin threatened to sue the organizers of the National Issues Convention, a forum on social issues held in January 1996, if he was not allowed to participate along with the Republican and Democratic candidates. He continued to have trouble attracting attention from the media. At the Utah press conference announcing that the NLP had qualified for the ballot, only a single reporter attended. NLP candidates, including Hagelin, said they did not expect to win but were using the campaigns to spread their message.
During the 1996 election, the party ran hundreds of candidates for seats in the United States House of Representatives, against both Democratic and Republican incumbents. The successful candidates were mostly in California
, where many of them received about 3% of the vote, and Ohio
, where some candidates received 4% or 5% of the vote. The candidate running against Democrat James Traficant
, a conservative Democrat with no Republican opposition that year, received 9%. In South Carolina
, the party received 10% of the vote against Republican Floyd Spence
who had no other opposition.
In California, psychiatrist Harold H. Bloomfield ran as candidate for Governor
in 1998.
, The coalition failed when Patrick Buchanan took control of the Reform Party.
On March 31, 2000 the FEC certified primary season matching funds for John Hagelin, who was seeking the nomination of the Natural Law and Reform Parties. Hagelin was the second minor party presidential candidate to qualify; the first was Pat Buchanan. Ralph Nader eventually qualified as well. According to the Federal Election Commission
(FEC), the NLP spent $2.3 million on its presidential campaign in the 1999-2000 election cycle.
In the 2000 Presidential election, Hagelin received 84,000 votes.
Following Hagelin's and the Natural Law Party's failed attempt at a coalition with the Reform Party in 2000, the Natural Law Party ran its own ticket of Hagelin and Nat Goldhaber
. The pair appeared on 38 ballots and received 83,702 votes or 0.1% of the total. This poor finish led Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to stop endorsing the Party and very few members renewed their membership in 2001. By 2003, the Natural Law Party had so weakened that it endorsed Dennis Kucinich
, a Democrat, for President, rather than try to achieve ballot status
for a candidate of its own, having lost all but 10 ballot lines.
Between 2000 and 2004, the Natural Law Party sought to create an independent coalition of voters interested in election law
reform. In 2002, the party endorsed Independence Party of Minnesota
candidate for Minnesota Governor, Tim Penny
.
In 2004, the Natural Law Party endorsed Democratic Party
presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich
.
In 2004, The Socialist Party
presidential ticket of Walt Brown
and Mary Alice Herbert
secured the NLP ballot lines in Delaware and Michigan.
According to the Natural Law Party official web site, the national headquarters of the Natural Law Party closed effective on April 30, 2004 and the US Peace Government is now carrying forward the programs, policies, and ideals of the Natural Law Party. The party is still active in some states.
On April 30, 2004, the Natural Law Party officially disbanded its national organization, although a few state parties still remained active. The South Carolina
branch of the party was taken over by the Green Party. However, several candidates were on the ballot in 2004 under the Natural Law banner, including Socialist Party
Presidential Candidate Walt Brown
. In 2006 the Idaho Natural Law Party merged with the new United Party, with the United Party taking over the ballot line via a name change. Only the Michigan and Mississippi Natural Law parties remained as ballot-qualified parties.
, and thus remained the only Natural Law Party still active in the United States of America. However, on June 16 the Idaho Natural Law Party changed its name to the United Party.
The Mississippi Natural Law Party nominated the Socialist Party presidential ticket of Brian Moore
and Stewart Alexander
, though they were ultimately barred from appearing on the Mississippi ballot due to a legal controversy surrounding the deadline hour for filing their presidential electors.
The NLP in the United States was largely disbanded in 2004. However some state affiliates, such as Michigan, have kept their ballot positions and have allied with other small parties.
Many party activists have shifted their attention to a new political arm of the Transcendental Meditation movement
, the United States Peace Government.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
affiliated with the international Natural Law Party
Natural Law Party
The Natural Law Party was a transnational party based on the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It was active in up to 74 countries, and ran candidates in at least ten. Founded in 1992, it was mostly disbanded in 2004 but continues in India and in some U.S. states.The NLP viewed "natural law" as...
. It was founded in 1992 and mostly dissolved in 2004. Leading members of party were associated with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi , born Mahesh Prasad Varma , developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and was the leader and guru of the TM movement, characterised as a new religious movement and also as non-religious...
, leader of Transcendental Meditation movement
Transcendental Meditation movement
The Transcendental Meditation movement is a world-wide organization, sometimes characterised as a neo-Hindu new religious movement, founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1950s...
.
The party proposed that political problems could be solved through alignment with the Unified Field of all the laws of nature through the use of the TM-Sidhi program
TM-Sidhi program
The TM-Sidhi program is a form of meditation introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1975. It is based on, and described as a natural extension of the Transcendental Meditation technique...
. Its other policies were uncontroversial.
The U.S. version of the Natural Law Party ran John Hagelin
John Hagelin
John Samuel Hagelin is an American particle physicist, three-time candidate of the Natural Law Party for President of the United States , and the director of the Transcendental Meditation movement for the US....
as its presidential candidate in 1992, 1996, and 2000. The party also ran congressional and local candidates. It attempted to merge with the Reform Party
Reform Party of the United States of America
The Reform Party of the United States of America is a political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot...
in 2000. The NLP in the United States and other countries parties were largely disbanded in 2004. Several state affiliates have kept their ballot positions and have allied with other small parties.
Platform
"Natural Law" referred to "the ultimate source of order and harmony displayed throughout creation." Harmony with Natural Law could be accomplished by the practice of Transcendental MeditationTranscendental Meditation
Transcendental Meditation refers to the Transcendental Meditation technique, a specific form of mantra meditation, and to the Transcendental Meditation movement, a spiritual movement...
and more advanced techniques. Due to scientific studies of these techniques, it considered this to be a science-based approach.
The NLP proposed that a government subsidized group of 7,000 advanced meditators known as Yogic Flyers would lower nationwide stress, reduce unemployment, raise the gross national product, improve health, reduce crime, and make the country invincible to foreign attack. Hagelin called it a "practical, field-tested, scientifically proven" solution. TM would be taught to the military, to students, in prisons, and to ordinary citizens.
Hagelin predicted that implementation of the program would result in $1 trillion in savings from reduced costs for medical care, criminal prosecutions and prisons, national defense, and other government expenses. It recommended adoption of The Grace Commission
The Grace Commission
The Private Sector Survey on Cost Control , commonly referred to as The Grace Commission, was an investigation requested by United States President Ronald Reagan, in 1982. The focus of it was waste and inefficiency in the US Federal government. Its head, businessman J. Peter Grace, asked the...
reforms. The party supported a flat tax
Flat tax
A flat tax is a tax system with a constant marginal tax rate. Typically the term flat tax is applied in the context of an individual or corporate income that will be taxed at one marginal rate...
.
Election-related proposals included replacing the Electoral College
Electoral college
An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way...
with popular vote, automatic voter registration, public funding of campaigns, reducing the campaign season, and the elimination of political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
s.
Civil right planks included equal rights for women and gays, replacing bans on abortion with prevention programs, and a national referendum on capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
. It opposed the legalization of drugs. In 1992, it suggested the appointment of former Secretary of State George Schultz as drug czar
Drug Czar
Drug Czar is an informal name for the person who directs drug-control policies in the United States, following the U.S. use of the 'czar' term. The 'drug czar' title was first published in a 1982 news story by United Press International which reported that “Senators... voted 62–34 to establish a...
.
It endorsed organic, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and conservation.
Slogans included: "Only a new seed will yield a new crop", and "bring the light of science into politics". Catchphrases included: "prevention-oriented solutions" and "conflict-free politics".
Founding
Bevan MorrisBevan Morris
Bevan G. Morris is the president of Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, President of the Global Country of World Peace, President of Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, Prime Minister of the United States Peace Government, President of the Maharishi World Peace...
, president of Maharishi University of Management
Maharishi University of Management
Maharishi University of Management , formerly known as Maharishi International University, is a non-profit, American university, located in Fairfield, Iowa. It was founded in 1973 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and features a "consciousness-based education" system that includes the practice of the...
(then called "Maharishi International University"), was the founding chairman of the party, which was founded April 22, 1992, in Fairfield, Iowa
Fairfield, Iowa
Fairfield is a city and the county seat of Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,464 in the 2010 census, a decline from 9,509 in the 2000 census. - History :...
.
The party said it had no direction connection to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi , born Mahesh Prasad Varma , developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and was the leader and guru of the TM movement, characterised as a new religious movement and also as non-religious...
or to TM. Hagelin said, "It's not a transcendental meditation party", and denied any connection between the Maharishi University of Management and his campaign. Tompkins said that more than half of its founders were connected to the TM movement. One critic said that it was "just another front group for the TM movement". By one report, almost all of the 92 candidates who ran on the NLP slate in California in 1996 were TM practitioners.
The Natural Law Party had to qualify separately in each state to nominate a presidential candidate. It used 300 signature gatherers, both paid and volunteer, in California alone. The party submitted 5,724 signatures in Iowa, as the party announced at a press conference attended by Mike Love
Mike Love
Michael Edward "Mike" Love is an American singer/songwriter and musician with The Beach Boys. He was a founding member of the band along with his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine, and continues to perform with the band to the present day...
, a member of The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
and a TM supporter. Nevada required 9,392 signatures. The NLP joined the another small party in suing the state over their early deadline, and they succeeded in getting a court to order a second chance to qualify. The NLP qualified after submitting 11,000 valid signatures. The party submitted the required 250,000 signatures in California too late to qualify for the ballot there. By the time of the election, Hagelin was on the ballot in 31 states plus the District of Columbia.
It was certified as a national party by the Federal Election Commission
Federal 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...
(FEC) in September 1992, making it eligible for federal campaign funds.
1992
John HagelinJohn Hagelin
John Samuel Hagelin is an American particle physicist, three-time candidate of the Natural Law Party for President of the United States , and the director of the Transcendental Meditation movement for the US....
, a 37-year old physics professor at Maharishi University of Management
Maharishi University of Management
Maharishi University of Management , formerly known as Maharishi International University, is a non-profit, American university, located in Fairfield, Iowa. It was founded in 1973 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and features a "consciousness-based education" system that includes the practice of the...
(MUM), was the NLP candidate for president of the United States in the 1992. He said that he had been uninterested in politics and a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
by "default" prior to the campaign. Mike Tompkins
Mike Tompkins
Mike Tompkins is a U.S. politician who was the Natural Law Party vice presidential candidate during the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections.-Education and career:...
, also on the MUM staff, was his running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
. They were formally chosen at the party's 400-person convention in Washington D.C. on October 5, 1992, although they had been campaigning already. Both of them took six-month leaves of absence from the university to campaign.
Hagelin proposed that all candidates should have their brain waves recorded by EEG
EEG
EEG commonly refers to electroencephalography, a measurement of the electrical activity of the brain.EEG may also refer to:* Emperor Entertainment Group, a Hong Kong-based entertainment company...
and the resulting "mental profiles" should be publicly disclosed, so that the voters could see which candidates had the best "brain-wave stability". He said that the test would "allow us to avoid the possibility of a brain-dead candidate". The proposal was dropped due to a poor reception.
Hagelin was excluded from the presidential debates and he asked the FEC to take over the process. He did participate in the Alternative Candidates' National Debate along with the candidates or representatives of three other parties. Hagelin's campaign cost several million dollars.
The NLP had nine candidates for U.S. Congress in California. The sole congressional candidate in Massachusetts was a movement employee. Two people tried to get on the ballot for congress in Missouri, but one succeeded in getting enough petition signatures. The party said it had 100 candidates running in state and local offices. The NLP ran a candidate in Illinois for Senate. There were reported to be between 80 and 175 candidates on the NLP slate.
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
raised funds for the NLP during a summer concert tour. Mike Love said he was switching his support from George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
to Hagelin.
In addition to its own slate, the NLP also endorsed candidates in other races, including Republicans and New Alliance Party
New Alliance Party
The New Alliance Party was an American political party formed in New York City in 1979. Its immediate precursor was an umbrella organization known as the Labor Community Alliance for Change, whose member groups included the coalition of Grass Roots Women and the New York City Unemployed and...
members.
1994
The NLP ran slates of candidates in the 1994 mid-term election. Four candidates ran in Nevada. It hired professional petition gatherers to try to qualify 12 candidates for the ballot in Missouri.1995
The party started collecting petitions in 1995 for the 1996 election. It submitted 110,000 signatures in California, about 35,000 from San Diego County alone. It spent up to $250,000 on signature gatherers, in addition to its volunteer efforts. Party officials said that 70% of the signatures came from students. It submitted 55,000 signatures to qualify in Ohio, half of which were collected by volunteers. It made a serious effort to get on the ballot in all 50 states.Hagelin came in third in a non-binding straw poll held in Fayette, Missouri
Fayette, Missouri
Fayette is a city in Howard County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,793 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Howard County. It is in the Columbia, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, after visiting there twice. He received 20% of the 352 votes cast, ahead of Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
and Ross Perot
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
. The party published a 172-page platform booklet, the longest of any party.
Hagelin said that the party had been treated as a political curiosity in 1992, but had become a political force by 1995. The party was the subject of jokes on late-night TV shows, and its leaders admitted that some voters rejected the party due to the Maharishi's teachings.
1996–1998
In 1996, the NLP called itself the "fastest-growing grassroots party with 700 candidates on the ballot in 48 states". It ran 92 candidates for local, state, and federal offices in California alone. There were about 50 on the ballot in Ohio.By January 1996, the party had collected $400,000 in donations, while Hagelin's campaign had received about $300,000 plus $100,000 in matching funds.
Hagelin threatened to sue the organizers of the National Issues Convention, a forum on social issues held in January 1996, if he was not allowed to participate along with the Republican and Democratic candidates. He continued to have trouble attracting attention from the media. At the Utah press conference announcing that the NLP had qualified for the ballot, only a single reporter attended. NLP candidates, including Hagelin, said they did not expect to win but were using the campaigns to spread their message.
During the 1996 election, the party ran hundreds of candidates for seats in the United States House of Representatives, against both Democratic and Republican incumbents. The successful candidates were mostly in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where many of them received about 3% of the vote, and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, where some candidates received 4% or 5% of the vote. The candidate running against Democrat James Traficant
James Traficant
James Anthony Traficant, Jr. is a former Democratic Representative in the United States Congress from Ohio . He represented the 17th Congressional District, which centered on his hometown of Youngstown and included parts of three counties in northeast Ohio's Mahoning Valley...
, a conservative Democrat with no Republican opposition that year, received 9%. In South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, the party received 10% of the vote against Republican Floyd Spence
Floyd Spence
Floyd Davidson Spence was a Republican politician from South Carolina.-Early life and education:Spence was born in Columbia, South Carolina in 1928, but spent most of his life in nearby Lexington County. Shortly after graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, retiring as...
who had no other opposition.
In California, psychiatrist Harold H. Bloomfield ran as candidate for Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
in 1998.
2000
In 2000, Hagelin created an independent coalition between the Natural Law and the Reform PartyReform Party of the United States of America
The Reform Party of the United States of America is a political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot...
, The coalition failed when Patrick Buchanan took control of the Reform Party.
On March 31, 2000 the FEC certified primary season matching funds for John Hagelin, who was seeking the nomination of the Natural Law and Reform Parties. Hagelin was the second minor party presidential candidate to qualify; the first was Pat Buchanan. Ralph Nader eventually qualified as well. According to the Federal Election Commission
Federal 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...
(FEC), the NLP spent $2.3 million on its presidential campaign in the 1999-2000 election cycle.
In the 2000 Presidential election, Hagelin received 84,000 votes.
Following Hagelin's and the Natural Law Party's failed attempt at a coalition with the Reform Party in 2000, the Natural Law Party ran its own ticket of Hagelin and Nat Goldhaber
Nat Goldhaber
A. Nathaniel Goldhaber is an American venture capitalist, computer entrepreneur and politician. He was the 2000 U.S. Vice President candidate for the Natural Law Party.-Education:...
. The pair appeared on 38 ballots and received 83,702 votes or 0.1% of the total. This poor finish led Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to stop endorsing the Party and very few members renewed their membership in 2001. By 2003, the Natural Law Party had so weakened that it endorsed Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....
, a Democrat, for President, rather than try to achieve ballot status
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...
for a candidate of its own, having lost all but 10 ballot lines.
Between 2000 and 2004, the Natural Law Party sought to create an independent coalition of voters interested in election law
Election law
Election law is a discipline falling at the juncture of constitutional law and political science. It researches "the politics of law and the law of politics"...
reform. In 2002, the party endorsed Independence Party of Minnesota
Independence Party of Minnesota
The Independence Party of Minnesota , formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is the third largest political party in Minnesota, behind the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Republican Party . It is the political party of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura , and endorsed former U.S...
candidate for Minnesota Governor, Tim Penny
Tim Penny
Timothy Joe "Tim" Penny , is an American politician from Minnesota. Penny was a Democratic-Farmer-Labor member of the United States House of Representatives, 1983–1995, representing Minnesota's 1st congressional district in the 98th, 99th, 100th, 101st, 102nd and 103rd congresses.-Early life:Penny...
.
2004
The Natural Law Party did not run a candidate for president in the 2004 U.S. election and Hagelin went on to create an organization called the US Peace Government.In 2004, the Natural Law Party endorsed Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....
.
In 2004, The Socialist Party
Socialist Party USA
The Socialist Party USA is a multi-tendency democratic-socialist party in the United States. The party states that it is the rightful continuation and successor to the tradition of the Socialist Party of America, which had lasted from 1901 to 1972.The party is officially committed to left-wing...
presidential ticket of Walt Brown
Walt Brown
Walter Frederick Brown is an American politician and was the presidential candidate of the Socialist Party USA in the 2004 elections. Brown became a socialist in 1948. He served as Democratic member of the Oregon State Senate from 1975 to 1987. Brown also served as a Socialist Party of Oregon...
and Mary Alice Herbert
Mary Alice Herbert
Mary Alice "Mal" Herbert ran for Vice President as the candidate for the Socialist Party USA in 2004. She and her running-mate, Walt Brown, pulled in 10,837 votes, the highest total for the Socialist Party since 1952....
secured the NLP ballot lines in Delaware and Michigan.
According to the Natural Law Party official web site, the national headquarters of the Natural Law Party closed effective on April 30, 2004 and the US Peace Government is now carrying forward the programs, policies, and ideals of the Natural Law Party. The party is still active in some states.
On April 30, 2004, the Natural Law Party officially disbanded its national organization, although a few state parties still remained active. The South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
branch of the party was taken over by the Green Party. However, several candidates were on the ballot in 2004 under the Natural Law banner, including Socialist Party
Socialist Party USA
The Socialist Party USA is a multi-tendency democratic-socialist party in the United States. The party states that it is the rightful continuation and successor to the tradition of the Socialist Party of America, which had lasted from 1901 to 1972.The party is officially committed to left-wing...
Presidential Candidate Walt Brown
Walt Brown
Walter Frederick Brown is an American politician and was the presidential candidate of the Socialist Party USA in the 2004 elections. Brown became a socialist in 1948. He served as Democratic member of the Oregon State Senate from 1975 to 1987. Brown also served as a Socialist Party of Oregon...
. In 2006 the Idaho Natural Law Party merged with the new United Party, with the United Party taking over the ballot line via a name change. Only the Michigan and Mississippi Natural Law parties remained as ballot-qualified parties.
2006
The Idaho Natural Law Party remained active, and was prepared to have three candidates on the ballot for state and federal office in 2006 by entering into a coalition with the new United PartyUnited Party
United Party is a term used various political parties:* United Party of Canada* United Party * United States United Party* United Party of National Development, Zambia* United Party * United Party * United Party...
, and thus remained the only Natural Law Party still active in the United States of America. However, on June 16 the Idaho Natural Law Party changed its name to the United Party.
2008
On July 30, 2008, the Michigan Natural Law Party nominated Ralph Nader for president, ensuring the appearance of the Nader/Gonzalez campaign on the Michigan ballot. Nader received 33,085 votes in Michigan, helping the Natural Law Party maintain ballot status in Michigan.The Mississippi Natural Law Party nominated the Socialist Party presidential ticket of Brian Moore
Brian Moore (politician)
Brian Patrick Moore is an United States politician and founder of antiwar organization Nature Coast Coalition for Peace & Justice. He was the presidential nominee of the Socialist Party USA for the 2008 United States presidential election. He waged several campaigns for mayor and city council in...
and Stewart Alexander
Stewart Alexander (politician)
Stewart Alexis Alexander is an American democratic socialist politician, presidential nominee for the Socialist Party USA in the 2012 election., and former SPUSA nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2008 election....
, though they were ultimately barred from appearing on the Mississippi ballot due to a legal controversy surrounding the deadline hour for filing their presidential electors.
The NLP in the United States was largely disbanded in 2004. However some state affiliates, such as Michigan, have kept their ballot positions and have allied with other small parties.
Many party activists have shifted their attention to a new political arm of the Transcendental Meditation movement
Transcendental Meditation movement
The Transcendental Meditation movement is a world-wide organization, sometimes characterised as a neo-Hindu new religious movement, founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1950s...
, the United States Peace Government.
Presidential tickets
- 1992—John HagelinJohn HagelinJohn Samuel Hagelin is an American particle physicist, three-time candidate of the Natural Law Party for President of the United States , and the director of the Transcendental Meditation movement for the US....
& Mike TompkinsMike TompkinsMike Tompkins is a U.S. politician who was the Natural Law Party vice presidential candidate during the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections.-Education and career:...
(37,137 0.04%) - 1996—John Hagelin & Mike Tompkins (113,670, 0.12%)
- 2000—John Hagelin & Nat GoldhaberNat GoldhaberA. Nathaniel Goldhaber is an American venture capitalist, computer entrepreneur and politician. He was the 2000 U.S. Vice President candidate for the Natural Law Party.-Education:...
(83,702, 0.08%)