Unit: American Minor Parties Continued
 Ideological
 Single-Issue
 Economic
 Splinter
 Green**
Protest
 Their
organization is based on a coherent set
of particular beliefs regarding society,
economics and politics.
 These beliefs are usually have shades of
Marxist ideals.
 Ideological parties do not receive many
votes, but they have long lives.
 Examples: The Socialist Party USA and the
Libertarian Party
 The
Libertarian Party stresses independent
living with responsibility.
 That means each person has the right to
control their own lives as they see fit.
 The party was created in 1971, and has
become America’s third largest party.
Since 1980, The Socialist Party USA has been
recognized by the Federal Election Commission
as a national party.
 The Socialist Party USA: Statement of Principles“THE SOCIALIST PARTY strives to establish a radical


democracy that places people's lives under their own
control -- a non-racist, classless, feminist, socialist
society in which people cooperate at work, at home,
and in the community.”
This party has local commissions in 22 states; they
are mainly in the Midwest, and the East Coast
 These
parties focus on only one policy
agenda; as the name suggests.
 Single-Issue parties disband because their
issues became unimportant to the population
as a whole, their issue did not attract voters
and either one of the major parties take on
their issue.
 Examples: Free Soil and Right to Life parties




In 1848 the anti-slavery Democrats
merged with the Conscience Wigs to
form the Free Soil Party.
There single policy issue was the
abolition of slavery in the District of
Columbia and to exclude slavery in
federal territories.
They also supported homestead laws,
high tariffs and internal improvements
sponsored by the federal government.
Their candidate in 1848 was Martin
Van Buran, and he received enough
votes to split the Democratic vote;
That allowed for Zachary Taylor (a
Whig) to win the presidential election.
These parties form during economic discontent.
 Rather than form their own ideology, they state
their anger of the major parties and demand a
better future.
 Their anger is usually focused on abstract ideas,
like the monetary system.
 Economic Protest parties have historically gained
support from the agricultural West and South.
 These parties usually disappear as economics
times have improved.
 Examples: Greenback and Populist parties

The Populist party is seen as a continuation of
the Greenback party.
 They demanded public ownership of railroads
and telephone and telegraph companies, lower
tariffs, and the adoption of the initiative and
referendums.
 This party started because of droughts in the
West, and low cotton prices in the south.
 The Populist Party had a candidate win a
senatorial election in Kansas; his name was
William Peffer (treated as a joke). Also, the
Populist Party gained control of the Kansas
legislature.

 But,
the Populist Party disbanded because of
fraud, intimidation and violence from
Southern Democrats. Also, factions stated to
appear; some people wanted to “fuse” with
the Democrats while others sought to remain
a third party.
These parties broke away from one of the major
parties.
 They have historically been the most important
minor parties.
 Usually, splinter parties form around a
charismatic leader who failed to win an election
with a major party.

 Democrats:
The Progressive Party of 1948
with Henry Wallace, the State’s Rights
(Dixiecrat) Party of 1948, and the American
Independent Party of 1968 with George
Wallace.
 Republican: The Bull Moose-Progressive Party
of 1912 with Theodore Roosevelt. And, the
Progressive Party of 1924 with Robert La
Follette
 Created
by Theodore Roosevelt because he
lost the Republican party’s presidential
nomination to William Howard Taft.
 He thought that Taft was not doing a good
job in office, so he formed his own party.
 The party’s platform called for women’s
suffrage, social welfare for women and
children, farm relief, revisions in banking,
health insurance for industries, workers
compensation, and easier methods to amend
the constitution.
 In
the election of 1912 Theodore
Roosevelt ran against Taft, and many
people believe that his entrance into
the race split the republican vote.
 That led to Woodrow Wilson winning the
presidency.
 After the 1912 election the “Bull
Moose” party floundered in state and
local elections.
 When Theodore Roosevelt refused to
run in 1916, the party dissolved.
 In
1984, the Green Party began as a SingleIssue party.
 But, it evolved into a minor party that goes
beyond any categories.
 The
Green Party came to prominence during
the 2000 election when Ralph Nader was its
presidential nominee.
 That campaign was based on environmental
protection, universal health care, gay and
lesbian rights, restraints on corporate power,
campaign finance reform and opposition to
global free trade; those are just a few of
Nader’s 2000 campaign issues.
 This
party gains support through community
campaigning, and not from corporations.
 The Ten Key Values of the Green Party of the
United States: Grassroots democracy, social
justice and equal opportunity, ecological
wisdom, non-violence, decentralization,
community-based economics and economic
justice, feminism and gender equality,
respect for diversity, personal and global
responsibility and future focus and
sustainability.