Green Party of the United States

The political movement that began in 1985 as the decentralized Committees of Correspondence[23] evolved into a more centralized structure by 1990, opening a national clearinghouse and forming governing bodies, bylaws and a platform as the Green Committees of Correspondence (GCoC) and by 1990 simply The Greens. The organization conducted grassroots organizing efforts, educational activities and electoral campaigns.

Internal divisions arose between members who saw electoral politics as ultimately corrupting and supported the notion of an "anti-party party" formed by Petra Kelly and other leaders of the Greens in Germany[24] vs. those who saw electoral strategies as a crucial engine of social change. A struggle for the direction of the organization culminated in a "compromise agreement", ratified in 1990 at the Greens National Congress in Elkins, West Virginia and in which both strategies would be accommodated within the same 527 political organization renamed the Greens/Green Party USA (G/GPUSA). It was recognized by the FEC as a national political party in 1991.

The compromise agreement subsequently collapsed and two Green Party organizations co-existed in the United States until 2019 when the Greens/Green Party USA was dissolved. The Green Politics Network was organized in 1990 and the National Association of Statewide Green Parties formed by 1994. Divisions between those pressing to break onto the national political stage and those aiming to grow roots at the local level continued to widen during the 1990s. The Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) encouraged and backed Nader's presidential runs in 1996 and 2000. By 2001, the push to separate electoral activity from the G/GPUSA issue-based organizing led to the Boston Proposal and the subsequent rise of the Green Party of the United States. The G/GPUSA lost most of its affiliates in the next few months and dropped its FEC national party status in the year 2005.

The Green Party of the United States follows the ideals of green politics, which are based on the Four Pillars, namely:

1. Ecological wisdom,
2. Social justice,
3. Grassroots democracy, and
4. Nonviolence.[25]

The Ten Key Values, which expand upon the Four Pillars, are as follows:[4]

1. Grassroots democracy,
2. Social justice and equal opportunity,
3. Ecological wisdom,
4. Nonviolence,
5. Decentralization,
6. Community-based economics,
7. Feminism and gender equality,
8. Respect for diversity,
9. Personal and global responsibility, and
10. Future focus and sustainability.

The Green Party doesn't accept donations from corporations, political action committees (PACs), 527(c) organizations or soft money. The party's platforms and rhetoric harshly criticize corporate influence and control over government, media, and society at large.[26]

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In 2016, the Green Party passed a motion in favor of rejecting both capitalism and state socialism, supporting instead an "alternative economic system based on ecology and decentralization of power".[27] The motion states the change that the party says could be described as promoting "ecological socialism", "communalism", or perhaps the "cooperative commonwealth".[27] The Green Party rejection of both state socialism and capitalism and their promotion of communalism which was created by libertarian socialist Murray Bookchin places the Green Party into the ideology of libertarian socialism.[28] The eco-socialist economy the Green Party of the United States wants to create is similar to the market socialist mutualist economics of Proudhon which consists of a large sector of democratically controlled public enterprises, a large sector of cooperative enterprises, and a smaller sector of small businesses and self-employed.[29][30] Consumer goods and services would be sold to consumers in the market by cooperatives, public enterprises, and small businesses.[29] Services that would be for free include health care, education, child care, and urban mass transit. Goods and services that would be available at low cost would include public housing, power, broadband, and water.[29] The party will also create cooperative banks offering low interest somewhat similar to Proudhon's Mutualist banks.[31] Howie Hawkins who was nominated by the Green Party to run for president of the United States in 2020 identifies as a libertarian socialist.[32]

The Green Party supports the implementation of a single-payer healthcare system and the abolition of private health insurance in the United States.[33] They have also called for contraception and abortion procedures to be available on demand.[34] The Green Party has called for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, an act that prohibits the use of federal taxpayer funds for abortions, unless in the cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.[33]

The Green Party calls for providing tuition-free college at public universities and vocational schools, increasing funding for after-school and daycare programs, cancelling all student loan debt, and repealing the No Child Left Behind Act. They are strongly against the dissolution of public schools and the privatization of education.[35]

In 2006, the Green Party developed a Green New Deal that would ultimately serve as a transitional plan to a 100% clean, renewable energy including solar and wind energy by 2030 utilizing a carbon tax, jobs guarantee, tuition-free college, single-payer healthcare and a focus on using public programs.[36][37]

Howie Hawkins focused his gubernatorial campaign on the Green New Deal, which was the first time the policy was introduced.[38] Jill Stein also developed her presidential campaign based on the Green New Deal.[39]

The Green Party favors the abolition of the death penalty, repeal of three-strikes laws, banning of private prisons, legalization of marijuana, and decriminalization of other drugs.[40]

The Green Party advocates for "complete and full" reparations to the African American community, as well the removal of the Confederate flag from all government buildings.[41]

The party supports same-sex marriage, the right of access to medical and surgical treatment for transgender and gender-nonconforming people, and withdrawing foreign aid to countries with poor LGBT+ rights records.[41]

In the early decades of Green organizing in the United States, the prevailing American system of money-dominated elections was universally rejected by Greens, so that some Greens were reluctant to have Greens participate in the election system at all because they deemed the campaign finance system inherently corrupt. Other Greens felt strongly that the Green Party should develop in the electoral arena and many of these Greens felt that adopting an alternative model of campaign finance, emphasizing self-imposed contribution limits, would present a wholesome and attractive contrast to the odious campaign finance practices of the money-dominated major parties.

Over the years, some state Green parties have come to place less emphasis on the principle of self-imposed limits than they did in the past. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that Green Party fundraising (for candidates' campaigns and for the party itself) still tends to rely on relatively small contributions and that Greens generally decry not only the rise of the Super PACs, but also the big-money system, which some Greens criticize as plutocracy.

Some Greens feel that the Green Party's position should be simply to follow the laws and regulations of campaign finance.[42] Other Greens argue that it would injure the Green Party not to practice a principled stand against the anti-democratic influence of money in the political process. Candidates for office, like Jill Stein, the 2012[43] and 2016 Green Party nominee for the President of the United States, typically rely on smaller donations to fund their campaigns.

The Green Party calls on the United States to join the International Criminal Court, and sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and Non-Proliferation Treaty. Additionally, it supports cutting the defense budget in half, as well as prohibiting all arms sales to foreign countries.[44]

The Green Party supports the 2015 Iran nuclear deal to decrease sanctions while limiting Iran's capacity to make nuclear weapons.[45]

The Green Party advocates for the Palestinian right of return and cutting all U.S. aid to Israel. It has also expressed support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.[46] The Green Party supports "...the creation of one secular, democratic state for Palestinians and Israelis on the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the River Jordan as the national home of both peoples, with Jerusalem as its capital."[47]

Some political analysts argue that the party's tickets have resulted in elections being spoiled for the Democratic Party, with Republican candidates winning – most notably George W. Bush's defeat of Al Gore in 2000[18][19][48][21] and Donald Trump's victory in 2016.[49] In 2019, former Green presidential candidate Ralph Nader told The Washingtonian that, while he still does not consider himself a spoiler, he regretted not entering the 2000 Democratic primary.[50] A 2020 The New York Times article highlighted previous efforts by members of the Republican Party to use the Green Party to spoil elections in their party's favor.[51]

The United States Senate's probe into Russian election interference investigated Jill Stein and the Green Party for potential collusion and looked to better understand why and how Russia was promoting the party.[52] Politico and Newsweek reported that Russian state actors covertly promoted Stein and other Green Party candidates on Facebook prior to the 2016 elections.[49][53] NBC News reported that a "growing body of evidence [exists] that [shows] the Russians worked to boost the Stein campaign as part of the effort to siphon support away from Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and tilt the election to Trump."[52] NBC News additionally documented over 100 instances where Stein appeared on Russian state media, receiving favorable coverage.[52] In 2015, Stein was photographed dining at the same table as Russian president Vladimir Putin at the RT 10th anniversary dinner, leading to controversy.[52] Stein contended that she had no contact with Putin at the dinner and described the situation as a "non-event".[54]

Stein's 2016 foreign policy positions regarding Russian topics have been considered by some to have mirrored those of the Russian government, in some instances, including concerning the annexation of Crimea.[52][53]

On October 16, 2019, a joint candidate letter called for reform in the Green Party's presidential primary process in response to the party's announcement that it would remove unrecognized candidates from its website list that November, an effort which Green candidates claimed was being to done to help the Hawkins campaign secure the party's nomination.[55] This was followed by allegations of conflicts of interest among the party's leadership, members of which the candidates believed were helping party co-founder Howie Hawkins, and of an alleged overlooking of a violation of Green Party rules that would have disqualified Hawkins from running as a Green, due to him also seeking the Socialist Party's nomination.[55]

After the 2020 Green Party Nominating Convention named Hawkins as their presidential candidate, runner-up Dario Hunter announced via Twitter that he would continue to pursue the presidency as an independent candidate.[56] Hunter cited alleged irregularities and undemocratic processes throughout the Green Party presidential primary, stating that party leaders had committed “ethical lapses” to ensure Hawkins nomination, and criticizing Hawkins for what he saw as his "imperialist perspective" and "CIA talking points.”[56][57]

The Green Party has two national committees recognized by the Federal Election Commission (FEC):

• The Green National Committee (GNC)
• The Green Senatorial Campaign Committee (GSCC)[58]

The GNC is composed of delegates elected by affiliated state parties. The state parties also appoint delegates to serve on the various standing committees of the GNC. The National Committee elects a steering committee of seven co-chairs, a secretary and a treasurer to oversee daily operations. The National Committee performs most of its business online, but it also holds an annual national meeting to conduct business in person.[59]

Five Identity Caucuses have achieved representation on the GNC:

• National Black Caucus[60]
• Latinx Caucus[61]
• Lavender Greens Caucus[2] (LGBTQIA+)
• National Women's Caucus[62]
• Young Ecosocialists[63]

Other caucuses have worked toward formal recognition by the GNC:

• Disability Caucus[64]
• Labor Caucus[65]
• Indigenous Caucus[66]
• Elder Caucus[67]

The following is a list of accredited state parties which comprise the Green Party of the United States.[74]

The Green National Convention is scheduled in presidential election years and the Annual National Meeting is scheduled in other years.[76] The Green National Committee conducts business online between these in-person meetings.

• 1996 – Los Angeles, California
• 2000 – Denver, Colorado
• 2001 – Santa Barbara, California
• 2002 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• 2003 – Washington, D.C.
• 2004 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• 2005 – Tulsa, Oklahoma
• 2006 – Tucson, Arizona
• 2007 – Reading, Pennsylvania
• 2008 – Chicago, Illinois
• 2009 – Durham, North Carolina
• 2010 – Detroit, Michigan
• 2011 – Alfred, New York
• 2012 – Baltimore, Maryland
• 2013 – Iowa City, Iowa
• 2014 – Saint Paul, Minnesota
• 2015 – St. Louis, Missouri
• 2016 – Houston, Texas
• 2017 – Newark, New Jersey
• 2018 – Salt Lake City, Utah
• 2019 – Salem, Massachusetts
• 2020 – Virtual Online (originally planned for Detroit, Michigan prior to COVID-19 pandemic)

With exception to state legislatures and major city councils, all other legislative bodies included in the following chronological table had/have more than two affiliated members simultaneously serving in office.[91][92]

Years	Government position	Jurisdiction	State	Notes
2001–2022	Minority (1/13 seats) 2001–2005: (2/13 seats)	Minneapolis City Council	Minnesota
2018–2019	Minority (1/141 seats)	Maryland House of Delegates	Maryland
2017–2018	Minority (2/154* seats)[lower-alpha 1]	Maine House of Representatives	Maine
2002–2006	Minority (1/151 seats)
2016–2017	Minority (2/5 seats)	Anoka Water Conservation District	Minnesota
2013–2015	Minority (1/100 seats)	Arkansas House of Representatives	Arkansas
2008–2009	Minority (1/100 seats)
2002–2014	Minority Fluctuated (3–4 out of 9 seats)	Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board	California
2009–2013	Majority (3/5 seats)	Fairfax Town Council	California
2004–2008	Minority (2/5 seats)
1990–2012	Minority Fluctuated (2–5 out of 30 seats)	Douglas County Board of Supervisors	Wisconsin
2001–2009	Minority Fluctuated (2–4 out of 20 seats)	Madison Common Council	Wisconsin
1998–2008	Minority Fluctuated (2–4 out of 39 seats)	Dane County Board of Supervisors	Wisconsin
2004–2008	Minority Fluctuated (3–4 out of 29 seats)	Portage County Board of Supervisors	Wisconsin
2000–2008	Majority (3/5 seats)	Sebastopol City Council	California
2004–2007	Minority Fluctuated (2–4 out of 9 seats)	Portland Board of Education	Maine
2003–2007	Minority (2/7 seats)	Kalamazoo City Commission	Michigan
2004–2006; 1996–1998	Majority (3/5 seats)	Arcata City Council	California
2002–2004; 1998–2000	Minority (2/5 seats)
2002–2006	Majority (3/5 seats)	School Board of Twin Ridges Elementary	California
2003–2004	Majority (3/5 seats)	New Paltz Village Council	New York
2002–2004	Minority (1/80 seats)	New Jersey General Assembly	New Jersey
1998–2004	Minority (2/7 seats)	Santa Monica City Council	California
2001–2003	Minority (2/30 seats)	New Haven Board of Aldermen	Connecticut
2000–2002	Minority (2/8 seats)	Salem City Council	Oregon
2000–2002	Minority (2/8 seats)	Santa Fe City Council	New Mexico
1995–2002	Minority (2/5 seats)	Point Arena Town Council	California
1999	Minority (1/80 seats)	California State Assembly	California
1996–1998	Minority (2/8 seats)	Fayetteville City Council	Arkansas

Bold indicates race where Green candidate was elected to office