Yale Political Union

University debating

The Yale Political Union (YPU), a debate society that is the largest student organization at Yale University, was founded in 1934 by Professor Alfred Whitney Griswold (1906–1963), who would later become University President, to combat the apathy that characterized Yale's political culture in the 1930s. It was modelled on the Cambridge University and Oxford University Unions, and members of the YPU have reciprocal rights at its sister societies in England. ["TWO YALE GROUPS TURN TO POLITICS; New Union's Plan to Train an Intelligent Minority for Leadership Is Approved.", "The New York Times", December 9, 1934.] The Union has at times been the central forum for political discussion and activism at Yale. Its officers over the years have included Senator John Kerry, Senator David Boren, Attorney General Edwin Meese, Governor George Pataki, William F. Buckley, and Fareed Zakaria.

The Union is a non-partisan debate society. A speaker moderates weekly debates according to "Robert's Rules of Order". The Union's highest ranking officer is the President, elected for a term of one semester, who oversees the Union's day to day affairs and provides leadership in setting the tone of any given semester. [http://www.yale.edu/ypu/constitution.html] The office of President was split into the offices of President and Speaker in late 1961.

A prominent figure (e.g., politician, journalist, etc.) is often invited to keynote a Yale Political Union debate. Students then have the opportunity to ask questions of the guest, and then give speeches of their own, either in support or opposition to the resolution. This ability to allow students to interact with relevant political figures is often considered one of the great strengths of the organization.

Parties

The Union is an umbrella organization that currently contains seven Parties: the Liberal Party (Lib), the Party of the Left (PoL), the Progressive Party (Prog), the Independent Party (IP), the Conservative Party (CP), the Tory Party (Tory), and the Party of the Right (PoR). ["Can the YPU bring back its glory days?" "The Yale Herald", September 9, 2005 Vol. XL, No. 2.] ["Party of the Left seeks to leave no leftist behind" "The Yale Herald", March 31, 2006 Vol. XLI, No. 10.] These Parties are actually independent debating societies that host their own debates and activities apart from Union activities, though members will come together for weekly Union debates. The Parties are traditionally listed in the order given above, from Left to Right. [http://www.yale.edu/ypu/]

In the past the Political Union has had other Parties, including a Bull Moose Party, a Constitutional Union Party, and a Labor Party, but not all at the same time. Seven Parties is an all time high for the total number of parties. Two is the all time low. Four has been fairly typical. All of the Parties contribute in their own unique way to the Union's character.

Though party size and membership varies greatly over the decades, currently the Independent Party is the largest Party in the Union, maintaining a bit more than a quarter of the voting membership of the Union. The Party of the Right follows at roughly two-thirds of the size of the Independent Party, with the Party of the Left next at about half as large as the Independent Party. The Liberal, Tory, Conservative, and Progressive Parties follow in that order, all between three-quarters and three-fifths the size of the Party of the Left.

These Parties have their own political leanings, as their names might suggest, but they are better understood as being distinguished by different styles. For instance, the Parties on the Right tend to have more formal debates that cover philosophical topics. The Parties on the Left tend to have a more casual atmosphere than the Parties on the Right, while still engaging in political dialogue.

The Liberal Party is one of the three founding constituent Parties of the Political Union, along with the Conservatives and the (now defunct) Labor Party. The Liberal Party holds discussions rather than debates, and tends to be less formal.

The Party of the Left is the newest party of the Union. It was formed in the spring of 2006 to satisfy a desire for more formal philosophical debate on the Left of the Union, emphasizing a synthesis of first principles and policy. PoL debates are more formal than Liberal Party debates and more serious than those of the Progressive Party. PoL debates often concern "the questions that divide the Left."

The Progressive Party defines itself as "debating silly topics using perfect parliamentary procedure." The Progressive Party takes pride in being able to bring a sense of a humor to the Union floor, and student speakers at a debate should be prepared for one of the classic "Prog questions," which often contain a lot of innuendo and can be tricky to answer appropriately.

The Independent Party covers nearly the entire political spectrum. The Independent Party has been the largest of the seven Parties since 2001. The Party, unlike others in the Union, debates policy as well as philosophy and is known for its explicit goal and motto: "Hear All Sides".

The Conservative Party is committed to the production of principled and profound leaders. The Party's debates focus on the principles of Western Civilization, and are often highly philosophical.

The Tory Party developed from a split in the Party of the Right during the Spring of 1969. The Tory Party is a society of philosophical conservatives, tending toward Burkean traditionalism, an English aesthetic, and "reasoned conservatism." Members of the Tory Party often hold high office in the Union, including three of the last four Union Presidents.

The Party of the Right was founded in 1952. The Party has been described in a recent Yale Herald article as "at once flamboyant, intellectually elitist, aggressive, mischievously subversive, (fascistic), eccentric, and maniacally eager to challenge anyone and everyone." ^{[http://yaleherald.com/article.php?Article=6386]} It is fond of saying: "We care not what you think, only that you think."

History

"This Union can be of undoubted value to nation and to the University, provided it maintains independence and voices the true thoughts of those participating...Honest debates will help in the search for truthful answers." - Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933

Founded in 1934, the Yale Political Union has played a key role on Yale's campus for more than 70 years. Like most organizations, it has had periods of flourishing, as well as less prosperous spells. Once the only organization devoted to political debate on campus, it remains a unique and high-quality forum for oratory and political dialogue. ["Can the YPU bring back its glory days?" "The Yale Herald", September 9, 2005 Vol. XL, No. 2.]

All sides agree that the Union is not as influential as it once was. Members note that this is the result of several factors. Many believe that it is simply one of the effects of Yale's metamorphosis from Old Yale into the vibrant modern Yale of 2008, which has notably included the rise of activism on campus. A few point to the presidency of current Massachusetts Senator John F. Kerry, who was President of the YPU as an undergraduate at Yale. Kerry attempted to create a more national role for the organization, with a greater emphasis on outside speakers. Some Union members felt that this removed the YPU's focus from its most central goal of student debate, and given Kerry's subsequent prominence he is frequently cited as a negative turning point by members on the right, although he did enjoy enough support to be reelected. Eventually, Union debate came to be a combination of a keynote speaker and ensuing student speeches. This push and pull between outside speakers and student debate has characterized the Union for at least thirty years.

The YPU regained strength throughout the 1970s, during which period the Liberal Party was by far the largest, but then it suffered a severe blow shortly after A. Bartlett Giamatti became the Yale President. Giamatti, violating numerous agreements and covenants established with the Union, "repurposed" the YPU building/debate hall. Today, it is used for office space and storage. ["YPU begins inquiry into storied past." "Yale Daily News", November 29, 2007.]

After several years of rebuilding, the Union recovered its numerical strength. This recovery moved into rapid gear during Spring term of 1984 (under the presidency of Fareed Zakaria) when membership tripled to 900 during a term highlighted by a nationally televised debate. By the end of 1986, active membership rolls comprised over 1200 members, nearly 1/4 of the entire student body at Yale, and the YPU successfully launched a Model Congress, a magazine, an annual three-day visit to Washington DC (for meetings with Cabinet Members, Supreme Court Justices, IMF and World Bank heads, foreign Ambassadors and even the Director of the National Gallery of Art), and an on-topic debate team (which sent two union members overseas to the world debate championships). Then, the one-vote failure of an attempt to acquire the much financially stronger Yale International Relations (Model UN) program at Yale in Spring 1987 (which would have made for a political powerhouse on campus), and the earlier 1980's loss of the YPU's dedicated facilities slowed momentum, and membership declined after a poor recruit in the fall of 1988.

In the early 1990s, membership reached its peak in YPU history. It then fell again, as a spurt of new political organizations on campus diverted politically active Yalies. ["The Yale Political Scene--left, right and center." "The Yale Herald", Freshman Issue, Summer 1998.] Though smaller, the parties were relatively stronger and tighter institutions during this period. Most have remained intimate organizations, though with somewhat larger membership, to the current day.

One of the few enduring YPU spinoff publications, "Rumpus Magazine", was founded by members of the Progressive Party in 1992. For the first 3-4 years of its publication, "Rumpus" remained closely linked to the YPU. One of the more sordid scandals of the period, involving a member who misappropriated the YPU's long-distance phone access number for calls to a racy 1-900 number from his senior single, was broken by "Rumpus" in the Fall of 1994.

As more and more Yale undergraduate organizations were founded, the YPU had the misfortune of losing its offices under Bingham Hall. It managed to retain its small office on Crown Street, where it currently resides, although the Union has recently begun a capital campaign to raise funds for a new building. ["YPU begins inquiry into storied past." "Yale Daily News", November 29, 2007.] During its various moves, many irreplaceable historical archives were lost, although the YPU's collection of paraphernalia signed by noteworthy public figures is sizeable. The YPU hit a low point in membership in the late 1990s. The YPU President, an Independent Party member, was impeached in the Fall of 1997, leading to the near collapse of the Independent Party. The effects of this crisis took some time to reverse, though by 2001 the Independent Party was largely restored and began an impressive period of growth. Although membership remains roughly 25% of its last peak in the 1990s, the Political Union is nevertheless the largest undergraduate organization at Yale, with approximately 325 active members (as of the end of 2007). ["YPU begins inquiry into storied past." "Yale Daily News", November 29, 2007.]

Officers

Union Officers are elected at the end of each semester (except for the Treasurer who holds a year-long term). All Officers are members of the Executive Board of the Union, although not all of the Officers have votes on the Executive Board. There are two primary officers, a Speaker, and a President, and a number of other offices, that have varied over the years, including Vice President(s), Treasurer, and Secretary. The Speaker is the most important officer during the actual periods when the Yale Political Union is in session, and runs the meetings, deciding on points of parliamentary procedure as necessary. The President is the most important officer while the Yale Political Union is not in session, and runs the Executive Board, with primary responsibility for planning the meetings, the seasonal calendar, and the overall strategy of the group.

The Advisory Committee

The recent constitutional amendments passed on April 4, 2006, created a new Advisory Committee to "advise the Executive Board and the President and provide long term planning for the Union." Past Presidents of the Union are automatically nominated for membership, subject to approval by the Executive Board, and there may be up to four other members on the Committee at any one time (subject to nomination by the Chairman of the Committee and approval by the Executive Board). [http://www.yale.edu/ypu/constitution.html] The Senior Sometime President on the Committee is constitutionally designated as the Chairman of the Committee.

The Advisory Committee was the object of criticism from some members of the Union who believed it to have acted in an inappropriate fashion during the Presidential elections of the Fall Term of 2006.

Chairmen

Each Party in the Political Union is headed by a Chairman, although the Liberal Party and the Party of the Left use the gender-neutral term 'Chair.' (During the tenure of the Chairmen of the Party of the Right and Conservative Party, the holder of that office prefers to be referred to as "The Chairman" instead of his or her given name.) All of these Chairmen either serve personally on or send proxies to the Executive Board and the Rules Committee of the Union.

Notable Alumni

Notable alumni of the YPU include:
* William Bundy, President, Spring and Fall 1938
* Edwin Meese, President, Fall 1951
* Senator John F. Kerry, President, Fall 1964 and Spring 1965
* J. Harvie Wilkinson, President, Fall 1965 and Spring 1966
* Richard Brookhiser, Chairman of POR, 1975
* Evan Wolfson, Speaker, 1976
* Peter Keisler, Speaker, Chairman of the POR
* Michael J. Astrue, President, 1977, Chairman of the Tory Party, 1975
* Fareed Zakaria, President, Spring 1984
* David Boren, Speaker
* John Bolton, Floor Leader of the Right, 1968
* Governor Bob Taft
* Governor George Pataki
* William F. Buckley

Notable recent guests

* Blogger Arianna Huffington September 17, 2008
* Senator Rick Santorum April 3, 2008 [http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/24207]
* Presidential Candidate Senator Mike Gravel February 12, 2008 [http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/23498]
* Founder of the Free Software Movement Richard Stallman, October 17, 2007 [http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/21889]
* New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller, September 24, 2007 [http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/21486]
* Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, April 5, 2007 [http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/20615]
* Former Senatorial Candidate Ned Lamont, January 24, 2007 [http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2007/01/lamont_speaks_o.php] [http://yaledailynews.com/articles/view/19556] .
* Justice Antonin Scalia, November 9, 2006 [http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/18885]
* William F. Buckley Jr., November 1, 2006, for his final public speech on matters of policy [http://www.yaledailynews.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=34099] .
* Al Sharpton, October 17, 2006 [http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/18449]
* Michael Dukakis, September 13, 2006 [http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/17867]
* John Bolton, October 4, 2005 [http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/14956]

External links

* [http://www.yale.edu/ypu Yale Political Union]
* [http://www.yale.edu/libs The Liberal Party of the Yale Political Union]
* [http://www.yale.edu/partyoftheleft The Party of the Left]
* [http://www.yale.edu/progs The Progressive Party of the Yale Political Union]
* [http://www.yale.edu/ip The Independent Party of the Yale Political Union]
* [http://www.yale.edu/cp The Conservative Party of the Yale Political Union]
* [http://www.yale.edu/tory The Tory Party of the Yale Political Union]
* [http://www.partyoftheright.org The Party of the Right]

* [http://www.yaleherald.com/article.php?Article=4269 An article from the Yale Herald on the state of the Political Union]
* [http://stromata.typepad.com/stromata_blog/2004/08/john_kerrys_yal.html An article on Sen. John Kerry's YPU career, written by the first Chairman of the Tories, a political union contemporary]