Populist Party of America

Infobox_American_Political_Party
party_name = Populist Party
party_
chairman = None
senateleader = None
houseleader = None
foundation = 2002
ideology = Constitutional Democracy, Limited government, Direct democracy, Localism, Citizen Legislation, Referendum, Free Market
fiscalpolicy = Center-right
socialpolicy = libertarian
international = None
colors = Red, White, and Blue
headquarters = Los Angeles, CA
website = http://www.populistamerica.com
footnotes = |

The Populist Party of America, founded in 2000, is an "anti-statist", libertarian political party 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 the Populist Party (United States) 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, and has not yet fielded a candidate in 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 Constitution. 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 plank 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 and founding fathers such as Patrick Henry and Thomas Paine (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. 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 and specifically the 9th Amendment and 10th Amendment 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.”

ee also

*Democracy
*Direct democracy
*Populism

External links

* [http://www.populistamerica.com Populist Party of America]
* [http://www.midwest-populistamerica.com Midwest Populist Party]
* [http://www.populistamerica.com/the_populist_papers The Populist Papers]