With the 2016 Presidential election drawing nearer and nearer, it's hard to turn on the television or scroll through social media without seeing something about Democrats, Republicans or the candidates seeking the nomination. With two parties hogging the spotlight constantly, it's easy to forget that the Democrat and Republican parties aren't the only ones out there. While there are numerous other parties, here is some basic information on the three third parties that stand out the most in American politics today.
The Green Party
The Green Party of the United States was founded in 1984 and has had some recognizable names as nominees for the position of President of the United States, including Ralph Nader in 2000 and Jill Stein in 2012. This environmentally-concerned party operates based on the ideals of 10 key values: grassroots democracy, social justice and equal opportunity, ecological wisdom, non-violence, decentralization, community-based economics, feminism and gender equity, respect for diversity, personal and global responsibility and future focus and sustainability. All of this and more information on this eco-friendly, liberal party is available on their website.
The Libertarian Party
According to their website, the "Libertarian Party is for all those who don't want to push people around and don't want to be pushed around themselves." Formed in 1971, the Libertarian Party lives by the code of John Locke's "life, liberty, and property," placing high importance on freedom, independence and personal responsibility. They are also widely outspoken against government interference in almost all aspects of their lives, and believe that "government's only role is to help individuals defend themselves from force or fraud."
The Reform Party
Founded in 1995, the Reform Party is a moderate party that, according to website, believes that they can "work to re-establish trust in our government by electing ethical officials dedicated to fiscal responsibility and political accountability." They hope to achieve this goal by enforcing their core party principles: to set the highest ethical standards for the White House and Congress, balance the budget, campaign reform, create a new tax system, put together plans to deal with Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, promote jobs in the United States, lobby reform, individual rights and stop illegal immigration.
Now that I have armed you with the basic information about these three parties, I encourage you to get out there and do some research of your own. Not only on these third parties, but others such as the Constitution Party or the Modern Whig Party. Even if you're a die-hard Democrat or a committed Republican, it's still important to understand and recognize the other parties that make American politics the broad and diverse world that it is.
