Political Action SP10

Political Action is defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as a group formed (as by an industry or an issue-oriented organization) to raise and contribute money to the campaigns of candidates likely to advance the group's interests.<ref name="Merriam-Webster Web Dictionary">[1],Definition of Political Action.</ref>

Political Action Groups

Independent Progressive Politics Network

Background

In the spring of 1995 several organizations issued a call for a National Independent Politics Summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Over 220 people of different races and cultures, from over a hundred organizations, attended the first National Independent Politics Summit due to the immense call to arms and need to reform the Democratic Party.<ref name="IPPN History">[2],IPPN History. </ref>

Objectives

This summit was organized on the basis that corporations were gaining to much power and sway over the federal government. The Independent Progressive Politics Network (IPPN) is composed of organizations as well as individuals dedicated to a a national, non-sectarian, independent progressive political party, or an alliance of such parties, as an alternative to the corporate-controlled, Democratic/Republican system. IPPN's goal is that through unity they hope to accomplish an active opposition to racism, sexism, homophobia, economic class exploitation, age discrimination and all other forms of oppression and discrimination.<ref name="IPPN Mission Statement">[3],IPPN Mission Statement. </ref>

Action

IPPN operates under eleven principles of unity which are people's power, progressive unity, economic justice, economic democracy/worker's rights, political democracy, human rights for all people, equal justice, peace and anti-imperialism, sustainable environment, opposition to racism and sexism and support for diversity and equality, and political independence.<ref name="IPPN Principles of Unity">[4],IPPN Principles of Unity. </ref> IPPN goes into further detail about each one of these principle on their website [5] The overall function and purpose of IPPN according to their by laws are:

• to foster functional democracy throughout IPPN, its processes, procedures, and activities;
• to provide effective accountability of those entrusted with IPPN leadership;
• to be broadly representative of local, state, and national independent parties and party-supporting organizations, major progressive movements, and constituent groupings, including labor, women, people of color, small farmers, people with disabilities, youth, gays and lesbians, environmentalists, seniors, tenants, and homeless people;
• to act in solidarity with similar local and global movements for justice;
• to ensure significant leadership and involvement of people of color, women, youth, and workers in IPPN; and,
• to improve communication among party organizations, and to help coalesce independent political parties and party-supporting movements and initiatives.<ref name="IPPN By Laws">[6], IPPN By Laws. </ref>

These by laws were created by IPPN to ensure that every partner organization and individual member understand the purpose of IPPN as an organization and commit themselves to reforming the state of the Democratic Party for the majority in society.

Midwest Democracy Network

Background

The Midwest Democracy Network, whose origins date back to 2005, was created to align advocates for political reform and to improve the democratic institutions in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. All the members of this Network are committed to the core democratic values of trust, fairness, choice, freedom, and knowledge in order to establish a healthy democracy.<ref name="Midwest Democracy Network Shared Values">[7], Midwest Democracy Network Shared Values. </ref>

Purpose

The Midwest Democracy Network was created to address the need and desire to:

• Establish a collective voice based on strength in numbers for democracy reform across the Great Lakes region
• Create a regional focus on consistent reform themes to gain momentum for policy makers in other states
• Create a broad-based reform that provides an outlet for various organizations to partner together on specific projects and promote good governance in the region
• Establish communication and collaboration between reform groups to share policy ideas and strategic approaches across state lines
• Provide advantageous opportunities for Midwest advocates like cutting edge scholarship and legal research
• Create economies of scale in order to work collectively and regionally so that no one works alone in their respective states <ref name="Midwest Democracy Network Purpose">[8], Midwest Democracy Network Origins. </ref>

Action

Every member and organization in the Network operates and engages in policy research and development, data collection and analysis, public and policymaker education, community organizing and coalition building, news media outreach, communications, and advocacy. By working together with participant organizations through the Network, they hope to accomplish advancement in work by improving communications among state-based advocates, identifying shared policy goals as well as setting benchmarks to measure progress, encouraging coordination and collaboration on selected projects and activities, and strengthening the policy research, development and advocacy skills of member groups as well as their institutional capabilities. <ref name="Midwest Democracy Network Actions">[9], Midwest Democracy Network How Do We Work. </ref> To achieve these goals, The Midwest Democracy Network focuses on:

• Setting a common agenda for democracy reform which reflects the member organizations' shared democratic values
• Promoting communication among partners and with national organizations by facilitating information among member organizations through quarterly meetings
• Developing opportunities for regional collaboration among member organizations
• Diversifying and expanding the reform movement to broaden and diversify the region’s reform community
• Building the capacity of our partners and identify the most pressing needs of the Network’s member organizations to provide assistance when there is a need <ref name="Midwest Democracy Network How Do We Work">[10], Midwest Democracy Network Programmatic Goals. </ref>

The Labor Party

Background

The Labor Party is a newly formed political party, it was founded in the summer of 1996 at a convention in Cleveland, Ohio with 1,400 delegates. The Labor Party is supported by numerous domestic and international unions representing over two million workers.<ref name="Labor Party Supporters">[11],The Labor Parties Supporters. </ref> Dissatisfied with both the Democratic and Republican parties, the Labor Party chose to make a break from the two traditional parties because they felt they only supported the interest of their respective corporations and did not have the interest of the working people in mind.<ref name="Labor Party Background">[12],The Labor Parties Background. </ref>

Beliefs

The Labor Party has formed as a party of working people, by working people, and for working people and they believe that both the Democratic and Republican parties have failed working people. The Labor party believes that the issues most important are trade, health care, and the rights to organize, bargain, and strike.<ref name="Labor Party Beliefs">[13],The Labor Parties Beliefs. </ref> At their founding convention in 1996, delegates form 46 states voted on and adapted a 16 point program for the labor party. <ref name="Beliefs of the Labor Party">[14],Labor Parties Beliefs. </ref> The program that was adopted is called the Call for Economic Justice.

The New Party

Background

The New Party

The New Party was in existence from 1992 until 1998. They fought for a democratic revolution in the United States. The main purpose of the New Party was to make that revolution a reality.

Beliefs

The New Party believes that all people are created equal and should have equal opportunities in all aspects of their life irrespective of race, gender, place of birth, or family inheritance.<ref name="New Party Beliefs">[15],The New Parties Beliefs. </ref>

Action

To support their beliefs in “equality, freedom, and prosperity”, the New Party advocates for the following principles<ref name="New Party Principles">[16],Principles of The New Party. </ref>:

• Full public financing of elections, free party competition, proportional representation, and universal voter registration
• The creation, defense, and support for democratic self-organization
• A sustainable economy based on responsible uses of the earth's resources
• A society in which every citizen takes their individual roles seriously
• The democratization of the banking and financial system
• A Bill of Rights for America's Children
• Community control and equal funding of public schools
• Social Reform
  • Full employment, a shorter work week, a guaranteed minimum income based off of the "social wage"
• A progressive tax system based on ability to pay
• Rebuilding cities and metropolitan regions using
  • Community led initiatives
  • Economic development
• A reduction in military spending
  • Only military spending that is essential to national defense is acceptable
  • End unilateral military intervention
• Communities that provide a safe environment to life, work, and study
• Mutually beneficial international trade with the goal of improving living standards
• "In all aspects of our economy and social life, an absolute bar to discrimination based on race, gender, age, country of origin, and sexual orientation and absolute security in reproductive rights, fundamental liberties, and privacy."

Project Vote

Project Vote Logo

Project Vote was started in 1982 and is part of Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), which is a group of low/moderate income people that aims to organize and strengthen communities in the areas of social and economic justice.

Objectives

Project Vote is a voter mobilization non profit organization. According to their website[17], their main goals are to "empower, educate, and mobilize low-income, minority, youth, and other marginalized and under-represented voters."<ref name="Project Vote Mission">[18],Mission of Project Vote.</ref> This takes the form of the Project Vote attempting to get these groups to increase voter registration/participation as well as inform people of their rights as voters.

Action

Project Vote has utilized three main programs to accomplish their goals:

• Voter Registration Program- Works in partnership with ACORN to organize registration for voters. Project Vote has helped more than six million people register to vote, including over one million leading up to the 2008 presidential election.<ref name="Project Vote Voter Registration">[19], Project Vote Voter Registration Program.</ref>

• Election Administration Program- Through this program, Project Vote is trying to stop policies and bills that restrict voter access to polls and elections. This involves tracking a lot of bills in various areas of the country, as well as attempting to get past voter suppression schemes through strategies such as paperless registration or voting pre-registration, where children age 16-17 are registered to vote for when they turn 18.<ref name="Project Vote Election Administration Program">[20], Project Vote Election Administration Program.</ref>

• Public Agency Registration Program- This program works to expand on a provision of the Nation Voter Registration Act[21], which was enacted in 1993 to increase the number of registered voters. The provision that Project Vote works to increase is the provision that enables public assistance program (such as Food Stamps or Medicaid) clients to provide voter registration opportunities. Project Vote aids various states and social assistance programs in enforcing these programs. <ref name="Project Vote Public Agency Registration">[22], Project Vote Public Agency Registration.</ref>

FairVote (Formerly the Center for Voting and Democracy)

Background

FairVote, is a non-profit election reforming organization based in Maryland. It was founded in 1992 under the name the Center for Voting and Democracy, with the goal of getting more universal participation in elections, smarter balloting choices as well as a full representation in government of all citizens.

Objectives

FairVote supports the constitution protecting the right to vote, universal voter registration (as stated above), a national popular vote for president (all of a states electoral votes go to the candidate that gets the most votes), instant-runoff voting (candidates are ranked in terms of preference) and proportional representation.

Social Justice?

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