The United States Green Party Stance

The United States Green Party is a unique political organization, both in its core platform and its method of organizing. The party was created on a grassroots level in response to the perception that politics in the United States was becoming the domain of big business and corporate money.

Green Party: 10 Key Values

The stance of the United States Green Party encompasses 10 key values. These values reflect the ideals, goals and political stance of the Green Party and influence every aspect of the Green Party platform:

1. Grassroots Democracy: The group seeks to increase the level of participation of the public in political affairs and to increase opportunities for individuals to actively participate in the democratic decision-making process.
2. Social Justice and Equal Opportunity: The Green Party is committed to opening doors to equal opportunity for people regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or class.
3. Ecological Wisdom: The Green Party also staunchly supports ecological conservation and efforts to preserve the environment. This includes working toward using sustainable resources and becoming more energy-efficient as a society. However, the Green Party is in no way affiliated with Greenpeace, a militant activist group.
4. Non-Violence: The group is very committed to finding alternate, non-violent methods of conducting international relations and is also interested in demilitarizing and eliminating weapons of mass destruction. While recognizing the need for self-defense and the defense of those who are vulnerable, the Green Party seeks meaningful avenues of reducing violence around the planet in order to work toward world peace.
5. Decentralization: The Green Party believes that the collection of money and power in the hands of a few leads to a non-democratic society. The group seeks to offer more meaningful opportunities for people to participate in government and the democratic process and also strives to uphold personal liberties.
6. Community-Based Economics and Economic Justice: The Green Party supports community-based business and workers' rights. It also seeks to build an economic foundation that balances the community and the environment.
7. Feminism and Gender Equality: The Green Party has a strong belief in gender equality and has a commitment to counter the stereotypes and limitations that have been historically placed on women.
8. Respect for Diversity: The Green Party believes in respect for people regardless of race, religion, gender and sexual orientation and works toward policy that encourages respect for people of all backgrounds and beliefs. It also believes in a respect for all living things and supports biodiversity.
9. Personal and Global Responsibility: In order to accomplish its aims, the Green Party stresses individual and group responsibility as a core belief. Attainment of the goals of the party cannot be achieved without a meaningful attempt to act in a responsible and thoughtful manner, with both personal integrity and an eye toward the group benefit as well.
10. Future Focus and Sustainability: This key value is at the heart of the Green Party's stance. Foresight and long-term vision and goals are of the utmost importance to the group, which views government as self-perpetuating and largely ineffective. The Green Party looks well beyond a single generation and short-term gains and seeks to begin action and policy now that will positively affect future generations.

The Green Party Platform

The above-mentioned values figure into all aspects of the Green Party platform. Some significant aspects of this platform include:

• demilitarization and reduction of arms worldwide
• equal treatment of the sexes and races under the law
• gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights
• reforms in civil liberties.
• supporting the arts in education
• universal healthcare.

Recent issues that the party has advocated include withdrawing troops from Iraq and changing the criminal justice system to more fairly deal with minorities.