ECOLOGY
Climate Crisis
The Green Party recognizes that civilizations – and the living systems of the earth – require a healthy climate and that we disregard negative human impact on the environment at our peril. Consequently we support such measures as (a) greater use of renewable energy, (b) a carbon tax and a fee-dividend system to reflect the true environmental and social price of fossil fuel use, (c) sustainable agricultural practices, (d) creation of green jobs (including by direct government stewardship), and (e) intelligent use of our natural patrimony. The Green Party is opposed to fracking, the proposed coal terminals, and the Keystone XL pipeline.
Nuclear Energy
The Green Party recognizes that nuclear is “dirty energy” and the radioactive and other toxic wastes generated present grave environmental risk to the current generation and to countless future generations who will not benefit from our irresponsible use of nuclear energy. Instead the Green Party focuses on safer renewables, conservation and energy efficiency.
Rights of Nature
The Green Party recognizes that unlimited growth on a finite planet cannot be sustained. Rather than exploiting the Earth for short-term gain, Greens believe in living in sustainable balance with it. Only an economics that is based upon environmental health is sustainable.
SOCIAL AND RACIAL JUSTICE
Prison Reform
The Green Party recognizes that “tough-on-crime” prison sentences fall disproportionately on low-income and minority citizens. We advocate saner prison sentences for non-violent crime and a focus on restorative justice rather than retribution. Greens also oppose the increasingly widespread privatization of prisons. The Green Party favors elimination of the death penalty and mandatory sentencing, including “three strikes” sentencing. It is unjust that a person can go to jail for decades for a loaf of bread while corporate thievery is merely fined.
Public Bank
The Green Party supports a public-owned state banking system whose charter requires promotion of public good as a primary goal. A public bank would offer (a) affordable credit for local agencies, (b) funding for local infrastructure projects, (c) greater fiduciary transparency, and (d) offset tax increase pressures through income returned directly to communities. We advocate that a public-owned bank be run by professional bankers but governed by the public through the state legislature.
Single-Payer Healthcare
The Green Party supports single-payer not-for-profit healthcare at the state and federal level and recognizes that such a simpler and more efficient organization will reduce administrative costs and complexity. This would translate into lower insurance costs for society while granting all citizens access to healthcare.
NONVIOLENCE
Peace
Non-violence is one of our core values and we work toward global demilitarization. This is a necessary precursor to restoring a just and sustainable planet. We encourage everyone to oppose the justifications used to shift resources from public programs to warfare. This includes cuts to the military budget, a reduction in the forces stationed and deployed overseas, removing all nuclear weaponry, and the elimination of drones in warfare and police actions.
Fair Trade
The Green Party supports stipulations on all international trade relations to protect labor and human rights, the health of local economies, as well as the environment of partner and recipient nations, so that the growth of local industry and agriculture has the advantage over foreign corporate domination. At the national level, this means amending the US Constitution to remove the commerce clause.
DEMOCRACY
Corporate Personhood
The Green Party supports prohibitions on corporations from spending to influence elections or any other aspect of our political life, either by constitutional amendment abolishing corporate personhood, or as a condition of receipt of a corporate charter by federal chartering of corporations. The Green Party does not accept any corporate contributions or donations.
Corporate Media
The Green Party recognizes that independent, critical media are essential to an informed and healthy democracy and thus supports such measures as reforming the Federal Communications Commission so that it is responsive and accountable to the public at large, and repealing the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Voting Methods
The Green Party supports enactment of proportional representation voting systems for legislative positions at all levels of government. People are represented in the proportion their views are held in society and are based on dividing seats proportionally within multi-seat districts, compared to the standard U.S. single-seat, winner-take all districts. For one-position offices (for example, governor or president), we advocate instant runoff voting so that people get to vote for the candidate that they actually want rather than having to vote defensively.
Electoral College
The Green Party supports abolishing the Electoral College and providing for the direct national election of the president by Instant Runoff Voting.
Campaign Finance Reform
The Green Party supports full public financing of federal, state and local elections, including free and equal radio and television time on the public airwaves for all ballot-qualified candidates and parties.
Open Presidential Debates
The Green Party supports opening presidential debates to all candidates who appear on at least as many state ballots as would represent 25% of the population, and raise enough funds to otherwise qualify for general election public financing.