The Green Party is the first new political party to gain serious recognition in recent years. The party has won several local elections and is gaining in sate and national recognition as a legitimate political party. For example, in 2006, the Green candidate for governor of Illinois won more than 10 percent of the popular vote. In doing so, he secured the party’s position on the Illinois ballot for the next election. Previously, as they were not a recognized party, each candidate had to individually be accepted to run in the election.
Now, the party is guaranteed a place on Illinois ballots for so long as they maintain a significant minority of the popular vote. Illinois requires that a party get 5 percent of the popular vote or it is not considered a viable political party. The party has ten “key values” which it bases its national platform on. First, they believe in grassroots democracy and the theory that local is better. The Green Party supports social justice and equal opportunity and the theory of ecological wisdom, i. e. support the planet that keeps you alive.
The party as a whole is non-violent, believing in change through grassroots action. They promote global and personal responsibility, so that a person’s takes credit for his own actions and for the actions of a group that he is a member of. The party supports feminism and gender equality. The Green Party believes that sustainability is more important that immediate economic growth and supports a move to community based economics, with more democrat control of the workplace and an increase in local ownership.
Specifically, the party supports the repeal of the patriot Act, normalization of relations with Cuba and an immediate end to research, development and stockpiling of nuclear weapons. In the November, 2007, elections 94 Green party candidates ran for office across the country and 16 were elected. The Illinois chapter of the party hopes to have that many candidates in Illinois alone during the 2008 elections.