What kind of party are you?

We are generally considered to be an "Alternative Party", because we are an alternative to the incumbent Republican and Democratic Parties.  In some states we are categorized as a "Minor Party" due to that state's legal requirements. We are sometimes called a Populist Party.   We are not a stereotypically conservative or liberal party.

Isn't the Reform Party just a bunch of right-wingers?

We do have many areas where we take conservative stances, especially around the size of government and government spending.  But we are generally a mix of conservative, centrist, and liberal stances on other issues.

Isn't the Reform Party just a bunch of left-wingers?

We do have many areas where we take liberal stances, especially around regulation of big business and trade policy.  But we are generally a mix of conservative, centrist, and liberal stances on other issues.

How does the Reform Party compare to the Republicans and Democrats?

Generally speaking, the Republican Party claims to be fiscally conservative, socially conservative, and the party of small town America.  They tend to be strong advocates of free trade and an aggressive foreign policy in the name of National Security. 

While they like to portray themselves as the party of small government and small town values, they have a history of favoring expanded Executive Power and being protective of the interests of the very wealthy and large multinational corporate interests.  In Congress, the Republicans have a solid history of "bringing home the bacon" through earmarks to their districts.

Generally speaking, the Democratic Party claims to be the champion of the underdog and the poor and are socially liberal.  They are often considered to be the party of metropolitan America.  They tend to be strong advocates of free trade and an aggressive  foreign policy in the name of International Justice.  They are strong advocates of social justice and equality, and believe that an ever-expanding set of nationally administered programs are the key to equal opportunity.  The Democrats believe that international law is they key to greater peace and prosperity.

The Reform Party believes it is the champion of America, those who work hard to make a better life for their family in the field, factories, hospitals, and offices.  And that means from blue collar to white collar, regardless of race, religion, color, creed, or sexual orientation.  We oppose Free Trade because it is damaging to the citizens of both countries when there is a large difference in income.  We oppose the aggressive use of the military except as a last resort in situations of clear and present danger to national security.

We oppose the expansion of the Federal government and believe that more decisions should be made locally.  We support the interests of small and medium businesses and individual entrepreneurs.  We believe that earmark spending (pork) is a recipe for economic destruction.  We believe that the role of the Federal government should not be as a provider of benefits and services, but generally the role of regulator and watchdog over programs administered at the state levels. For more information about our stances, please see our CORE PRINCIPLES and our ISSUES.

How is the Reform Party different from the Libertarian Party, Green Party, and Constitution Party?

The Libertarian Party generally supports the concept of individual liberty over general welfare.  That is to say, they generally believe that it is not worth sacrificing individual freedoms for the common good.  They typically are opposed to any programs that mandate behavior and most federal social programs.  They are typically opposed to policies that regulate trade, business, or the environment.

The Green Party generally supports the concept of social justice and environmental advocacy.  They believe that individual rights should generally be sacrificed for the general welfare.  That is to say, they believe it is more important that there be social justice and that the environmental protections than an individual be able to do as he pleases with his property or money.  They are typically in favor of policies that set a maximum allowed income and are in favor of strong limits on the use of resources and the environment.  Some of their stances are aligned closely with European socialism.

The Constitution Party generally supports Constitutional Rights and smaller government, combined with a strongly conservative stance on all social issues such as abortion and gay marriage.

The Reform Party is similar to the Libertarian Party with respect to our stances on smaller government, though not to the degree that they take it.  We believe in smaller government, but many of the things the Libertarians would abolish completely, we would merely scale back.  We are different from the Libertarians in that we believe some regulation of business is required, especially as the size of the business interests increases.  Also we do not support unrestricted Free Trade, while the Libertarians do.

The Reform Party is similar to the Green Party in that we support the interests of everyday citizens against large corporate interests and we believe that our military is being used too often.  We are different in that we do not believe a larger government is the long term answer to ensure social justice.

The Reform Party is similar to the Constitution Party in that we believe in the Constitution and smaller Federal government.  We are different in that we are not a socially conservative party.  We do not take a conservative stance on issues like abortion and gay marriage.

What about other groups calling themselves Reform Party?

There are a handful of groups or individuals that claim to represent the Reform Party on a national level.  However, there is only one Reform Party National Committee recognized by the Federal Elections Commission.  The legitimate organization, represented by the website you are visiting, derives its authority from a court-ordered 2008 National Convention in Dallas, Texas, from a subsequent state court final judgment based on that Convention, and from a 2009 summary judgment in our favor in the Eastern District of New York Federal Court.

What is your stance on Social Issues or Values Issues?

The Reform Party as a national organization believes that social issues or values issues (which include issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and end of life decisions) should not be our focus as a party.  Instead our focus should be on issues such as the economy, government fiscal accountability, trade, national security, and jobs.  As an organization, we expect our state parties, and our candidates, to do the same. 

The Reform Party does not, and will not, have stances on Values Issues in our National Platform.

Can an alternative party candidate REALLY get elected?

Absolutely.  Independent and alternative party candidates have been elected to local, state, and federal offices throughout our nation's history.  The only office that has not been held by an alternative party or independent candidate in the last 100 years is the office of President, and we believe it is only a matter of time before that changes as well.

Isn't it the Reform Party's fault that Clinton got elected in 1992?

The Republicans just LOVE to repeat this one, from the rooftops, as loud as they can.  "Don't vote for Perot." they said, "It will just get Clinton elected."  And sure enough, Clinton was elected President.  And of course it was the Reform Party's fault for having a (gasp) candidate that people found more credible than theirs.

But even that is a false argument.  Studies done of the "Perot Voter" from 1992 have shown that about 1/3 of the Perot Voters would have voted for Bush otherwise.  About 1/3 would have voted for Clinton otherwise, and 1/3 would have not voted at all or voted for someone else.  The "Perot Effect" did not change who was elected, the Republicans just prefer this to the explanation of "you got out-campaigned by Clinton."

Isn't it the Reform Party's fault that Bush got elected in 2004?

The Democrats just LOVE to repeat this one, from the rooftops, as loud as they can.  "Don't vote for Nader" they said, "It will just get Bush elected."  And sure enough, Bush was elected President.  TWICE.  And of course it was the Reform Party's fault for having a (gasp) candidate that people found more credible then theirs.

But again, that is a false argument.  There were dozens of states where the votes were so close that ANY change in the campaigns, candidates, or even the weather could have impacted the result.  Blaming the Reform Party because Nader drew 1000 votes in Florida that COULD have gone to Gore is just a cop-out.  It's just plain silly to blame Nader for the fact that the Democrats did not have an appealing candidate.  And of course, they did so much better in 2008 when Nader was NOT the Reform Party candidate…oh…wait.

Isn't voting for an alternative party just a wasted vote or a spoiler vote?

The only wasted vote is the one not cast or the one cast for a candidate you don't really want.  Voting for the "least detestable" candidate only gets you more of the same.  As Americans, we can't afford to continue choosing between two mediocre candidates and telling ourselves that is the right thing to do.

Calling alternative party votes "spoiler votes" is being juvenile.  "Those were MY votes" they pout.  Here's an idea, field better candidates that will actually address our nation's problems instead of playing "I got mine" politics, and you won't have to worry about "spoiler candidates" who dare to provide a credible alternative.

Isn't it the Reform Party's fault that I can't get a date?

Ok, we admit it, we threw that one in to see if you were paying attention…