Get news on your third party political options below. And take a look at our Libertarian Party, Green Party, and Justice Party pages too!

The American Opposition

We have organized thirty or so American political parties into five groups below, thanks to the help of Democracy Chronicles author Michael Ossipoff. Links to each party’s website and party platform are included:

1. libertarian parties
2. non-socialist progressive parties
3. democratic socialist parties
4. communist parties
5. other centrist parties

1. libertarian parties

2. non-socialist progressive parties

3. democratic socialist parties

4. communist parties

communist party usa

cpusa.org
Marxist-Leninist political party that is the largest communist party in the country. Established in 1919, it has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement. The Communist Party USA has championed the struggles for democracy, labor rights, women’s equality, racial justice and peace for ninety years. It has an intimate history in the progressive movement of the United States, from the struggle against Jim Crow segregation to the organizing of the industrial unions, from the canneries of California, to the sweatshops of New York City. The Communist Party has members and local organizations all around the country from big cities to small towns. Look at their website for the party platform.

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5. other centrist parties

Constitution Party

constitutionparty.org
The fastest growing third party in terms of voter registration. The party’s official name was changed to The Constitution Party in 1999; however, some state affiliate parties are known under different names. There are thousands of registered Constitution Party voters. This does not take into account the many states which do not tally voter registrations by party. The party currently puts a large focus on immigration, calling for stricter penalties towards illegal immigrants and a moratorium on legal immigration until all federal subsidies to immigrants are discontinued. Look here for the party platform.

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extinct third party experiments

American (Know Nothing),  American (1924),  American (1969),  American Populist,  American Vegetarian Party,  Anti-Masonic,  Black Panther,  Boston Tea,  Citizens,  Commonwealth Land,  Constitutional Union,  Democratic-Republican,  Farmer–Labor,  Federalist,  Free Soil,  Gold Democrats, Greenback,  Independence (2007),  Labor (1919),  Labor (1996),  Liberal Republican,  Liberty,  National Republican,  National States’ Rights,  National Union,  Natural Law,  New Alliance,  Nullifier,  Opposition,  Populist (People’s),  Progressive (1912),  Progressive (1924),  Progressive (1948),  Raza Unida,  Readjuster,  Silver,  Silver Republican,  Socialist,  Socialist Labor,  States Rights (Dixiecrat),  Union,  U.S. Labor,  Whig,  Youth International

A Discussion on Third Parties

America’s third party activists are in an ongoing struggle to reach the public and even to appear on election ballots at local, state and federal levels. The rise of independent candidates, Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party.

The fantastic Ballot Access News has complete coverage of third party efforts to participate in American democracy including all the legal battles currently ongoing around the country. The site has been authored by Richard Winger since 1985, an expert on ballot access for third party and individual candidates. The organization advocates “fair and equitable ballot access laws” and reports on state and federal court decisions, compares American ballot access laws to those of other democratic nations, and documents the number of votes independent and minor party candidates receive.

Four parties have the best election record outside the Democratic and Republican Party duopoly:

• Libertarian Party – Libertarianism, laissez-faire, pro-civil rights, anti-war 
• Green Party – Green politics, eco-socialism, progressivism
• Constitution Party – Social conservatism, religious right, paleoconservatism
• Justice Party USA – Progressivism, removing corporate influence and other wealth from politics

Third party organizations and independents have enormous difficulty appearing on your ballot, gaining enough signatures, etc. But behind the wall of ballot access laws and the media blackout, the American political system is still capable of maintaining a full political spectrum of parties to choose from. Below is a relatively complete list of national political parties. Local political parties are more numerous so do not appear but if you know of one you would like to add to this page, send us an email at our contact page.

Help Build Third Party Central With DC!

We are actively looking for creative new contributors so please get in touch if you would like to join our team. We are expanding coverage of election reform and we want to hear from people from all kind of backgrounds and perspectives. Republican Party or Green Party, in Brooklyn or Bangladesh, we are looking for people who want to join the democracy fight. You can also take a look at our Political Art page for political artists of all kinds that highlights the original work of numerous Democracy Chronicles authors.