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| US Election - Resources |
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| FAQ - Reform party By Martin Arnold Published: October 2 2000 09:20GMT | Last Updated: October 2 2000 09:26GMT |
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 What is the Reform party?The Reform party is the biggest of the various 'third parties' that compete with the Republicans and Democrats in the US presidential elections. The party was formed in November 1995 as a vehicle to help Ross Perot challenge the two main parties in the 1996 US presidential elections. The Reform party describes itself as "a volunteer organisation devoted to leaving a better future for our children and our grandchildren, by creating a third political choice". It's manifesto is broadly populist with particular emphasis on campaign finance reform, balancing the budget and protectionist trade measures. Who will be the Reform party's candidate in the 2000 elections? Ross Perot did not seek the Reform party's nomination for a second time, even though he is the party's founder and many of its policies were based around his views. The mercurial Texan only gained 8 per cent of the vote in the 1996 election and some party members felt that Perot should step aside for a new candidate. Mr Perot's decision not to run opened the door to an outside candidate, and on October 25, 1999 Pat Buchanan announced that he was leaving the Republican party to seek the Reform party nomination. In announcing his candidacy for the Reform party, Mr Buchanan denounced the current two-party system as "a snare and a delusion [and] a fraud upon the nation," because the parties do not significantly differ on foreign, global trade and immigration policies. Mr Buchanan also called for the repeal of legalised abortion, the abolition of the current tax code, an end to most favoured nation trading status for China, a clampdown on immigration, the abolition of the US department of education, and a refusal to commit American soldiers abroad "as the imperial troops of anybody's new world order". Mr Buchanan's right wing agenda and aggressive tactics split the Reform party in two after his controversial victory at the national convention in August 2000. The split badly damaged the party's electoral prospects and jeopardised its federal funding. In the 1968 presidential elections George Wallace stood as an American Independent party candidate and polarised support with significant strength, winning 13 per cent of the vote. In 1948 Henry Wallace gained much press coverage as the Progressive party candidate but won largely insignificant support on election day. If Mr Buchanan does manage toehold onto the party's nomination, it remains to be seen which Wallace the former talk show host will become in the 2000 general election. Does the Reform party matter? A third party candidate has never done better than Theodore Roosevelt's second place on the Bull Moose ticket in 1912. That is unlikely to be bettered by the Reform party's candidate on November 7 2000. The current climate of solid economic growth and broad voter satisfaction will make it even more difficult for the Reform party in 2000. However, the Reform party does matter because the number of votes its candidate takes from the other two candidates could play a part in deciding who is the next US President. In 1992 the 19.7m votes won by Ross Perot were largely seen to have come from natural Republican voters and this was seen as a decisive factor in George Bush's loss and Bill Clinton's victory. The 8 per cent of votes that Ross Perot won in 1996 entitle the next Reform Party candidate to $12.6m of federal funds, which is a considerable 'war chest' by any standards. The party's candidate will also be present in the general election and is likely to appear on the three televised debates between the main candidates in 2000. This will allow the Reform party's candidate to have a significant influence on the issues addressed during the campaign. How does the Reform party nominate its presidential candidate? There are 29 states which do not automatically recognise the Reform party and the prospective candidate must make considerable efforts to get their names on the ballots of these states. This can be done by setting up petitions and signature drives to gain sufficient backing from the population of each state, as Mr Perot did in 1995. The Reform party does not currently use primaries and caucuses to chose its candidate. Instead, any candidates who have made a sufficiently serious effort at qualification in the 29 states are listed on a ballot paper that is sent to all Reform party members. Members consist of anyone who has signed petitions supporting the party or anyone who has expressed an interest in voting. Members pick their top three choices, and if no one wins a majority of the first choices, the nominee is picked in a paring-down process using the second and third choices. What are the Reform party's main policy proposals? 1) Government reform The Reform party claims it will ensure ethical behaviour from all its officials over the acceptance of rewards and gifts from special interests seeking to influence members of the government. It also stresses that all Reform party positions will be based on the best interests of Americans and not as a result of partisan or personal advantage. Source: Reformparty.com 2)Budget surplus Fiscal responsibility is a key commitment of the Reform party, which stresses the need to pass a balanced budget amendment. It claims that the federal debt should be paid down until the principal balance is zero. Any budget surpluses should be used to reduce the level of public debt, not to fund tax reductions. The Reform party emphasises the need for a balanced budget and to this end, it proposes eliminating certain wasteful or outdated federal programmes and ending corporate welfare and special interest subsidies. Source: Reformparty.com 3) Campaign finance reform The need for wide-ranging campaign finance reform is a central tenet of the Reform party's platform. It aims to reform existing electoral, lobbying and campaign practices to ensure that government officials and candidates owe their allegiance and remain accountable to the electorate rather than to other influence-seeking agencies. The party's platform includes a plan to change the composition of the Federal Elections Commission to include independent representation. It aims to outlaw political action committees, which are currently the source of a large proportion of campaign funds for presidential candidates. The Reform party also plans to include free and equal access to the media for all candidates. Source: Reformparty.com 4) Trade policy The Reform party strongly advocates a tailored trade programme that promotes the economic interests of all US citizens, safeguards the domestic production of military resources and provides markets for US small businesses while maintaining the system of checks and balances. Among the varied proposals put forward by the Reform party is a plan to withdraw from the WTO and to eliminate the large US trade deficits by requiring compensatory actions from countries conducting unfair trade practices. It also hopes to replace GATT and NAFTA with bilaterally negotiated agreements with individual trading partners. Source: Reformparty.com more from FT.com Campaign Finance Reform party Primaries, caucuses, & conventions |
