America First Party (2002)

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For the political party created in 1944, see America First Party (1944).


America First Party
Chairperson Jonathan M. Hill
Senate leader None
House leader None
Founded April 15, 2002
Headquarters 1630 A 30th Street #111 Boulder, CO 80301
Ideology Paleoconservatism
Economic nationalism
Non-interventionism
Political position Right-wing
International affiliation None
Colors Red, white, blue
Seats in the Senate 0
Seats in the House 0
Website
http://www.americafirstparty.org/
Politics of the United States
Political parties
Elections

The America First Party is a paleoconservative minor party in the United States.

The party was formed on April 15, 2002 when a group of Pat Buchanan supporters left the Reform Party. The party is pro-life, opposes all gun control, seeks to end affirmative action, racial quotas, and illegal and unlimited immigration. Buchanan himself has never publicly professed any affiliation with the party, though his books are for sale on the party's website "[A]utographed... specially for the Party".[1] The AFP has attracted individuals such as former Boston mayor and ambassador to the Vatican Raymond Flynn and former John Birch Society president John McManus. The party's web page shows recent press releases and articles on current issues which showcase the organization's positions. Until February 2010, the AFP also published a 12-page newspaper which illustrated its policy positions and focused on current problems in government.

Party composition

The party believes that the federal government's role should be quite limited in domestic matters, limited in foreign affairs in the Washingtonian sense, and they hold that these positions are required by the Constitution. They support enforcement of laws against illegal immigration, and on constitutional and economic grounds, they seek to end U.S. involvement with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and World Trade Organization (WTO). The America First party opposed the 2003 invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq, and refers to the Iraq war as unconstitutional. On constitutional grounds, the party calls for an end to all foreign aid, without exception.

The party supports transferring more resources to United States National Guard personnel to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border.

Issues

Foreign policy

The America First Party believes that all treaties the United States enters in must be subservient to the Constitution. The party supports the withdrawal from the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and any other international organization who can commit the American military to a war. The party believes only Congress has the power to declare war and commit American troops. The party also supports withdrawing from all international financial institutions, like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, because it argues that these organizations have the unconstitutional power to tax the American people and the American government. The America First Party "is totally opposed and unequivocally rejects the World Court" because it argues that the court overrides the powers of the Constitution and threatens the sovereignty of nations.[2]

Foreign aid

The party believes that all foreign aid is unconstitutional and should be ended; consequently the United States should withdraw from any international organization that provides aid to foreign nations.[2]

New World Order

The America First Party is firmly against what it claims is the New World Order and any one-world government because they believe that it would be unconstitutional and "it will end up enslaving all people except the elite."[2]

Smaller federal government

The party seeks to eliminate several Cabinet departments within the Executive branch of the U.S. federal government, such as the departments of Housing and Urban Development and Education. The party also seeks to eliminate all federal funding for schools, believing that federal government money has led to more federal control over schools—control, the party believes, that should rest in the hands of local governments.[2]

Church/state issues

The party opposes the idea that the Constitution bars expressions of religious faith in the public space. It supports allowing mandated organized prayer in public places, especially in public schools, as well as allowing displays of religious icons (such as tablets of the Ten Commandments) by the government on public property,[2] and recognizes the "Judeo-Christian heritage of our shared values". America First Party believes in the free exercise of religion.[3]

Tax reform

The party believes that the 16th Amendment was never properly ratified and must be repealed. The income tax would then be replaced by half of Federal revenue coming from excise taxes and tariffs, and the other half coming from usage fees and a National Retail Sales Tax. (They oppose having both an income tax and a sales tax simultaneously.[2])

Second Amendment

The America First Party supports the right to keep and bear arms and Second Amendment believing it to be "largely responsible for our [Americas] independence and sovereignty".[2]

Immigration

The America First Party is strongly against illegal immigration and wants the enforcement and strengthening of all immigration laws. The party would like the American military or the United States National Guard to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border. The party believes all legal immigration, with exceptions for families, should be hauled for 10 years "restoring America's traditional level of legal immigration at a limit of 250,000 per year." For legal immigrants the party would like to see a campaign to teach them English, American history, and civics.[2] The party believes all immigrants who want to become citizens must be proficient in English and know American history and the Constitution.[3]

Size and scope of the party

Ballot access

List of states for which The America First Party achieved ballot access by year of first appearance on ballot:

2002
  • New Jersey[4]
2006

Recent candidates and conventions

The America First Party ran 11 candidates for public office in the U.S. general elections of 2002.

The party's 2003 convention was canceled due to infighting. Alleged white supremacist Bo Gritz was scheduled to speak, much to the dismay of many party members. The party released a press release condemning Bo Gritz saying: "anyone who supports theories that we hoped had died with Adolph Hitler is not welcome in the America First Party."[7][8] On October 12, 2004, the America First Party endorsed Constitution Party candidate Michael A. Peroutka for President of the United States.

The only AFP candidate nominated in the 2006 general election was Martin Scott McClellan for Brevard County School Board - District 1 in Florida. He lost with 24% of the vote, running second in a three-way race.

For the 2008 presidential election, the AFP encouraged voters to make up their mind between either Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr or Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin. The party also ran Mike Eller for Ypsilanti City Council - District 3 in Michigan. He came in second out of three candidates with 27% of the vote.

See also

References

  1. ↑ America First Party Store
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ http://www.adl.org/learn/extremism_in_america_updates/individuals/bo_gritz/gritz_update_040201.htm
  8. ↑ http://www.americafirstparty.org/inthenews/2003/talon-07-25-2003.htm

External links

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