Green Party of the United States facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Green Party of the United States
Co-chairs	Craig Cayetano (NJ) Darryl Moch (DC) Alfred Molison (TX) Tony Ndege (NC) Margaret Elisabeth (WA) Tamar Yager (VA) Joseph Naham (NY)
Governing body	Green National Committee
Founders	Howie Hawkins John Rensenbrink
Founded	April 2001; 24 years ago (2001-04)
Split from	Greens/Green Party USA
Preceded by	Association of State Green Parties
Headquarters	Takoma Park, Maryland
Membership (2024)	244,006
Ideology	Green politics Progressivism Eco-socialism
Political position	Left-wing
Colors	Green
Seats in the Senate	0 / 100
Seats in the House of Representatives	0 / 435
State governorships	0 / 50
Seats in state upper chambers	0 / 1,972
Seats in state lower chambers	0 / 5,411
Territorial governorships	0 / 5
Seats in territorial upper chambers	0 / 97
Seats in territorial lower chambers	0 / 91
Other elected officials	143 / 519,682
Election symbol
Politics of United States Political parties

The Green Party of the United States (GPUS) is a group of Green political parties across the United States. This party focuses on green politics, which means they care a lot about the environment. They also believe in nonviolence, social justice, and people having a say in decisions. As of 2023, it is the fourth-largest political party in the United States based on how many people are registered to vote with them.

History of the Green Party

The Green Party movement started in 1985. At first, it was a loose group, but by 1990, it became more organized. They worked on local projects, taught people about their ideas, and ran in elections.

There were some disagreements within the group. Some members thought that getting involved in elections would make them lose their original values. Others believed that elections were important for making big changes. This led to a "compromise agreement" in 1990. The group was renamed the Greens/Green Party USA (G/GPUSA).

However, this agreement didn't last. Two different Green Party groups existed in the U.S. for a while. One group, the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP), focused more on national elections. They supported Ralph Nader when he ran for president in 1996 and 2000. By 2001, the push to focus on elections led to the creation of the Green Party of the United States. The older G/GPUSA group eventually closed down in 2019.

How the Green Party Works

Main Committees

The Green Party has two main national committees that are officially recognized:

• The Green National Committee (GNC)
• The Green Senatorial Campaign Committee (GSCC)

Green National Committee

The GNC is made up of people chosen by the Green parties in each state. These state parties also pick people to be on smaller committees within the GNC. The GNC chooses seven co-chairs, a secretary, and a treasurer to manage daily tasks. Most of their work is done online, but they also have a big meeting once a year.

Special Interest Groups (Caucuses)

The Green Party has groups called "caucuses" for members who share similar backgrounds or interests. Five of these groups are officially part of the GNC:

• National Black Caucus
• Latinx Caucus
• Lavender Greens Caucus (for LGBTQIA+ members)
• National Women's Caucus
• Young Ecosocialists

Other caucuses are working to become officially recognized, like the Disability Caucus and the Labor Caucus.

What the Green Party Believes In

Core Values

The Green Party of the United States follows the ideas of green politics. These ideas are built on "Four Pillars":

• Caring for the environment,
• Fairness for everyone,
• People making decisions together, and
• Solving problems without fighting.

They also have "Ten Key Values" that explain these pillars even more:

• Democracy where everyone participates,
• Social justice and fair chances for all,
• Understanding how nature works,
• Peaceful solutions,
• Local control,
• Local economies,
• Feminism and fairness for all genders,
• Respect for different cultures,
• Taking care of ourselves and the world, and
• Thinking about the future and living in a way that protects the planet.

The Green Party does not take money from big companies or special interest groups. They believe that big money in politics can make things unfair. They often speak out against the influence of corporations on government and society.

Eco-socialism Explained

In 2016, the Green Party decided they wanted an "alternative economic system" that focuses on the environment and local power, instead of just capitalism or state socialism. This idea is sometimes called "ecological socialism" or "communalism." It means they want an economy where many businesses are owned by the public or by workers, and where people work together in cooperatives. They also want important services like healthcare, education, and public transportation to be free or very low cost. Howie Hawkins, who ran for president for the Green Party in 2020, believes in this idea.

What the Green Party Wants to Do

Economic and Social Ideas

Healthcare

The Green Party wants a single-payer healthcare system. This means the government would pay for everyone's healthcare, and private health insurance would not be needed.

Education

They want college to be free at public universities and trade schools. They also want more money for after-school and daycare programs. They believe all student loan debt should be canceled. They are against closing public schools or making them private.

Green New Deal

In 2006, the Green Party created a plan called the Green New Deal. This plan aims to switch the U.S. to 100% clean, renewable energy (like solar and wind) by 2030. It includes ideas like a carbon tax (a fee on pollution), a promise of jobs for everyone, free college, and single-payer healthcare.

Racial Justice

The Green Party supports "complete and full" reparations for the African American community. They also want to remove the Confederate flag from all government buildings.

LGBT+ Rights

The party supports same-sex marriage. They believe transgender and gender-nonconforming people should have access to medical care that helps them feel comfortable with their gender. They also want to stop giving money to other countries that have bad records on LGBT+ rights.

Youth Rights

The party supports youth rights. They believe young people should have rights to food, shelter, healthcare, and education. They want students to have more say in their education and support sex education. They are against advertisements in schools. They also support lowering the voting age to 16.

How They Raise Money

The Green Party generally relies on small donations from individuals. They believe this is a better way to fund campaigns than taking large amounts of money from big companies or wealthy groups. They are against the rise of Super PACs and the influence of big money in politics, which they see as unfair.

Foreign Policy

The Green Party wants the United States to join the International Criminal Court. They also want the U.S. to sign treaties that stop nuclear weapons testing and limit nuclear weapons. They support cutting the military budget in half and stopping all arms sales to other countries.

They supported the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which aimed to reduce sanctions on Iran while limiting its ability to make nuclear weapons. The party also supports the Palestinian right of return and wants to stop all U.S. aid to Israel.

Party Members

The Green Party has the fourth-highest number of registered voters in the United States, with over 234,000 members.

The Green Party has the most support in places like the Pacific Coast, the Upper Great Lakes, and the Northeast. For example, in California, 55 Green officials have been elected. Other states with many Green elected officials include Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Maine. Maine has the highest number of Green elected officials compared to its population.

Membership in the Green Party of the United States by year (1986–2020)

The 2016 presidential campaign of Jill Stein received strong support from areas with many Native American people. For example, in Sioux County, North Dakota, she received 10.4% of the votes.

At its highest point in 2004, the Green Party had 319,000 registered members.

State and Territorial Parties

The Green Party of the United States is made up of many state parties. Here is a list of some of them:

National Meetings

The Green Party holds a big meeting called the Green National Convention in years when there's a presidential election. In other years, they have an Annual National Meeting. The Green National Committee also works online between these meetings.

• 1996 – Los Angeles, California
• 2000 – Denver, Colorado
• 2001 – Santa Barbara, California
• 2002 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• 2003 – Washington, D.C.
• 2004 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• 2005 – Tulsa, Oklahoma
• 2006 – Tucson, Arizona
• 2007 – Reading, Pennsylvania
• 2008 – Chicago, Illinois
• 2009 – Durham, North Carolina
• 2010 – Detroit, Michigan
• 2011 – Alfred, New York
• 2012 – Baltimore, Maryland
• 2013 – Iowa City, Iowa
• 2014 – Saint Paul, Minnesota
• 2015 – St. Louis, Missouri
• 2016 – Houston, Texas
• 2017 – Newark, New Jersey
• 2018 – Salt Lake City, Utah
• 2019 – Salem, Massachusetts
• 2020 – Virtual Online (due to the COVID-19 pandemic)

Green Party Officeholders

Musician Jello Biafra ran for the Green Party's presidential nomination in 2000.

Malik Rahim, a former activist, ran for Congress in 2008 with the Green Party.

Jill Stein, who ran for president in 2012, 2016, and 2024, served on the Town Meeting in Lexington, Massachusetts.

As of July 2024, 143 people in the United States who are part of the Green Party hold elected positions. These positions are usually at the local level, like on school boards or city councils. The party does not currently have any members in federal (national) or statewide offices.

In the past, most Green Party officeholders were in California. Other states with Green elected officials included Illinois, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. They have had mayors and city council members. For example, Gayle McLaughlin was elected mayor of Richmond, California, twice.

Several Green Party members have been elected to state-level offices, though some later changed their party. For instance, John Eder was elected to the Maine House of Representatives.

Groups in Government Bodies

The Green Party has had groups of members serving together in various local government bodies. This table shows some examples where more than two Green Party members served at the same time:

Years	Government position	Jurisdiction	State	Notes
2001–2022	Minority (1/13 seats) 2001–2005: (2/13 seats)	Minneapolis City Council	Minnesota
2018–2019	Minority (1/141 seats)	Maryland House of Delegates	Maryland
2017–2018	Minority (2/154* seats)	Maine House of Representatives	Maine
2002–2006	Minority (1/151 seats)
2016–2017	Minority (2/5 seats)	Anoka Water Conservation District	Minnesota
2013–2015	Minority (1/100 seats)	Arkansas House of Representatives	Arkansas
2008–2009	Minority (1/100 seats)
2002–2014	Minority Fluctuated (3–4 out of 9 seats)	Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board	California
2009–2013	Majority (3/5 seats)	Fairfax Town Council	California
2004–2008	Minority (2/5 seats)
1990–2012	Minority Fluctuated (2–5 out of 30 seats)	Douglas County Board of Supervisors	Wisconsin
2001–2009	Minority Fluctuated (2–4 out of 20 seats)	Madison Common Council	Wisconsin
1998–2008	Minority Fluctuated (2–4 out of 39 seats)	Dane County Board of Supervisors	Wisconsin
2004–2008	Minority Fluctuated (3–4 out of 29 seats)	Portage County Board of Supervisors	Wisconsin
2000–2008	Majority (3/5 seats)	Sebastopol City Council	California
2004–2007	Minority Fluctuated (2–4 out of 9 seats)	Portland Board of Education	Maine
2003–2007	Minority (2/7 seats)	Kalamazoo City Commission	Michigan
2004–2006; 1996–1998	Majority (3/5 seats)	Arcata City Council	California
2002–2004; 1998–2000	Minority (2/5 seats)
2002–2006	Majority (3/5 seats)	School Board of Twin Ridges Elementary	California
2003–2004	Majority (3/5 seats)	New Paltz Village Council	New York
2002–2004	Minority (1/80 seats)	New Jersey General Assembly	New Jersey
1998–2004	Minority (2/7 seats)	Santa Monica City Council	California
2001–2003	Minority (2/30 seats)	New Haven Board of Aldermen	Connecticut
2000–2002	Minority (2/8 seats)	Salem City Council	Oregon
2000–2002	Minority (2/8 seats)	Santa Fe City Council	New Mexico
1995–2002	Minority (2/5 seats)	Point Arena Town Council	California
1999	Minority (1/80 seats)	California State Assembly	California
1996–1998	Minority (2/8 seats)	Fayetteville City Council	Arkansas

Other Important People

Presidential Ballot Access

From 2004 to Today

This table shows how many states the Green Party's presidential candidates were on the ballot (meaning voters could choose them directly) or could be written in (meaning voters could write their name on the ballot).

1996 and 2000 Elections

This table shows the ballot access for the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) in earlier presidential elections.

Election Results

This map shows the percentage of votes Jill Stein received in each county during the 2016 election.

Presidential Elections

This table shows how the Green Party's presidential candidates have done in past elections.

Year	Presidential/vice presidential candidate	Popular votes	Percentage	Electoral votes	Image
GPUS
2024	Jill Stein/Butch Ware (campaign)	TBD	TBD	TBD
2020	Howie Hawkins/Angela Walker (campaign)	405,034	0.3%	0 EV
2016	Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka (campaign)	1,457,216	1.1%	0 EV
2012	Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala (campaign)	469,627	0.4%	0 EV
2008	Cynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente (campaign)	161,797	0.1%	0 EV
2004	David Cobb/Pat LaMarche (campaign)	119,859	0.1%	0 EV
ASGP
2000	Ralph Nader/Winona LaDuke (campaign)	2,882,955	2.7%	0 EV
1996	Ralph Nader/Winona LaDuke (campaign)	685,297	0.7%	0 EV

Congress Elections

House of Representatives

This table shows the results for Green Party candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Senate

This table shows the results for Green Party candidates running for the U.S. Senate.

Best Results in Major Races

This table highlights the best election results for Green Party candidates in important races. Bold means the Green candidate won the election.

See also

In Spanish: Partido Verde de los Estados Unidos para niños

• 2000 United States presidential election
• 2016 United States presidential election
• List of political parties in the United States
• Progressivism in the United States
• Spoiler effect
• Third party (U.S. politics)