New Party System

[Rob]

Yeah, this has been done a million times, but I've always wanted to put my own spin on it. Basically, this scenario envisions an America with four major parties, roughly representing the major ideological groupings (liberal, conservative, communitarian, libertarian). Details below...

Social Democratic Party

Issues: Full support for abortion rights and same-sex marriage; universal single-payer healthcare; massive reductions in military spending and abolition of nuclear weapons; massive tax increases on the top 10 percent of earners; greatly strengthened "safety net" of social programs.

Base (constituencies) Commands heavy support among blacks, American Indians, Jews, Muslims, secular voters, college students and employees, members of leftish unions, and urbanites in general.

Base (geographic) Typically carries big cities, college towns, minority-dominated rural areas. Strongest in New England, in parts of the upper Midwest and on the West Coast. Virtually nonexistent in the white South, and weak on the Plains and in the interior West.

Controversy: Traditionally wins overwhelmingly among Jews (excepting the Orthodox, who tend to vote Populist), but the base of the party is increasingly sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. The steadily growing political influence of American Muslims is also a factor. Some members worry that Jews will be drawn into the Freedom Party as a socially liberal alternative.

American Party

Issues: Favors constitutional amendments banning abortion (with exception for the mother's life), same-sex marriage and flag desecration; platform declares the US to be a "Christian nation"; support for construction of a wall across the US-Mexico border; elimination of the EPA, Department of Education and HUD; abolition of the income tax (replaced by a national sales tax).

Base (constituencies) White southerners; evangelical Protestants; Mormons; conservative Catholics.

Base (geographic) Strongest in the Deep South and Mormon areas of the West; also dominates the western Plains from Nebraska to Oklahoma and commands a faithful vote in parts of the rural North, from downstate Illinois to central Pennsylvania. Very weak in New England and the rest of the Northeast, often runs fourth in the large metro areas beyond the South.

Controversy: As a virtually all-white party, members are worried about the steady decline of "Anglo-Americans" in the voting public. Some AP politicians have also been attacked for links to groups such as the Minutemen, the Council of Conservative Citizens, and even the Ku Klux Klan.

People's Party

Issues: Platform favors repeal of Roe v. Wade, but not necessarily an abortion ban; opposition to same-sex marriage but support for civil unions; support for a "modernized" welfare state, free from "excess" and packaged alongside middle-class tax cuts; backs a "muscular" foreign policy.

Base (constituencies) Strong among whites in the upper South (particularly in the Appalachian coalfield); unionized industrial workers in the Midwest; Latinos; some white Catholics and Orthodox Jews; and family farmers.

Base (geographic) Strong from Kansas east to West Virginia; also fares well in "Rustbelt" states. Weak in the Northeast and on the West Coast.

Controversy: Traditionally has strong support among Latinos, but increasing hostility toward immigrants among the working-class white base has led the party to adopt a strict "no amnesty" policy. As a result, many Latinos are increasingly attracted to the Social Democrats.

Freedom Party

Issues: Platform says that issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage be left to the states; generally hostile to taxes and business regulations, with the exception of environmental restrictions; is nearly isolationist in global outlook.

Base (constituencies) Essentially a nonsouthern suburban party; runs well among mainline Protestants, casual Catholics, and increasingly among Jews; is strongest among college-educated, middle-income whites.

Base (geographic) Is the "second party" in New England and the Northeast generally; its domination of suburbs balances Social Democratic rule in the cities. Virtually no support in the South beyond NoVa, South Florida and parts of North Carolina. Very little rural support in general.

Controversy: Generally is the weakest of the Big Four.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

People's Party.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Social Democratic without question.

[Matt Damon™]

Freedom Party

[The Mikado]

None of the above, emphatically.  They all sound horrible (though some worse than others).

[Jake]

So, socialists, racists, neo-cons, and losers?

Yeah, I'll pass.

[Lief 🗽]

SDP

[Mint]

Freedom Party. It's not perfect but the rest of the choices make me want to drink dettol.

[Associate Justice PiT]

Freedom Party. It's not perfect but the rest of the choices make me want to drink dettol.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Social Democrats

[Daniel Z]

Independent

[Keystone Phil]

Tough call between the two sane options (two and three). None of them are ideal though.

[bullmoose88]

None of the above, emphatically.  They all sound horrible (though some worse than others).

Bingo

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Some combination of People's and Freedom.

[Nixon in '80]

Some combination of People's and Freedom.

Yeah, I guess I'd straddle this line too, voting for candidates from both... this whole scenario makes me a bit ill.

[Keystone Phil]

Some combination of People's and Freedom.

Funny that you say that. Berlusconi's party in Italy is Popolo della Liberta - The People of Freedom party.  

[RI]

Some combination of People's and Freedom.

Add in a couple of elements of the Social Democratic Party and that is where I would lie. If I had to choose one, I might end up voting for the SDP even though I disagree with a number of their positions because I don't think I could trust a communtarian party to not eventually violate individual rights, and the libertarian party would probably be somewhat weak on the economy and internationally.