When one looks at the news media, its easy to assume that the United States has only two political parties. Nothing can be further from the truth. There are more than 50 parties representing a wide variety of interests. While these parties may not garner a great deal of media attention, they are, nonetheless, important. They represent the vibrancy of our democracy and demonstrate the multiplicity of opinions among the electorate. The candidacy of Cornel West represents just one example of this reality. West is a prominent academic with training in Philosophy. He holds a PhD in Philosophy from Princeton University and is currently holder of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He is also a widely published author, activist and social justice advocate. Initially, he announced his candidacy with the People’s Party and then switched to the Green Party. He is currently running as an independent.
West’s candidacy features many progressive stances on the issues of the day. His views of Education, the Economy, Climate Change and Crime and Policing are central components of his campaign plank. Below please find his views on these topics.
Education: Free national pre-K education for all children. Public rather than charter schools or other alternatives such as investments in the future. Free education at the community college level and the cancellation of all student college debt. A minimum wage of 80K for all K-12 teachers.
Economy: Centers on economic justice. Abolition of poverty and homelessness. Establishment of a minimum $27-dollar minimum wage. National jobs program to ensure full employment. Implementation of billionaire taxes. Wealth tax on all billionaire holdings and transactions. End all tax loopholes for the oligarchy. Break up all monopolies including Big Tech. Ban corporate stock buybacks. Ban stock trading for governmental officials. Increased rights for American workers. Require all nonprofits to allow for the unionization of all workers and collective bargaining. Greater protections for workers who unionize. 33% minimum worker representation for all Boards of Directors. Right to quality, affordable housing. National Jobs Program to ensure full employment. End all pay discrepancies based on race, gender, identity and disability status. End to right-to-work practices, especially in the South. Creation of a commission to establish a four-day work week. Elimination of the use of credit scores for housing, finance, and employment decisions.
Climate Change: Declaration of a Climate Emergency. Nationalizing the fossil fuel industry. Federal moratorium on fracking and “false climate control solutions.” Supports a constitutional right to clean air and water. A pause of all oil and gas leasing projects on federal lands and waters. Creation of a commission on clean water access for communities.
Crime and Policing: Redistribution of police funding to mental health entities in the community. Targeting incarceration rates in the U.S. Investment in alternatives to incarceration for those convicted of crimes. Banning the death penalty. Banning sentences without the possibility of parole. Creating additional documentation for gun ownership. Establishing a red flag law to speed the process of taking away weapons from those with mental health issues.
More information on the West candidacy can be found at
Cornel West for President 2024 (cornelwest2024.com)
Cornel West on X: "I am running for truth and justice as a presidential candidate for the People’s Party to reintroduce America to the best of itself - fighting to end poverty, mass incarceration, ending wars and ecological collapse, guaranteeing housing, health care, education and living wages for… https://t.co/u3NYGUbG1S" / X (twitter.com)
Cornel West Announces Third-Party Bid for President - The New York Times (nytimes.com)