Conscious Choice: Governing by Natural Law

June 2000

Governing by Natural Law

by Molly Birk

The successes of the Reform Party, beginning with the 1992 presidential election in which Ross Perot captured 20 million votes, and continuing with Jesse Ventura’s 1998 win in the Minnesota gubernatorial election, prove that America is ready to accept a third party into the system. There are literally hundreds of "third" parties out there and some of them manage to raise headlines now and then, briefly stirring America’s interest. But the Natural Law Party (NLP) has the combined advantages of funding, ballot access in all fifty states, a broad-based, centrist platform, and strong candidates, and may just manage to garner mainstream support.

Founded in 1992 to "bring the light of science into politics," the Natural Law Party claims to be the fastest growing new political party in America. The Party qualified for the 1992 ballot in thirty-two states and became the first party in history (after Republicans and Democrats) to be granted "national party" status by the Federal Election Commission. By 1998, the Party’s 142 candidates in 24 states captured 1.2 million votes nationwide, winning up to 30 percent of the votes in some races. This year the NLP plans to put 2,000 candidates on the ballots in all fifty states, and hopes to win seats on the federal, state, and local levels.

So what would America NLP-style look like? Here’s their vision:

Federally-funded educational, apprenticeship, and vocational programs develop the capabilities of the community, creating economic stability from within the system. Jobs are abundant as a result of the growing economy, and crime is reduced through the revitalization of urban centers, the restoration of neighborhoods, and the reduction of the stresses that cause criminal behavior.

Regular doctor visits and educational programs teach citizens how to make healthy lifestyle choices, shifting the focus of health care from "disease treatment" to "health maintenance." At the grocery store, the produce section is entirely organic, and genetically engineered foods are clearly labeled, by federal mandate. (In 1999, the NLP was integral in organizing national summits on the hazards of genetically engineered foods.)

Education programs help bring down abortion rates, drug abuse, and incidences of discrimination. Same-sex marriage is neither advocated or denied by the federal government, which has a policy of non-intervention in moral issues.

NLP government functions chiefly at the local level, involving the community in programs like welfare, and partially restoring direct representation through the elimination of the Electoral College.

In the 2000 national election Dr. John Hagelin, quantum physicist, educator, and the NLP’s presidential candidate, and his running mate, Dr. Mike Tompkins, hope to use their combined experience as creators of public policy to present America with new ideas, new solutions, and an alternative to the two-party system.

The key to a successful election for the NLP will be getting the combined votes of America’s third parties, and it appears that the prospects are good. At a poll conducted after a Reform Party debate in Bloomington, Illinois, John Hagelin captured 70 percent of the vote. Hagelin hopes that a third-party coalition will "mount a formidable challenge to the two-party duopoly."

Polls hint that the American political climate is right for the NLP. According to a 1996 Times-Mirror poll, over two thirds of Americans favor the creation of a major third political party. The NLP’s hands-on approach to politics is sure to draw some attention to what could otherwise be a lackluster election.

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