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Green Party of the United States

The Green Party of Minnesota is currently seeking members to serve on every national committee!

This is one of the most effective ways to get directly involved with Green politics on a national level. And by engaging Greens who are not already heavily involved in the national party, we can make the Green Party of the United States much stronger.

Please email us at gpus@mngreens.org for more information, and visit gp.org/committees.

Grassroots democracy is one of the core values of the Green Party. This principle guides the organization of the party, with its focus on local groups. The local parties guide the state parties, which guide the national party, which contributes to the worldwide Green movement. Even at the national level, the Green Party is committed to making decisions in a manner that includes input from ordinary members across the county.

In the Green Party of the United States, each member state, territory, or colony (of which there are currently 44) has a delegation based on the number of congressional districts it has. All of the state delegates together form the national decision-making body, known as the Coordinating Committee. Minnesota is represented by two delegates and two alternates. The team, elected in 2007, includes delegates Kristen Olson, Bill Oldfather, Farheen Hakeem, and Michael Cavlan.

The Coordinating Committee generally makes decisions via email, with a lengthy discussion period to allow for delegates to solicit input from their state party members. In this way, the national party makes decisions that are based on input from grassroots Greens all over the country. Members can see what resolutions the GPUS is considering and how their delegates are voting.

Much GPUS work, however, takes place in the numerous committees. Each state party is allotted a certain number of seats (generally three) on each committee, and each state party individually approves members to serve on these groups. The Green Party of Minnesota is currently seeking members to serve on every committee! Please email us at gpus@mngreens.org for more information. This is one of the most effective ways to get directly involved with Green politics on a national level. And by engaging Greens who are not already heavily involved in the national party, we can make the Green Party of the United States much stronger.

The Coordinating Committee of the Green Party of the United States shall consist of the representatives of state parties and accredited caucuses of underrepresented groups. The Coordinating Committee shall be the final decision-making body of the Green Party of the United States and shall be responsible for approving a deliberative platform process of discussion, debate, and decision-making at the local and state levels leading to a national platform vote by the delegates at the presidential nominating convention. The presidential nominating convention of the Green Party is the delegated decision-making body responsible for nominating the national Green Party's presidential and vice presidential candidates and approving the Green Party's national platform. Meeting of the Coordinating Committee and the nominating convention may be attended by Greens who are not voting representatives or delegates.

Each member state party shall have one vote on the Coordinating Committee for every four Congressional Districts or major fraction thereof into which the state is divided. Regardless, each state party shall have at least two votes. State parties shall make a good faith effort, where reasonable, to have delegates to the Coordinating Committee elected by clusters of local Green groups.

For the purpose of tallying its number of delegates to the Green National Committee a state party may include only Congressional Districts in which there is an organized Green Party Local.

Criteria for an organized Green Party Local shall consist of:

  • Recognition by the member state Green Party
  • Bylaws and/or a constitution
  • Adoption of the 10 Key Values and a mission statement and/or platform that demonstrates this commitment. The member state Green Party shall be responsible for maintaining a current record and validation of active local affiliates, to be provided to the GPUS on request for credentialing purposes.
  • No delegate to the Coordinating Committee may cast more than two of that state's votes. (This clause will be eliminated after the 2004 general election, reverting back to one vote per delegate, if no further action is taken).

This rule will go into effect January, 2002.

This entire section of the bylaws will be reviewed after the next meeting of the Coordinating Committee.