Modern Whig Party
Modern Whig Party | |
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Abbreviation | MWP |
Founded | 2008 |
Dissolved | 2019 |
Succeeded by | Alliance Party |
Headquarters | Buffalo, New York |
Ideology | Conservative liberalism[1] Jeffersonian democracy[2] |
Political position | Center |
Colors | Orange |
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The Modern Whig Party (MWP) was a political party in the United States intended to be a revival of the Whigs that existed from 1833 to 1856. In 2019, it ceased activities as a party, opting to become a think tank for moderates known as the Modern Whig Institute.[3]
Background[]
The original Whig Party was founded by Henry Clay,[4] William Henry Harrison,[5][6] Daniel Webster,[7] and Horace Greeley. According to Encyclopædia Britannica,[8] the "Whig Party, in U.S. history, [was a] major political party active in the period 1834–54 that espoused a program of national development but foundered on the rising tide of sectional antagonism".[9] It was the first party for Abraham Lincoln arising because "Jackson had shattered the National Republican Party."[9][10][11] It became a major force in American politics,[11] controlling the Congress at times and placing several Whigs in the presidency like Harrison,[12] Zachary Taylor, and Millard Fillmore.
History[]
The MWP was founded in 2008 by veterans as a mainstream, middle-of-the-road grassroots[13] movement representing voters who do not strictly accept Republican[14] and Democratic positions.[15][16][17] The party's general platform supported fiscal responsibility,[18] strong national defense and integrity and pragmatism in government. According to the Wall Street Journal, the party was "the brainchild of soldiers tired of the bickering that filled chow-hall TV screens on bases in Iraq and Afghanistan."[19]
Members of the party initially won a handful of local elections while running on major party tickets; the first being Ken Belcher of Alabama, who claimed victory on behalf of the MWP for Constable.[20] In spring 2010, Time rated the MWP as among the "top 10 most popular alternative political movements worldwide".[21] In 2013, Robert Bucholz, a software engineer running on the MWP ticket in Philadelphia, defeated a Democrat to win the post of judge of elections, becoming the first Whig to win an election in the city in 159 years.[22]
Ideology[]
According to the MWP website, Whigs have traditionally stood for representative government, individual liberty, social and economic progress, modernization, public education, a vibrant legislative branch and ongoing cooperation between the private and public sectors.[23] The News & Observer reports that the party was founded by United States troops while they were in "the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan."[24] The MWP was organized as a grassroots movement reflecting an ideology of centrism,[25] multiculturalism[26] and individualism[27] and aimed to serve the needs of the community by identifying the most basic human rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.[28][25][29]
References[]
- ^ "Values". Modernwhig.org. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- ^ Buel, Richard (2015). America on the Brink: How the Political Struggle Over the War of 1812 Almost Destroyed the Young Republic. St. Martin's Publishing Group.
- ^ September 12, The Modern Whigs of America ·; reactions, 2018 8:15 PM · 3. "The Modern Whig Institute". The Modern Whig Institute.
- ^ "Henry Clay: The American Statesman".
- ^ "William H Harrison".
- ^ "William Henry Harrison".
- ^ "Daniel Webster".
- ^ "Whig Party (1834–1856)", Student's Guide to Elections, CQ Press, 2008, doi:10.4135/9781452240206.n153, ISBN 9780872895522.
- ^ a b "Whig Party (1834–1856)", Student's Guide to Elections, CQ Press, 2008, doi:10.4135/9781452240206.n153, ISBN 9780872895522
- ^ Howe, Daniel Walker (Winter 1995). "Why Abraham Lincoln Was a Whig". Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. 16 (1). hdl:2027/spo.2629860.0016.105. ISSN 1945-7987.
- ^ a b "Whig Party | History, Beliefs, Significance, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- ^ "Political Parties of the Presidents". www.presidentsusa.net. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- ^ "Major American Political Parties".
- ^ "Richard Cavendesh". hystorytoday.com.
- ^ "Wall Street Journal".
- ^ "The Modern Whig Party". Modernwhig.info. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
- ^ "Whigs Revived". Albuquerque Journal. July 29, 2009. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
- ^ "The Republican Party Becomes the Whig Party".
- ^ "Wall Street Journal".
- ^ "Slate".
- ^ "Top 10 Alternative Political Movements". Time. March 29, 2010. Archived from the original on April 1, 2010.
- ^ "Philadelphia Inquirer".
- ^ "The Modern Whig Institute". The Modern Whig Institute. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- ^ Christensen, Rob (April 26, 2009). "Whigs rise again". Politics. The News & Observer. Raleigh, NC: The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original on April 29, 2009. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
- ^ a b "Blog". The Modern Whig Institute. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- ^ Wallach, Philip A. (March 6, 2017). "Prospects for partisan realignment: Lessons from the demise of the Whigs". Brookings. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- ^ Fox, Dixon Ryan (1918–2012). "The Economic Status of the New York Whigs". Political Science Quarterly. 33 (4): 501–518. doi:10.2307/2141604. ISSN 0032-3195. JSTOR 2141604.
- ^ "Major American Political Parties of the 19th Century". Norwich University Online. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- ^ "On this day, the Whig Party becomes a national force - National Constitution Center". National Constitution Center – constitutioncenter.org. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
External links[]
- 2008 establishments in the United States
- 2019 disestablishments in the United States
- Centrist political parties in the United States
- Defunct political parties in the United States
- Political parties established in 2008
- Political parties disestablished in 2019
- Whig Party (United States)
- Political parties in the United States