The Ethics Platform for Candidates

This is a position paper of The Jacksonian Party.

The Jacksonian Party is the first party of the 21st century and will use the distributed means available to change what a Political Party *is*, away from older models currently in use. The ills of the current conception of Political Party is one that was necessary during eras of low population concentration, low literacy rates and slow communications systems. Individuals would, indeed, need to have cumulative representation so that the basics of what they believed in could be held in common via an individual swearing to represent those things held in common. Thus, the Political Parties are creations of circumstance and of necessity rather than of permanent need.

The Nation as a whole uses representative democracy as its basis to give continuity to governance and to ensure that the voice of the People and the States is loudly heard at the National level. These are good and honest reasons that are not driven by mere circumstance, although were crafted to accommodate such. Putting the House of Representatives on a two-year refresh cycle helped to get a shifting viewpoint of the People into place as the Nation grew larger in expanse. That said the need to have some continuity within Government via a due process system is also necessary and that is upheld by The Jacksonian Party.

These things said the problems of the current conception, implementation and view of Political Parties has led to things that are counter to the representational democratic ideals put forth for the Nation and is changing the structure of the entire Government away from that oriented towards the People to one oriented towards the Two Parties. The Jacksonian Party will not implement 19th and 20th century conceptions of what is within the realm of possible for a Political Party to exist and be substantial for the People.

The ills of increasing the power of the Party Executive and Guidance Committees in the existing Political Parties have so alienated the People that the Nation, as a whole, is moving towards becoming a majority non-Party Nation. Graft, corruption, using the Government to enrich those elected to office and their families and friends, and diminishing the actual Voice of the People via a set size of the House of Representatives are all ills firmly rooted in 'top down' Political Parties that try to address the 'bottom up' conception of mobilizing 'grass roots' and 'committed voters'. These things have led to a minority of committed ideologues to grab power in ANY current Political Party and turn the larger movement towards minoritarian ends.

The Jacksonian Party addresses this in two major ways.

Firstly - The Jacksonian Party is a 'flat' non-hierarchical Political Party. This is fully laid out in planning overview in the document How to make The Jacksonian Party. Unlike other Political Parties that put ideology as a separate part of life used to give guidance, Jacksonians LIVE out their conceptions of commitment to the Nation, Honorable actions that one does, respect in the autonomy of individuals within the Republic and adhering to being accountable and responsible for one's actions so as to build better lives personally and for the Republic. This flips around the conception of political party to have a hard, ideological doctrine that is then implemented in life to one of the good and necessary 'lessons learned' in life being applied to the Nation. By holding to ideals for oneself The Jacksonian Party also looks to have the Nation work that way so as to uphold the things given to Government to DO and respect the individual and seek to do no more than is given to it.

This conception of enacting a Political Party based on how one lives instead of how one is 'supposed to live' is contrary to how all current Political Parties work. Jacksonians invest NO individual with the right to speak out on how or what is the 'best' way to live, but seek to find 'better' ways to live so that the People of the United States will have richer and fuller lives without the interference of Government at every turn. Thusly a 'Party Hierarchy' is seen as intensely ANTI-democratic in that it removes the ability of the People to guide their Party directly through their commonly held beliefs. Jacksonians invest NO ONE with that right over them, to DICTATE Party Doctrine and adherence to candidates that supposedly represent that Doctrine.

There is NO 'Back Room Politics' in The Jacksonian Party because THAT is anti-democratic in conception.

There is NO dictation of Doctrine as political outlook is SET by Party members adhering to Candidates that run on those things.

In short Jacksonians have seen the end result of the concentration of power in politics and find it anti-democratic and leading to no good ends as those Parties only seek 'means' for ill 'ends' that only enshrine the dictates of Parties over Individuals. So to not have that we come together in a way that does not lead down that path.

Party members adhere to making their concepts available to EVERYONE in the Party so that those things held IN COMMON can be put forward. And all such concepts must be directly linked to the Responsibilities set forth in the Constitution, adhere to Due Process of Law, not infringe upon the Rights of the People to lead lives with a minimal burden from Government and to keep Government at the leanest possible size to do the very lowest amount to fulfill those things given to it to do and not ONE THING MORE.

This is summed up in the idea: 'Keep your mitts of my land, my money, my body, my gun, my car and your nose out of my life.'

That is a simple summation, but it is not simplistic when put into action and requires that Government and other Political Parties actually start to understand that it is We the People who run this show and NOT any single political party INCLUDING The Jacksonian Party. And by adhering to those things this requires that the individual ALSO live up to those ideals. These things writ large are the Precepts of Jacksonianism and are based more upon tradition than ideology.

Secondly - The Jacksonian Party, by removing all 'party organs' and all other forms of 'concentrated power' actually requires those running under the conception of The Jacksonian Party to run their campaigns and their meetings in ways that adhere to this. Anyone who ABUSES the Privilege of Addressing their fellow Party members to pontificate, attack or otherwise cast aspersions upon individuals will be given the: Put up or Shut Up rule of demonstrating these things or APOLOGIZING for speaking them.

The Jacksonian Party cannot 'enforce' this, thus every individual who becomes a part of the Party must clearly state that they will abide by this conception. Attempting to grab time, attention and take out the zest of the interaction of ideas to make the Republic 'a more perfect Union' are anti-democratic in themselves. This cannot be put upon other Parties, however, and so The Jacksonian Party looks to have those that adhere to the conception of the supremacy of the Individual to actually run ON THAT.

What this means for those seeking office under The Jacksonian Party banner is the following:

1) Only donations of funds or goods from INDIVIDUALS shall be accepted. This, however, does not mean that a group outside of the Party may not contribute as a Group. What it does mean as that such funds or goods must be voted upon in a majoritarian or proportional manner by the widest commonly held place in that organization.

This means that, for example, a Labor Union must put up before its members the specific individuals that they wish to donate money to during an election cycle and that either the majority rules OR that the money is divided amongst the proportionate results of the vote amongst ALL of those voted upon.

In corporations that have common voting stock, this has an exactly identical use.

Members running for office will not ACCEPT money extracted from individuals and decided upon by an anti-democratic means. The only acceptable money is that voted on by the WILL of the members involved, not their Leadership.

Companies and groups that are privately held or are not available to the interaction of the People under them on financial matters are given the 'Cold Shoulder' and told tartly that money from them is ONLY acceptable from Individual Persons, NOT corporate 'entities'.

Finally the amount that is acceptable from such groups, companies and organizations is EXACTLY equal to the highest amount a Citizen may give unless there is a set amount by the State that is LOWER than that. In this light that organization, no matter how many members it has, is treated EXACTLY as ONE Individual. And, no, subsidiaries do NOT count as separate entities.

This is the Primary Rule for Accepting Money: All People are treated equally and respect for the decisions of the Individual is Paramount.


2) Use of funds. Simply put campaigns and such are run by volunteers or paid individuals out of the campaign coffers. The Jacksonian Party has NO treasury so NO treasurer. The Jacksonian Party holds NO FUNDS. One cannot donate to The Jacksonian Party. One CAN and SHOULD donate to those running for Office that represent their ideals and beliefs in what are good ways to run the Nation. Thus, only those running for Office have a treasury.

When running a campaign all income at the minimum necessary to require recording WHO gave it to you is kept on open and available record. The campaign may run 'outreach' groups to encourage giving and donations at various other activities to which the Campaign is INVITED, but those giving via those means must either give the small, sub-recordable amount or fill out a form, on the spot, for any amount over that so as to be properly accounted for. 'Passing the Plate' for a dollar here and a dollar there is fine, but that wad of $100's needs to be accounted for. Any large sums to which there can be no proper accounting are held in a separate account NOT AVAILABLE TO ANYONE IN THE PARTY.

If a Campaign has money 'left over' it must do one of two things. If processing fees and such are low enough and justified, the amounts GIVEN are counted as shares and the amount left is divided by the number of shares and handed back, proportionately to those who gave recordable sums.

If processing fees are too high or the vast majority of funds were of the sub-recordable amount, then the entire amount along with the 'separate' account of untraceable donations are sent directly to the Treasury of the United States of America.

This means that there is ZERO funds left and that there will be no 'carry over' funds or 'war chest' for the next election cycle. An individual who ran for office may want to put a small, personal amount in an account to hold it open and then open that for the next election cycle, but NO FUNDS get carried over. Those funds are a direct representation of the Will of the People and their pocketbooks to support an Individual THIS TIME. It is anti-democratic to believe that this is a full-time and everlasting support of that Individual who ran for Office. IT IS NOT.

These practices which are held as an abomination of the current Party Concept are anti-democratic, reduce the voice of the People and empower those able to give large amounts to make those running for Office beholden to THEM by doing so. By adhering to actual practices that are boldly put forth other Campaigns are then asked: why do you take in such funds that are NOT representative of the Will of the People?

Campaign 'debts' are to be avoided and are wholly accountable to the Individual running for Office. Donations to pay off that debt will be accepted by the terms set heretofore for individual donation tracking.

The Primary Rule of Campaigns: Each Campaign starts from ZERO so that the People may have the fullest say.


3) Media 'airtime' and other 'press relations'. The actual media is given a choice in things: either accept payments ONLY for placing time slots or make EQUAL TIME AVAILABLE FREELY TO ALL CAMPAIGNS.

The Right to a Press is held by the People, not the Press. When legitimate Parties duly formed under the laws of a State are given little or NO press time and other Parties are given LOTS of air time, the actual fairness of the Press to represent the IDEAS and IDEALS of these duly constituted Parties is called into question. By showing favoritism the Press acts in a way of a Partisan Lobbyist. Thus, when 'free air time' is not made available in EQUAL AMOUNTS at EQUIVALENT TIMES the Press is acting as 'gatekeeper' as to what are and are NOT legitimate political positions of the People.

In conception that is anti-democratic in whole. The numbers of the People necessary to Form a Party gives it Equal Standing in the spectrum of ideas. Which ideas are 'better' is for the People to decide upon on Election Night, not for the Press to decide upon weeks and months before-hand on a continual basis.

Any forum which excludes minority Parties based solely on the rubric of them BEING a minority party is an attempt to invalidate those things held in common by those Individuals without giving them a Fair Hearing. That is both Elitist and anti-democratic and any media outlet doing such should and shall be taken to court by the Individual running for Office who may seek 'pro-bono' attorneys or seek out Other Parties to join in attacking this. And as the airwaves are under the Common Use via the Federal Government and lent back to corporations and organizations, this is a Federal Civil Rights issue for All of the People. The remedy is to have the media outlet give equal and equivalent airtime placing to each Party and Candidate, or to have NO SAY in available to any Party or Candidate.

This rule also goes for 'news coverage' of political events such as rallies, meetings and sessions of Party members. Unequal airtime given to 'major parties' ensures that they will grab limited airtime for their parties and remove overview of Other Legitimate Parties and Campaigns. Equal time for IDEAS and Parties, not proportional time given by adherence as that unduly casts aspersions on those things which hold differing groups together. It is for the People to decide what are Good and Bad ideas, not the 'press'.

The Primary Rule for Press and Media Coverage: Cover EVERYONE Equally without bias and let the People decide on Election Night.


4) For what means, methods and messages the Individual puts forth as Candidate: The Jacksonian Party has NO SAY in that, but believes that it is a direct reflection on the Honor and Ethics of the Individual putting such out.


5) Asymmetrical media use. Each individual has their say. Each individual may join as many or as few networks and groupings as they like. The only thing that individual who adheres to The Jacksonian Party *must* do is put forth those things they hold in Common across the Party and those things they differ from and WHY. The Jacksonian Party LOVES to have differences of opinion and outlook as new and better ways to build the Republic are found through that. The entire basis of the 'flat structure' of The Jacksonian Party REQUIRES this. That said those that do NOT have such connectivity may be encouraged, by individuals, handing them such material as they see fit out of their own, personal cost.

That is what it MEANS to have no Treasury: You put Your money where Your beliefs are as Individuals as You are the highest guidance authority to You.


These Five Points are to be clearly stated by Candidates and their agreement or disagreement with same. Today the Freedom of the Press puts publication power into the hands of the People directly, and so mass media is now fighting hard to retain a mid-20th century concept of media that no longer exists. In doing so they are seeking to have their way of doing business enshrined and the Rights of the People to Freedom of Association and Freedom of the Press to be denigrated. As this system and all that comes with it IS anti-democratic, it must be approached as an Authoritarian monobloc institution that is inherently Elitist and seeking no good for the People. The Jacksonian Party places full faith and trust in the People of the United States to make up their own minds and judge bias where it falls.

Anything OTHER than that is no better and actually WORSE than what is currently in place.

As Jacksonians we come together to advocate Our Responsibilities to the Nation, to have it run Fairly via due process and to have as little intrusion on the People to exercise their Rights so as to better build and sustain the Nation. And as we have seen the ills of ideology we temper these ideals with pragmatism and understand that individual battles may be lost in this, but the War to ensure Freedom and Liberty must continue so that the People may see that it is worth Remaining Free People and not handing Our rights and responsibilities to Others and thusly diminish Our say as Individuals.

As Jacksonians we look askance at those wanting to do those things and we will not support them, encourage them, listen to them or VOTE FOR THEM. Even if it is some bozo trying to do so on The Jacksonian Party line, their stated adherence to their beliefs and how they act will be self-evident to EVERYONE.

Or as the button said:

HONOR
Do what you say.
Say what you mean.
Mean what you do.