How the North Carolina Forward Party Champions Values and Democratic Policymaking

Portrait of Thomas Jefferson, by Rembrandt Peale in 1800, a spokesman for democracy, was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and the third President of the United States (1801–1809).

By Cliff Hamill

I would describe the North Carolina Forward Party as a group of dedicated Jeffersonian ideologues. We believe our government should operate as the founders intended, with our congressional representation—both state and national—reflecting the will of the electorate.

In today’s congress, the parties control the representatives. That is, representatives perform the will of the parties, not the people. The parties, which are U.S. corporations, place ‘party’ first in each decision they make. With the parties placing themselves first, the nation and the will of the electorate are being shortchanged. In response to this challenge, we believe we have a better idea.

We have a values-based platform. To this end, we ask our candidates to sign a pledge to adhere to these values. No other party has this practice. Our expectation is that our candidates live their lives, run as candidates, and govern according to the values expressed in our pledge (which can be found here).

Additionally, because we have no national platform, we usually end up describing how our process works. Let me say that our position on issues (our platform) is not drafted by strategists in a boardroom. The North Carolina Forward Party doesn't set positions on issues; we let the electorate do that. The Forward Formula is our innovative concept that democratizes a party's policy-making agenda. Unlike other parties, which create performative platforms based on the preferences of party leadership, we cultivate a democratic ethos that empowers individual Forwardists to drive policy initiatives. This novel idea is the backbone of our party and shapes our political culture.

Accordingly, we strongly encourage your participation. Make your voice heard! Participate in our online scientific polling. Again, we are all about the will of the people being represented.

Our platform and policy positions:

Our polling is used to find the limits of our policy positions. That is, we poll our members and the public to find the range of policy choices the electorate prefers on each issue. Within this range of policy positions that we draw from the electorate, our ‘guardrails’ are developed. Then, each candidate stakes out their individual positions on each issue. This means that each candidate has a slightly different platform and/or position on the issues. This flexible approach allows different states to have platforms specific to their electorates because what works in Massachusetts would likely be contentious in Alabama.