Justice Democrats: For The Many Not The Few
Updated on 10 November 2020
Justice Democrats is an American progressive political action committee formed as a response to Donald Trump becoming President in 2016.
Rather than start a new party, Justice Democrats aim to reshape the existing left-leaning Democrat party – which they perceive as being too established in representing the rights of corporations and not those of individuals.
The reshaping is through supporting candidates who better represent the will of the people over the influence of corporate interests and money. To achieve this Justice Democrats’ mission is to organise:
“A unified campaign to replace every corporate-backed member of Congress and rebuild the Democratic Party from scratch.”
Justice Democrats
Justice Democrats also champion diversity in its candidates to help build a progressive movement that is representative of the United States as a whole.
They are to the American Democrats Party what Momentum are to the UK’s Labour Party.
A Party For Voters & Not Donors
Whereas American political parties are traditionally funded by large donations from a small number of corporations with vested interests, Justice Democrats seek small scale donations in large numbers.
The average donation is $15.13.
All candidates Justice Democrats support are required to pledge not to take any corporate donations and stand on a policy platform that includes:
- Universal free health as a right for all
- Universal free education as a right for all
- Securing a living wage and tie it to inflation
- Creating a renewable energy revolution
- Ending tax dodging and loopholes
- Fight for racial justice and equality rights
- Enacting common-sense gun regulation
- Abolishing the Death Penalty
- Promoting peace building and stopping ceaseless wars
- Defending Net Neutrality
Justice Democrats says of its platform:
“Opinion polls in the United States demonstrate that these policy positions are overwhelmingly popular. Indeed, throughout the industrialized world these ideas are considered moderate. This is a movement about freedom and justice. And it’s a movement of, by, and for working people. If the Democrats refuse to embrace this platform, they’ll continue to lose, either to Republicans or to us.”
Justice Democrats
The 2018 Midterm Elections
Six Justice Democrat politicians were elected to the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections along with one existing representative – resulting in a total of seven. These include Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – the four women of colour collectively known as ‘The Squad’.
2020 General Election
The Squad was re-elected in the 2020 general election and in total Justice Democrats won nine seats in the House of Representatives. On their influence upon American politics, Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats states:
“The Squad is continuing to grow and it will hold the next administration accountable to a bold governing agenda… The Congress Joe Biden could likely be inheriting is far more progressive than the one Barack Obama inherited in 2009 and can help make the Biden administration the most progressive administration in generations.”
Alexandra Rojas
Click here to visit the Justice Democrat website to support, nominate or both
