Activist argues against two-party system, favoring open debate

The Republican and Democratic parties dominate U.S. elections, but Americans can start a grassroots campaign to reclaim control of politics, said political reform activist Omar Ali last night at the American Whig-Cliosophic Society.

Ali, a Fordham University profesor and director of research for the Committee for a Unified Independent Party, rallied students to push for electoral reform at the invitation of Whig Clio and Ideas for Action.

"The major political parties have taken over the government," Ali said in an interview before his talk.

Ali said independents are people not affiliated with any political party, but are registered to vote.

He decried the lack of "meaningful" choices in elections. He said it is a problem — even in states like New York, which has many parties — because of "the control that the Democrats [and] Republicans have over the processes in which people get to find out about those third parties or fourth parties or independents."

"The major parties literally control how you get on the ballot, who is going to be participating in the debates, what issues are discussed, how they're discussed, what laws are enacted," Ali said.

"These two major parties literally control the legislative and political process," he added. "We want to insert the American people, and how you do that . . . is by creating a movement from below."

A part of this control is the major parties' ability to decide who takes part in debates, Ali said. For example, Ross Perot received 20 million votes in 1992 when he was included in the presidential debates and around half that in 1996 when he was not.

"Independents today, as in times past, have to create a movement to democratize our political system," Ali said. "How we do that is by building a broad movement — not one that is centered on a particular third party."

Ali said he hopes his talk will recruit Princetonians for the movement to reform elections.

Unlike many modern political movements, the Committee for a Unified Independent Party is "process focused," he said.

The group focuses on structural issues, such as ballot-access reform, term limits and same-day voter registration — not substantive issues like abortion or education.

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Americans are getting behind the group and its goals, he said.

"The numbers are behind us," he said, referring to the 41 percent of Americans he said identify themselves as independents.

Ali compares the emergence of the Independence Party — which is the third largest party in New York — to that of the Republican Party in the 19th Century.

Whigs and Democrats who opposed the expansion of slavery came together as Republicans, he said.

"Today the issue is political reform and expanding democracy," he said, referring to the Independence Party's main issue of political reform.

Ali said he thinks the major parties try to portray third parties and independents as spoilers. In 2000, some blamed Ralph Nader '55 for taking away votes from Al Gore and handing the election to then Gov. George W. Bush.

"The fact is that the Democrats and Republicans don't own the electorate," Ali said.