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Frequently Asked Questions
| Below you will find some of the questions that are most often asked. If you would like to submit a question, please use the form below.
Questions that are most often asked:
| | Q - | What makes the Constitution Party different from the other major and minor parties? |
| A - | The Constitution Party of Utah has covered this topic well as does the national party:
www.cputah.org/html/about_us.html#Differences1
www.constitutionparty.com |
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| | Q - | Why not reform the Republican Party instead of building a new party? |
| A - | The GOP Leadership is Committed to "Moderation" Not Reformation!
- Those who desire reform are not in leadership positions. The current leadership fills powerful committee chair positions with "moderates". Therefore, conservatives hit a "glass ceiling" when trying to rise to leadership.
- The current leadership grants endorsements and financial support to "moderate" candidates, ignoring and working against Republican conservative candidates supported by grassroots conservative field works.
- The GOP is unwilling to nominate a constitutional conservative for president. This key position is responsible for many policy decisions and the appointments of numerous other influential positions.
The GOP Has No Intention of Restoring Constitutional Government!
- Currently, most federal departments, agencies and regulatory authorities operate unconstitutionally. Although the Republican Platform opposes one or more of these entities at different times, without the principle of reducing the federal government to its constitutional boundaries, overall Republican support is for an unconstitutional government.
- Hundreds of government programs exist to help politicians reward and strengthen their supporters. Republican office holders are no different than any of the others. Politicians force citizens (by taxation) to support selected institutions and organizations which in turn support the politicians. This means hundreds of billions of dollars of vote buying and contributor kickbacks. Constitutional government would greatly reduce the opportunities for political corruption.
Compromise is Standard Operating Procedure
- GOP politicians are not held responsible for voting contrary to the platform. In 1996, the presidential nominee stated that he hadn't ever read the platform!
- With the "big tent" philosophy, the GOP has become a house divided against itself. There is compromise even before negotiations with those they call "liberals". The Republican Party is composed of people on both sides of definitive issues such as abortion, special rights for homosexuals and entitlements for big corporations. Both the Republican-led Congress and Republican presidencies have been a net loss for the conservative cause of constitutional government. |
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| | Q - | If I become a member of the Constitution Party (CP, the national party), will that automatically make me a member of the Constitution Party of Wisconsin (CPoW)? |
| A - | No, memberships are separate. While the state party voted to affiliate with the national party and the national party recognizes the CPoW as the official and only Constitution Party in the Badger State, this state party is independent, electing its own officers, conducting its own business, making its own decisions, etc.
Likewise, membership in the Constitution Party of Wisconsin will not automatically make you a member of the national Constitution Party.
Think of it like the 10th Amendment. Each state in the United States is a sovereign republic guaranteed under the Constitution’s Article 4, Section 4: The United States shall guarantee to every state in this Union a republican form of government.” But together, we make up the United States of America.
There has been some confusion about this in the past, but the separation of state parties in this way serves the purpose of protecting state parties from national party “interference” (if there were to be any) in their state party decision-making. Plus, some state parties around the nation existed before the national party was created in 1992 and those state parties affiliated with the national party at a later date. |
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| | Q - | should I become a member of both national and the party in Wisconsin? |
| A - | If your goal is to: 1) be an officer or serve on our State Committee as a district representative or any of the sub-committees 2) vote at our state convention or vote for our officers 3) be endorsed by the party as a candidate for office, then you need to be a full member (dues paid for the year and you agree with our platform). You cannot vote or offer motions on bylaws or party platform changes, serve on a committee or be endorsed as a candidate unless you are a member. Membership conveys the message that you agree with the platform so we don’t bring in to our organization those who don’t agree with us or us them.
Whether you become a member of both national and the CPoW we leave to you and what you are financially able to afford to do or desire to do, but you do not have to be a member of both. It’s up to you. |
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| | Q - | So does the national CP have any control over the state parties that affiliate with it at all? |
| A - | Yes. When a state party and its members wish to affiliate with the national party for the first time, their state chairman signs a pledge promising that he/she and their party fully agrees with the platform of the national CP and their platform is written after the US Constitution and the original intent of the Founding Fathers.
Second, should the state parties run candidates for office who may not fully support the Constitution and the party platform, national will not list those state party candidates on the national web site www.constitutionparty.com, will not endorse them at the national level and will withhold any campaign donations or assistance from those state parties’ candidates. |
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| | Q - | Actually, I have heard that the CPoW will not endorse, nominate or in any way support any candidate(s) who does not agree with the platform which is written after the US Constitution, that your party will not “compromise its principles” just to win. Is that really true? |
| A - | Yes, we pride ourselves on setting that high standard, actually. What is the point of winning the election battle but losing the Constitution war? Why work so hard and spend so much in time and money to get a candidate elected who may not agree with your membership and party on many issues, then when he is in office, he may vote against many of your beliefs?
We set high standards in this party because the alternative is the loss of liberty, national sovereignty and individual rights. If we were to compromise our principles and run candidates who aren’t of like-mind, we’d be no better than Republicans who have compromised and endorsed “moderates” and RINO’s for office, got them elected and then spent most of their six year majority fighting their own people on key issues and having a president who for six years vetoed no unconstitutional spending or laws…who vetoed nothing. We seek to elect principled statesmen, not career politicians. We are constitutionally correct in this party, meaning we support the original intent of the Founding Fathers, a republic form of government and not a democracy, and our candidates will be of like-mind when it comes to the Bill of Rights and our liberty. |
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| | Q - | So how do you insure your candidates are as you say “constitutionally correct” and will obey the Constitution once in office? |
| A - | - Party bylaws require candidates must be party members to get party support and at the bottom of the membership form it reads:
(For Membership Only): I (we), the undersigned, agree with the purposes, constitution, platform and principles of the CPoW and its local affiliate, CPoW of ______________County.
Then a person gives their signature right underneath that.
- Many who have joined this party are known by others already in the party and often old members will say, “Oh, sure. I know ___________. He’s really constitutionally minded.” So we have word of mouth endorsements often times. People are often led to this party by current members they’ve known for years.
- We have a Campaigns and Candidates sub-committee who does the vetting of candidates with a series of essay questions the candidate must answer to the satisfaction of this sub-committee. The Campaigns and Candidates Committee is the gate-keepers. The members in this committee decide who the CPoW will endorse and who we won’t. Questions are varied from candidate to candidate on various constitutional issues and there is also a statement that each candidate must fix their signature to which reads:
FOR NATIONAL OFFICES LIKE REPRESENTATIVE OR SENATE: Under penalty of losing the Constitution Party of Wisconsin’s endorsements/campaign funding and/or any support of the party’s members/associates of your campaign, do you agree that if elected to Congress you will obey (1) your oath of office (2) Article 1: Section 8 of the Constitution (3) the Tenth Amendment. Do you also agree to vote against anything and everything that will deny citizens their rights under the Bill of Right? ________________________________ (signature/date)
So any given party endorsement can be withdrawn along with financial support of a candidate should any candidate be found to be in disagreement with parts of our platform and beliefs as a party. We are not worried about ever needing to do this because it’s our experiences that many join this party because of our platform, not in spite of it. |
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| | Q - | What is the best way for me to get involved with the CPoW? |
| A - | The first thing that you should consider is becoming a member. Members can serve on committees, vote at state conventions, elect officers and in general, it shows that you support the party’s platform so we don’t populate our party with those who may not agree with us. We do not wish to become a divided party like the Republican Party has allowed itself to.
Next, you should contact the state chairman by e-mail from this web site or by calling 1-877-201-2441 or asking the state treasurer who are the State Committee District Representatives in your part of the state. He can give you that info then you can contact them, introduce yourself and share your contact info
Finally ask yourself on what level you want to be involved. Consider becoming a local candidate, volunteer (there are many levels of tasks and projects that can be worked on), donate, and/or contact us to let us know what you are considering. There is always a need and we can fit you in to wherever you feel most comfortable starting. |
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| | Q - | You mentioned sub-committees. Perhaps I could help out on one of them. What are these sub-subcommittees and do they have need of extra people? |
| A - | The CPoW’s sub-committees are (in no particular order):
- The Finance Committee (headed by the party Treasurer). Their purpose is to develop a budget for the party and promote fundraising.
- The Campaigns and Candidates Committee (currently three members/including chairman). This committee vets potential candidates.
- The Bylaws Committee (headed by the party Secretary). This committee changes/amends our party bylaws and platform, updating it as needed.
- The Public Relations Committee (currently three members/including chairman). This committee’s goal is to promote the party to the public and educate the people about the Constitution and their rights.
- Convention and Meetings Committee (currently five members/including chairman). This committee organizes the annual state convention by finding its speakers and setting its agenda. They also find the locations and set the days and times of the convention and State Committee meetings.
Upon becoming a member, contact the party through this web site and express which committee interests you, then we’ll get you in touch with that committee chairman to see where they can use you. |
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