Q: What makes PPB different from other progressive electoral groups?

A: PPB aims to build a viable third party, not another organization working within the two-party system, and not another party that doesn’t seriously compete for power from the outside. Rather than regularly endorsing Democrats or running weak third party candidates in longshot races, a viable progressive party would run its own strong candidates in winnable races from the bottom up. And while certain other national groups may talk about the need for a new progressive party, none have developed a coherent, compelling new strategy for creating it. By comparison, PPB’s sharp focus on providing the tools and resources for effective bottom-up, independent party building stands out.

A: Consistent with the story of David and Goliath and a long history of victories by political underdogs (in social movements and revolutions across the world), the arrogant and powerful can be defeated by skilled and committed challengers. The American duopoly today is not any more immune to being  overthrown than other ruling regimes that have been repeatedly toppled.
Past wins by US third parties, whether in previous centuries or in the last several decades, have given us just a glimpse of what could be possible. In the mid 19th century, the Republican Party itself began as a third party. Its rapid ascent contributed significantly to ending slavery. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Populists, Socialists and Progressives elected over a thousand officials at all levels of government and helped leverage or inspire a wide array of enduring progressive reforms. Since the 1980s, wins by a growing cluster of Vermont Progressives, several Greens in different locations, and more recently, a Seattle socialist, have helped stimulate a variety of substantial state and local changes (such minimum wage increases, fairer taxes, stronger environmental regulations, and marriage equality laws).
And as public discontent with the corporate backed major parties has become more and more widespread in recent years, our two-party  establishment has become increasingly vulnerable -- not only to being influenced but also to being brought down, one step at a time, by a serious progressive populist third party. Such a party can start winning by first drawing upon just a fraction of the popular support for a viable alternative; recruiting a small but potent core of adept activists and candidates; strongly contesting the duopoly where it is weakest; building a critical mass of lower level victories, puncturing the popular myth that third parties can't win; and thereby creating a much larger pool of popular support.

A. The Right has used exclusionary rhetoric to equate greatness with the reinforcement of individualism, nationalism and white male privilege. It seeks to divide the progressive majority by sowing distrust, telling people: “We can’t trust the government, the media, immigrants, non-whites, the poor, or women.” In an extreme form, this has encouraged cruel and violent actions against minorities. But it also has justified subtler forms of economic, political, and social exclusion that have made most Americans feel more isolated and vulnerable. And along with that, the environment has also been marginalized.

The GOP has openly embraced this reactionary approach. But the corporate-dominated Democratic Party has also caused it to flourish. By refusing to seriously champion a progressive alternative, Democratic establishment leaders have left many people feeling disenfranchised, angry, and more open to right-wing populist appeals. It needn’t be this way. We believe a great society is an inclusive society, and a strong government is an inclusive government that serves all of us. We aim to develop a truly persuasive challenge to Right politics by strongly, genuinely representing all ordinary people over powerful elites, and by organizing democratically and winning from the bottom up.

PPB will commonly support campaigns that have a strong potential to actually win. To do this, we will focus first on local races where the obstacles to third party success are weakest (where money, endorsements and media attention are less important, and where it is easier to interact directly with most voters). We'll also prioritize races and districts dominated by one major party, so as not to split the progressive vote with an opponent. And we'll recruit candidates who have strong connections to their community -- those who can easily build a competitive base.