Modern Whig Party

The Modern Whig Party (MWP) was a political party in the United States intended to be a revival of the Whigs that existed from 1833 to 1856. In 2019, it ceased activities as a party, opting to become a think tank for moderates known as the Modern Whig Institute.[3]

Not to be confused with Whig Party (British political party), Whig Party (United States), or Whigs (British political party).

Modern Whig Party
AbbreviationMWP
Founded2008 (2008)
Dissolved2019 (2019)
Succeeded byAlliance Party
HeadquartersBuffalo, New York
IdeologyConservative liberalism[1]
Jeffersonian democracy[2]
Political positionCenter
Colors  Orange

Background

The original Whig Party was founded by Henry Clay,[4] William Henry Harrison,[5][6] Daniel Webster,[7] and Horace Greeley. According to Encyclopædia Britannica,[8] the "Whig Party, in U.S. history, [was a] major political party active in the period 1834–54 that espoused a program of national development but foundered on the rising tide of sectional antagonism".[9] It was the first party for Abraham Lincoln arising because "Jackson had shattered the National Republican Party."[9][10][11] It became a major force in American politics,[11] controlling the Congress at times and placing several Whigs in the presidency like Harrison,[12] Zachary Taylor, and Millard Fillmore.

History

The MWP was founded in 2008 by veterans as a mainstream, middle-of-the-road grassroots[13] movement representing voters who do not strictly accept Republican[14] and Democratic positions.[15][16][17] The party's general platform supported fiscal responsibility,[18] strong national defense and integrity and pragmatism in government. According to the Wall Street Journal, the party was "the brainchild of soldiers tired of the bickering that filled chow-hall TV screens on bases in Iraq and Afghanistan."[19]

Members of the party initially won a handful of local elections while running on major party tickets; the first being Ken Belcher of Alabama, who claimed victory on behalf of the MWP for Constable.[20] In spring 2010, Time rated the MWP as among the "top 10 most popular alternative political movements worldwide".[21] In 2013, Robert Bucholz, a software engineer running on the MWP ticket in Philadelphia, defeated a Democrat to win the post of judge of elections, becoming the first Whig to win an election in the city in 159 years.[22]

Ideology

According to the MWP website, Whigs have traditionally stood for representative government, individual liberty, social and economic progress, modernization, public education, a vibrant legislative branch and ongoing cooperation between the private and public sectors.[23] The News & Observer reports that the party was founded by United States troops while they were in "the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan."[24] The MWP was organized as a grassroots movement reflecting an ideology of centrism,[25] multiculturalism[26] and individualism[27] and aimed to serve the needs of the community by identifying the most basic human rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.[28][25][29]

References
  1. "Values". Modernwhig.org. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  2. Buel, Richard (2015). America on the Brink: How the Political Struggle Over the War of 1812 Almost Destroyed the Young Republic. St. Martin's Publishing Group.
  3. September 12, The Modern Whigs of America ·; reactions, 2018 8:15 PM · 3. "The Modern Whig Institute". The Modern Whig Institute.
  4. "Henry Clay: The American Statesman".
  5. "William H Harrison".
  6. "William Henry Harrison".
  7. "Daniel Webster".
  8. "Whig Party (1834–1856)", Student's Guide to Elections, CQ Press, 2008, doi:10.4135/9781452240206.n153, ISBN 9780872895522.
  9. "Whig Party (1834–1856)", Student's Guide to Elections, CQ Press, 2008, doi:10.4135/9781452240206.n153, ISBN 9780872895522
  10. Howe, Daniel Walker (Winter 1995). "Why Abraham Lincoln Was a Whig". Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. 16 (1). hdl:2027/spo.2629860.0016.105. ISSN 1945-7987.
  11. "Whig Party | History, Beliefs, Significance, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  12. "Political Parties of the Presidents". www.presidentsusa.net. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  13. "Major American Political Parties".
  14. "Richard Cavendesh". hystorytoday.com.
  15. "Wall Street Journal".
  16. "The Modern Whig Party". Modernwhig.info. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
  17. "Whigs Revived". Albuquerque Journal. July 29, 2009. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
  18. "The Republican Party Becomes the Whig Party".
  19. "Wall Street Journal".
  20. "Slate".
  21. "Top 10 Alternative Political Movements". Time. March 29, 2010.
  22. "Philadelphia Inquirer".
  23. "The Modern Whig Institute". The Modern Whig Institute. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  24. Christensen, Rob (April 26, 2009). "Whigs rise again". Politics. The News & Observer. Raleigh, NC: The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original on April 29, 2009. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  25. "Blog". The Modern Whig Institute. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  26. Wallach, Philip A. (March 6, 2017). "Prospects for partisan realignment: Lessons from the demise of the Whigs". Brookings. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  27. Fox, Dixon Ryan (1918–2012). "The Economic Status of the New York Whigs". Political Science Quarterly. 33 (4): 501–518. doi:10.2307/2141604. ISSN 0032-3195. JSTOR 2141604.
  28. "Major American Political Parties of the 19th Century". Norwich University Online. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  29. "On this day, the Whig Party becomes a national force - National Constitution Center". National Constitution Center – constitutioncenter.org. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
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