Green Party on Corporations Party Platform

Break up largest banks so that none is too big to fail

Greens believe the legal structure of the corporation is obsolete. At present, corporations are designed solely to generate profit. This legal imperative--profit above all else--is damaging our country and our planet in countless ways. We must change the legal design of corporations so that they generate profits, but not at the expense of the environment, human rights, public health, workers, or the communities in which the corporation operates.

Amend Constitution: corporations are not persons

The rights established by this Constitution and the laws of the United States of America are exclusively the rights of living, breathing humans, citizens of this country or residing therein. No corporation or other type of association or organization can have the status of a "legal person" and thus cannot derive rights from such status.

Focus on declining deficits only benefits the wealthy

If President Obama had provided Americans with a truthful perspective on workers it would have meant a completely different approach to the economy. The president could have put forward a vision of a full employment economy and ending poverty. Instead he focused on declining deficits, a mistaken goal he put forward in his first State of the Union. He set the wrong goals then, and continues to pursue them. The result is an economy that is a disaster for most Americans, despite the president's attempt to create a false image of success.

Citizenship means standing up to corporate-dominated system

Let us not reduce ourselves to the lie that we are consumers destined to combat an eternal, external enemy who is lurking behind the corner. This kind of outright manipulation of corporate and political elites who have everything to gain from a disunited, fearful citizenry must be seen for what it is: a direct insult to our human potential and dignity that we will no longer tolerate.

Measure human & ecological needs alongside private profits

• We call for an economic system that is based on a combination of private businesses, decentralized democratic cooperatives, publicly owned enterprises, and alternative economic structures. Collectively, this system puts human and ecological needs alongside profits to measure success, and maintains accountability to communities.
• Community-based economics constitutes an alternative to both corporate capitalism and state socialism. It values diversity and decentralization.
• Job banks and other innovative training and employment programs which bring together the private and public sectors must become federal, state and local priorities. People who are unable to find decent work in the private sector should have options through publicly funded opportunities. Workforce development programs must aim at moving people out of poverty.

Restrict flow of capital; tax currency transactions

Decentralize economic institutions & empower individuals

Centralization of wealth and power contributes to militarization, and social & economic injustice. Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system that is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.