Welcome to the Peace and Freedom Party’s FAQs page. If you have questions about the PFP, its organization, its platform and/or its stands on certain issues, simply scroll down to find concise answers, in many cases along with links for more details.

What is the Peace and Freedom Party?
Peace and Freedom is a socialist and feminist party, the only such ballot-status party in California. The Peace and Freedom Party has been strongly against war, racism and sexism in all their forms since its beginning more than 50 years ago. It is the only permanent ballot-qualified feminist/socialist party west of New England.

When was the Peace and Freedom Party founded?
The Peace and Freedom Party was founded on June 23, 1967. The first voters were registered into the new party the following month and, thanks to an intensive registration drive powered by thousands of volunteers, the PFP had enough voters registered by early January 1968 to achieve ballot status. Peace and Freedom has run candidates in local, state and national balloting in California since that year’s election.

Who founded the Peace and Freedom Party?
The Peace and Freedom Party cannot truly be said to have one founder: We instead credit its foundation to the many people and organizations who built PFP and similar parties in the late 1960s as part of the civil rights and anti-war movements.

Ultimately, several thousand people helped form the Peace and Freedom Party. In late 1966 and early ’67, meetings of many groups and organizations were held up and down California to discuss whether and how to form a political party to the left of the Democrats which would enable candidates who supported civil rights and opposed the Vietnam War to get on the ballot.

Over this time, a consensus developed that formation of a new political party was necessary, and that the name of this party would be “Peace and Freedom” (“Peace” for opposition to the war, and “Freedom” for the civil rights cause).

What does the Peace and Freedom Party stand for?
The Peace and Freedom Party is committed to socialism, democracy, ecology, feminism and racial equality. We represent the working class, those without capital in a capitalist society. We organize toward a world where cooperation replaces competition, a world where all people are well-fed, clothed and housed; where all women and men have equal status; where all individuals may freely endeavor to fulfill their own talents and desires; a world of freedom and peace where every community retains its cultural integrity and lives with all others in harmony

What is the Peace and Freedom party platform?
For the latest full version of the official Peace and Freedom Party platform, click here. For the condensed version, click here. Para la Plataforma concise del Partido Paz y Libertad, haga clic aquí.

How can I get a PDF or electronic copy of Peace and Freedom Party literature?
For PDFs or electronic copies of our most recent literature, please click here.

What is the Peace and Freedom Party position on China, Russia, Cuba, etc.?
The Peace and Freedom Party is a multi-tendency party willing to allow for a range of opinions, beliefs and biases. Aside from matters addressed in the party platform, PFP does not take monolithic positions on some issues such as foreign relations. FAQs on some formal party positions follow.

What are the benefits of normalizing the U.S.'s relationship with Cuba?
The Peace and Freedom Party believes there will be plenty of benefits to normalizing relations with Cuba. Cuba, with access to markets, will be a good customer for many U.S. industries, a great place for Americans to visit, and a source of useful medical expertise needed in many countries. And essentially, there are *no* benefits to continuing to isolate Cuba.

Why is the Peace and Freedom Party against NATO membership for Ukraine?
The Peace and Freedom Party is opposed to NATO membership for Ukraine because we are opposed to the existence of NATO as a military alliance formed to solidify the division of Europe into warring camps. We see NATO as a vehicle to perpetuate a state of war, either cold or, as in the present situation, hot. One plank in the Peace and Freedom Party platform is the desire to “dissolve all military pacts”; NATO is one of those pacts.

Why is the Peace and Freedom Party for nuclear disarmament?
We are for peace, and we do not believe the reasoning behind the argument for the building of weapons as a “nuclear deterrent." Recent political developments in this country make U.S. more concerned than ever that reason does not necessarily prevail.

While there are nuclear weapons, there is the threat of their use, and to say that a nuclear exchange would be catastrophic is an understatement.

The United States is the only country that has actually U.S.ed nuclear weapons against another country. It is our job to stop them for that reason, and also because we can only influence policy in our own country.

How can we achieve a society without war or nuclear threat?
We need a political party that helps organize people to work toward this goal. Eliinating the war industry and concentrating on production for human need and preservation of the environment are paths to international peace – but the political system itself must be changed to make that the goal. It will take a political movement.

What is the Peace and Freedom Party position on the death penalty?
The Peace and Freedom Party has always been for the abolition of the death penalty.

What is the Peace and Freedom Party's position on healthcare?
The Peace and Freedom Party is for universal healthcare with full resources. This is becoming an international standard which the U.S. sadly lags behind.

How could a universal healthcare system be funded, aside from inheritance taxes?
Financing universal healthcare does not require an inheritance tax – though such taxation has been vastly reduced over the past few decades. There are many proposals for increasing taxes on personal wealth and corporate profit.

The idea of decreasing the military budget, which would not involve increasing anyone’s taxes, is also a good one. Consider, too, that while proponents of universal healthcare are typically dogged with cries of “But where will the money come from?” extra funding for “defense” budgets and foreign military aid is somehow found year after year…

Is inheritance tax is a good idea?
Inheritance taxes on ordinary people are of no benefit. Inheritance taxes on very wealthy people benefit the country, not only with income for the treasury, but by breaking up monopolies, freeing up unused property, and breaking the hold of billionaires on our economy from extending beyond the grave.

Also of note: As with income taxes, inheritance tax rates currently start at a certain floor under which a certain value of inherited property is exempt, and from which certain types of inherited property are exempt – and most people who are taught to worry about “high taxes” inherit property of value well below that floor.

Would the Peace and Freedom Party abolish taxes?
Taxes are needed so long as some people have much more money and power than working people. Taxes must be levied on the rich to provide services needed by working class. But with an economy owned by the general population and managed democratically, taxes would play less and less of a role as the resources of the economy are directed more and more to the benefit of the people.

How do we ensure that the rich also pay taxes?
The rich, sadly, avoid taxes “legally” as well as illegally. They invest in legislators and get tax breaks written into the tax code. We need to end these tax breaks for the rich, take money out of politics so the rich can't buy laws, and enforce the tax laws so that the rich pay all they owe. After all, anyone who evades taxes is subject to plenty of enforcement already – we just need to stop special breaks for the very wealthy!

How can the Peace and Freedom Party fund for the reformation if 1% of society controls the nation?
We can’t! In order to fund improvements to our society for working people, we need to break the stranglehold that the (fewer than) one percent of its population have on the economy and government. Eventually, we need to dispossess the few dominant billionaires of all their political power and most (if not all) of their economic power.

What are some ways to close the gap between rich and poor?
The most effective way to close the rich/poor gap is to end capitalism, a system which allows a few to control and exploit the many. If the forces of social production – the factories, transportation networks and financial institutions – are owned by the people instead of billionaires, the gap can be narrowed to nothing. Amazing opportunities for education, work, and personal growth that are now dominated by the rich will be available to everyday people.

What is the Peace and Freedom Party’s position on affirmative action?
The Peace and Freedom Party believes that affirmative action is needed in many cases as a remedy to racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination. But of course we need to help everyone of every background to attain the highest educational and/or vocational achievement they desire, and not to limit anyone's access.

Does the Peace and Freedom Party support free public education?
Yes. Education through high school is already free (though not nearly as well-supported as it should be), but the Peace and Freedom Party advocates making available a free public education for all from preschool through graduate school. This is actually the case in many countries, and as the richest country in the world, the U.S. is well able to support such a comprehensive free educational system.

What is the Peace and Freedom Party’s position on immigration?
The Peace and Freedom Party considers all immigrants to be humans deserving of equal rights. Working class people who come to this country seeking a better life and people fleeing persecution should not be treated like criminals. Refusing legal residency and a path to citizenship is a way for employers to keep a sub-class of workers who cannot protest substandard wages and poor working conditions for fear of deportation.

This anti-immigrant policy does more to “take good jobs” from U.S. citizens than would a humane policy toward immigrants. The real job killers are the corporation owners who move their businesses all over the world seeking lower-paid workers and poorer working conditions.

What is the Peace and Freedom Party’s position on environmental issues?
Among the pro-ecology policies that the Peace and Freedom Party stands for are the following examples. Peace and Freedom Party is:

• for the development of more and better mass transit rather than policies that encourage the U.S.e of private automobiles;
• for preservation and restoration of natural areas such as wetlands, grasslands, forests, etc;
• generally opposed to development projects that threaten natural areas, e.g. suburban sprawl; and
• generally opposed to “water projects” that divert naturally flowing rivers into pipes, tunnels and some reservoirs. Though we recognize the need for drinking water and agriculture, sustainable methods closer to being in harmony with nature are needed.

Peace and Freedom Party members participate in a variety of groups that work toward those goals, and our candidates raise these issues when they run for office. PFP seeks to build a movement to put power into the hands of people instead of the current system which allows big business and major corporations to degrade the environment for profit.

How do we ensure that everyone contributes their fair share in a socialist society where everyone receives the same pay?
It is simply not true that in a socialist society everyone receives the same pay. Naturally, in socialist societies some jobs pay more than others – just not thousands of times more, as in certain modern capitalist societies! Under socialism, people can earn more by doing more work, more intense work, or work valued more by society. This is one useful way to encourage people to take jobs of greater responsibility and/or difficulty.

How can I register to vote in California?
You can change your voter affiliation by filling out a voter registration form on a paper form or online at the California Secretary of State’s official website.Click here to register to vote or to check your registration status.

How can I change my party affiliation?
At the California Secretary of State’s official websiteare tools for voter registration or, if you are already registered, for changing information such as address and party affiliation.

On this form, you may un-register for the party you are currently affiliated with and select the party which you’d like to register for. We hope you choose Peace & Freedom Party!

How can I support the Peace and Freedom Party?
To become a sustaining member and/or donate to Peace and Freedom Party campaigns and activities via PayPal, click here. (PayPal account/membership not required.)

How can I support the Peace and Freedom Party in ways other than donating?
Simply registering Peace and Freedom is a good way to help our campaigns and activities.

But why stop there? Sign up for our “PFP Inform” email list. You will receive periodic email message – no spam ever, we promise! – containing information about PFP activities and meetings; about how to start or join a local Peace and Freedom Party committee; about how to support PFP candidates; and even about how to run your own campaign for political office. https://peaceandfreedom.us/index.php/pfp-inform-list

Why can’t I find Peace and Freedom Party candidates on my ballot in November?
Proposition 14, passed in 2010 and first implemented for the 2012 election, created a system with a “blanket primary” in which all candidates from all parties run in a single at-large election – so not really a “primary” at all! This at-large election is followed by a November runoff between the two candidates receiving the most votes in the spring election.

Because of this “Top Two” system, “third party” candidates from parties like Peace and Freedom and the Green Party rarely get to participate in the November elections, which are usually two corporate-party candidates.

Though California’s electoral system is stacked against the non-corporate parties, success for Peace and Freedom Party candidates in the at-large elections is well more achievable than one might think. Since so many voting districts in California are dominated by a single party and opposition parties often simply don’t bother to field a candidate, the Peace and Freedom Party candidate may be the only other name on the ballot.

In such a scenario, the Peace and Freedom candidate would advance to the general election ballot. In November, Peace and Freedom would no longer be a “third party” but rather the *second* party, with no “lesser evil” or “spoiler” nonsense to distract voters from a clear choice of candidates.

So please make sure to vote Peace and Freedom *in the spring elections* and remember that, in California, *second place wins*.

How do I register for the Peace and Freedom Party if I’m not a California resident?
The Peace and Freedom Party is currently a ballot-qualified party in California only, though when the party was formed in 1967, there were numerous such parties around the country. PFP has had small branches in other states connected to presidential campaigns in the last two decades.

Can I start a Peace and Freedom Party in my state?
We would welcome the formation of Peace and Freedom parties in other states and are happy to share our platform and any other literature. We want to see the growth of socialist alternatives to the two parties of the duopoly.

If you join some like-minded people and start a Peace and Freedom Club, that would be a good first step, and we’ll offer any assistance we can. Contact Peace and Freedom Party of California and let us know of your interest in building up the PFP in your state. We can provide you with information on forming a chapter, provide you the laws for ballot qualification in your state, and possibly put you in touch with others in your state.

Why doesn’t the Peace and Freedom Party join/merge with the Green Party?
The Peace and Freedom Party is explicitly socialist and has been since 1974. The Green Party has not always aligned with this stance, though lately the Greens have been moving in that direction and have generally adopted a stance of “eco-socialism.”

Aside from difference in platform, there are also differences in the way the parties adopt party positions: The Peace and Freedom Party generally adopts positions by majority vote while Green Parties in different locations U.S.e a “consensus” method requiring various levels of super-majorities.

It should be noted, however, that while Peace and Freedom remains a separate party from the Greens, PFP has endorsed Green Party candidates (and vice versa) many times and, for the elections of 2022 and 2024, our two parties came together in coalition to form a Left Unity Slate of mutually endorsed candidates.

If I vote Peace and Freedom Party candidates instead of Democrats, won’t the Republicans win?
We believe that the Democrats are not a good alternative to the Republicans. Both represent Wall Street and not the working class. Democrats, like Republicans, are largely supported by corporations and so-called “megadonors.” And, as has been demonstrated quite clearly recently, the Democrats are just as beholden to the military-industrial complex and even more likely to U.S.e war to expand the U.S. empire.

Why should I vote Peace and Freedom when they have no chance of winning?
Historically, alternative parties have promoted issues that neither of the two corporate parties address until forced to do so. The Peace and Freedom Party believes that putting a diversity of voices on the ballot is crucial.

Another way to answer the question: It depends on how you define “winning.” As long as citizens are denied decent healthcare, affordable housing, and a clean environment, nobody is winning anything. To truly win in the long run, we need to build a movement and a party that stands for the people.

Aren’t Peace and Freedom candidates (and other “third party” candidates) just playing spoiler?
Firstly, election law in California states that all ballot-qualified candidates are put on the primary ballot. The two candidates receiving the largest number of votes advance to the general election. It is therefore impossible for an alternative party candidate to literally act as a “spoiler” in California elections. (For more on California’s election system, see the FAQ entitled “Why can’t I find Peace and Freedom Party candidates on my ballot in November?”

An alternative to both the unrepresentative “Top Two” system and any notion of “spoilerism” would be a single transferable voting-based election. Additionally, proportional representation would give smaller parties such as Peace and Freedom a voice in government.