The 2004 Democratic Party Platform: Stronger at Home, Respected in the World
The Democratic Party has a long and proud history of representing and protecting the interests of working Americans and guaranteeing personal liberties for all. One of the places we articulate our beliefs is in the Party's National Platform, adopted every four years by the Delegates at the National Convention.
Click here to read Strong At Home, Respected in the World -- The Democratic Platform for America.
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Frequently asked questions about the National Platform and the Convention Platform Committee
- What is the Platform?
- What is the Platform Committee?
- When will the Platform Committee meet?
- How do individuals submit testimony to the Platform Committee?
- Can I testify before the Platform Committee?
- How does the Platform Committee operate?
- How can someone become a Platform Committee Member?
- How many members serve on the Platform Committee?
- A total of 157 members are proportionally allocated among the states based on population and Democratic voting strength. (The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are treated as states.)
- Four members are allocated to represent American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Democratic Party Committee Abroad ("Democrats Abroad") with each member casting 1/4 vote. (These jurisdictions are collectively referred to as the "territories.")
- Each committee includes 25 Party Leader and Elected Official (PLEO) members. These members are nominated by DNC Chairman McAuliffe and elected by the DNC Executive Committee.
- Members selected by each state and territory, as well as the PLEO members, must be as equally divided as mathematically practicable between men and women.
- When are the Platform Committee Members selected?
- Who Chairs the Platform Committee?
- What are the responsibilities of the Platform Committee Chairs?
- What is the Platform Drafting Committee? Who Chairs the Committee?
- What night does the Convention vote on the Platform? What about the other Committee reports?
- May Platform Committee Members attend the Convention?
- Who covers the costs associated with attending the Committee's meeting and the Convention?
The National Platform is an official statement of the Party's position on a wide variety of issues. Each issue category included in the Platform is a "plank." A new Platform is adopted every four years by the Democratic National Convention.
In 1840, the Democratic Party adopted the first-ever platform by a political party. That document was less than 1,000 words. Our 2000 Platform is about 25,000 words, but some Platforms have been as large as 40,000 words.
The Democratic Party has a long and proud history of representing and protecting the interests of working Americans and guaranteeing personal liberties for all. The 2000 National Platform emphasized three key Democratic Party ideals: (1) Prosperity - sustaining and strengthening the economic growth that brought opportunities to so many Americans in the 1990s; (2) Progress - paying attention to the aspects of our lives that cannot be measured in economic terms but which have a deep impact on our everyday existence; and (3) Peace - more than just the absence of war it means protecting America's security wherever it is endangered and promoting democratic values around the world.
The Platform Committee is one of three "Standing Committees" of the 2004 Democratic National Convention. The other two standing committees are the Credentials and Rules Committees.
The Committee is responsible for drafting and recommending a proposed National Platform for approval at the Democratic National Convention. Its recommendation is presented as a Committee Report voted on by the delegates to the Democratic National Convention.
The Platform Committee will meet sometime in July 2004 at a date and location to be determined. Prior to the meeting, the Democratic National Committee will publish all relevant requirements and deadlines for submitting proposals for consideration by the standing committee. Proxies are not permitted for standing committee meetings.
Under the Democratic Party's rules, any person may submit a written statement concerning the Platform to the Platform Committee at any time prior to the Committee's meeting.
Written statements and testimony should be submitted by June 15. Correspondence should be mailed to: The Chairs of the Platform Committee, c/o The Democratic National Committee, 430 South Capitol Street, SE, Washington, D.C. 20003, or sent via email to platform@dnc.org.
The Platform Committee and/or Platform Drafting Committee will hold a limited number of public forums. Any person may request permission to testify at a public hearing and/or forum. Generally, the opportunity to present testimony in person is limited based on timing and logistical considerations. A request to testify should be submitted in writing to the Platform Committee Chairs by June 1.
The Call for the 2004 Democratic National Convention outlines the general responsibilities of the Platform Committee, the composition of its membership, and its Rules of Procedure. The Committee may also adopt additional Rules of Procedure for conducting its business, and, absent other provisions, it operates under Robert's Rules of Order (as most recently revised).
Before the Platform Committee meets, the DNC Chairman will distribute a document to the Platform Committee members outlining the issues to be considered by the committee. The document is usually an initial draft of the Platform as prepared by a small Platform Drafting Committee.
At the Platform Committee meeting, members discuss each plank of a draft platform. They have the opportunity to submit new proposed planks, or amendments to the draft. Proposals and amendments must be approved by a majority of the members present and voting. A proposal or amendment that fails on a majority vote can still be brought to the Convention floor as a minority report, with the support of members representing at-least 20% of the total votes of the Committee (37 members). Minority reports are voted on by the Convention delegates during the consideration of the Platform Committee's report.
Any Democratic voter is eligible for membership to the Platform Committee or one of the other standing committees. Members do not have to be delegates to the Convention. Each state allocates its committee positions to presidential candidates based on the results of the state's presidential primary or caucus. Presidential candidates who have qualified to receive committee positions nominate individuals for each committee, who are then elected by the state's National Convention delegates. A detailed description of how and when each state and territory's standing committee members are elected can be found within the state or territory's Delegate Selection Plan.
As with all Democratic Party elections, membership on the standing committees is open to all Democrats, regardless of race, sex, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, economic status or physical disability.
Each Convention Standing Committee has a total of 186 members (not including Committee officers) that cast 183 votes. Members are allocated as follows:
Once a state or territory finishes selecting its National Convention delegates, those delegates meet and vote on the members to serve on the Platform and other standing committees. All state-based standing committee members will be selected by late June 2004. The 25 PLEO members were elected by the DNC Executive Committee in March 2004 upon nomination by DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe. FAQ - 2004 Platform and Platform Committee Page 3
On March 26, 2004, DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe announced the selection of U.S. Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio, Los Angeles City Councilmember Antonio Villaraigosa, and Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa to serve as the Chairs of the 2004 Platform Committee. They were nominated by Chairman McAuliffe and elected by the DNC Executive Committee.
The Chairs call and preside over the Platform Committee's meeting(s), prepare an agenda for the orderly conduct of the committee's business, and supervise preparation of research studies and briefing materials as required to accomplish the committee's work.
The Platform Drafting Committee is responsible for preparing an initial draft of the Platform, which is used as a working document by the Platform Committee at its meeting. The fifteen members of this Committee will be appointed by DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe in spring 2004. These members do not have to be members of the Platform Committee. The Drafting Committee is not considered a subcommittee of the Platform Committee. This committee will meet before the meeting of the full Platform Committee.
The Platform Committee's Report is usually considered on the second day (Tuesday) of the Convention. The Credentials Committee's Report is considered as the first item of business on the first day (Monday) of the Convention, since it affects the seating of delegates. The second item of business considered at the Convention is the Rules Committee's Report, which recommends the agenda, procedural rules, and officers for the Convention.
Any standing committee member who is not already a delegate or alternate will receive a credential for guest seating for all four nights of the National Convention.
Each standing committee member is responsible for his or her own costs. Members should contact their State Party for information on how and where to seek financial assistance to help defray expenses.
For more information, call (202)479-5135 or write to:
Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection
Democratic National Committee
430 South Capitol St., SE
Washington, DC 20003
