What is an Independent candidate (according to AIVN)?

Independent voters can be anything – Independent is not a political party, it is a non-party. But at AIVN the Independent candidates that we share with our network readers share important characteristics.

We believe that most independent voters believe in Our Great American Experiment and understand how critical it is to build on past accomplishments and learn from past mistakes. We seek elected leaders who carefully improve upon our rich heritage to benefit Americans broadly, irrespective of party registration. We are co-owners of our Constitution and believe that all law abiding American voters deserve respect from our elected representatives and each other.

What attributes do we believe best describe an Independent candidate for public office?

• Independent candidates believe that our democratic republic system of government is important and worth defending.
• Independent candidates want to find solutions to problems. They are collaborators who believe that compromise is good and makes our nation work better.
• Independent candidates want government to work well for the benefit of the governed, not just a select few. They support the responsible use of taxpayer money.
• Independent candidates develop policy positions based on verifiable facts, from dependable (accountable) sources. They chose to differentiate between opinions, theories, fantasies, wishful thinking and verifiable data.
• Independent candidates are not afraid to question their own assumptions or those of others and change their minds if confronted with competent evidence for doing so.

Independent candidates should believe that the following measures are requirements for public office holders:

• Independent candidates believe that there should be enforceable, ethics standards for all public office holders. Elected officials must recuse themselves from discussion and voting on any matter that could directly impact their personal finances, or directly benefit personal or business relationships.
• Independent candidates support transparency. Open meeting, financial disclosure and public record laws exist so that elected official’s deliberations and decisions are made in ways that allow the public to understand why they oppose or support a policy, rule, or law.