Ben Manski is a far-left nonprofit organizer, activist, and campaigner for the Green Party. Manski is also an assistant professor of sociology at George Mason University in Northern Virginia. ¹

In an interview about the Green New Deal, Manski criticized versions introduced by liberal and far-left members of congress for not doing enough to eliminate free-market activities that relate to the production and trade of conventional energy. Additionally, he advocates for versions of the Green New Deal that would implement a centrally planned economy that relies on environmentalist energy. ²

Career

Ben Manski has worked at George Mason university as an assistant professor of sociology since August 2020. He has also been a research fellow for George Mason’s Next Systems Project since May 2015. ³ The Next Systems Project is a research program at George Mason University that advocates for making fundamental changes to the economy, political system, and environmental policy to address existing “dysfunction.” ⁴

In 2006, Manski founded the Liberty Tree Foundation for the Democratic Revolution, working as its as executive director until 2012 when he became president. ⁵ It is a nonprofit organization that campaigns in support of changes to democratic processes. ⁶

Manski has also served as an associate fellow for Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) since November 2008. IPS is a left-of-center think tank and advocacy organization that focuses on economic inequality, race issues, gender issues, environmentalism, and foreign policy. ⁷

From November 2011 to October 2013, Manski worked as a campaign manager for Jill Stein’s presidential campaign. ⁸

Manski co-founded Move to Amend in 2009 and served as a member of the executive committee until April 2013. ⁹ Move to Amend is a left-of-center campaign that advocates for the passage of a constitutional amendment to limit rights to free speech regarding campaign finance spending or contributions to political causes and eliminate constitutional rights applying to businesses. ¹⁰

Manski ran for Wisconsin state assembly as a Green Party candidate for District 77 in the 2010 general election. ¹¹

In support of Ralph Nader’s 2000 presidential campaign, Manski worked as a Midwest field director. ¹²

Publications

In March 2019, Ben Manski published an interview he had on the Green New Deal in which he discussed how the liberal and far-left versions of the Green New Deal are not socialist enough. He argues that the Green Party’s version of the Green New Deal is the only version that adequately eliminates free market activities that relate to the production and trade of conventional energy. In the interview, Manski advocates for banning any capitalist institution that deals with conventional energy and advocates for a centrally planned economy and production system that relies on environmentalist energy. ¹³

In March 2022, Manski published a blog post advocating for a constitutional amendment he called the “Community Democracy Amendment.” In the text of the amendment, it states, “In providing for the general welfare, Acts of Congress and the States are understood to establish a floor, not a ceiling, to actions by local and state governments intended to accomplish the same. Therefore, Acts of the States, municipalities, counties, and other duly constituted governments of the People of the United States, providing for the general welfare, ensuring human rights, or pursuing ecological health, and which exceed standards established in the laws of the United States or the several States, shall not be preempted or otherwise abridged.” He argues the amendment would allow left-wing activists to gain increasing control over local governments, which would allow for drastic increases of government spending for social welfare programs similar to President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal and President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society program. ¹⁴

1. “Ben Manski.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmanski.
2. “Where Are the Greens in the Green New Deal?” Ben Manski. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.benmanski.com/blog/where-are-the-greens-in-the-green-new-deal.
3. “Ben Manski.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmanski.
4. ^[1] “Next System Studies.” Center for Social Science Research. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://cssr.gmu.edu/next-system-studies.
5. “Ben Manski.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmanski.
6. “Liberty Tree: Liberty Tree.” The Action Network. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://actionnetwork.org/groups/liberty-tree-foundation.
7. “About” Institute for Policy Studies. Accessed March 26, 2023. https://ips-dc.org/about/
8. “Ben Manski.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmanski.
9. “Ben Manski.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmanski.
10. “Move to Amend Coalition.” Move to Amend. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.movetoamend.org/about-us.
11. “Ben Manski.” Ballotpedia. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://ballotpedia.org/Ben_Manski.
12. “Ben Manski.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/benmanski
13. “Where Are the Greens in the Green New Deal?” Ben Manski. Accessed March 27, 2023. https://www.benmanski.com/blog/where-are-the-greens-in-the-green-new-deal.
14. Manski, Ben. “The Community Democracy Amendment.” Ben Manski, March 5, 2022. https://www.benmanski.com/blog/the-community-democracy-amendment.