1. Party Issue Orientation February 4, 2016

2. Fundamental Disagreement The Republicans and the Democrats disagree sharply about the role of government. Texas Republicans are conservative. They oppose most government economic regulation and heavy government spending while favoring low taxes and traditional values. In contrast, Texas Democrats are relatively liberal. They favor government regulation and generous levels of government spending for social programs. Liberals value social and cultural diversity and defend the right of individual adult choice on issues such as access to abortion.

3. Issue Positions The Texas Democratic Party platform is somewhat more conservative than the national Democratic platform. The Republican document is quite conservative. It reflects the values of Tea Party and Christian conservative activists because they participate in party precinct meetings. More moderate establishment Republicans are under- represented in the party organization. Why do you think the Texas Democratic Party is more conservative than the national party? The party platforms are adopted by each party’s state convention in even-numbered election years.

4. Taxes Texas Democrats Calls for extending property tax relief to renters. Endorses state constitutional amendment to prohibit a sales tax on food and medicine. Texas Republicans Calls for repealing the state business tax and abolishing the property tax. Proposes shifting tax burden to the sales tax. Opposes tax increase for education. No one likes taxes, but Texas Republicans dislike taxes more than do the Democrats. The property tax is the single most important revenue source for school districts and city governments. It is the primary revenue source for county government.

5. Education Democratic Platform The state should provide sufficient money to ensure every district has an exemplary education program. Favors pre-K and kindergarten programs. Opposes private school vouchers. Republican Platform Calls for funding cuts for all levels of education. Favors school vouchers to allow parents to use state money to send their kids to private schools. Opposes teaching critical thinking skills that tend to challenge students’ fixed beliefs. How does this statement reflect the values of the Tea Party and Christian Conservatives?

6. Higher Education Democratic Platform Calls for increased state funding for higher education coupled with a rollback in the increases in college tuition and fees adopted since 2003. Supports giving high school graduates two years of public college or post- secondary technical education tuition free. Favors expanded grant programs. Republican Platform Opposes using class rank as the basis for university admissions. Proposes use of the same college textbooks for 10 years to reduce costs. Supports charging non-citizens higher tuition and denying non-citizens financial aid and loans. Calls for repeal of the top 10 percent rule.

7. Illegal immigration Democratic Platform Calls for allocation of sufficient resources to police the border. Supports enforcement of laws against employers who knowingly hire illegal workers at substandard wages. Endorses legislation to create a path to citizenship for undocumented workers living in the United States. Republican Platform Calls for securing border and prohibiting employers from hiring undocumented persons. Only children of citizens can be citizens. Opposes any form of amnesty.

8. Energy Democratic Platform Declares that Texas should reduce global warming pollution by 80 percent by 2050. Supports the development of renewable energy. Republican Platform Opposes taxes and regulations imposed to counter the “alleged threat of global warming.” Favors domestic energy development, including alternative energy sources. Calls for eliminating the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

9. Minimum wage Democratic Platform Supports increasing the state minimum wage, which applies to farm workers, to keep up with the federal minimum wage. Republican Platform Calls for the repeal of the minimum wage.

10. Abortion Democratic Platform Declares that women should decide when and whether to bear children, “in consultation with their family, their physician, personal conscience or their God, rather than having these personal decisions made by politicians.” Republican Platform Declares that the unborn child has an individual fundamental right to life that cannot be infringed. Supports a constitutional amendment to ban abortion.

11. Criminal Justice Democratic Position Calls for decriminalizing marijuana and repealing the death penalty. Republican Position Supports capital punishment. Opposes legalization of “illicit drugs.”

12. LGBT rights Democratic Platform Calls for the repeal of all laws that discriminate against members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. Opposes discrimination in the foster care system. Endorses same sex marriage. Republican Platform Calls for the enactment of a constitutional amendment to protect traditional marriage. Opposes laws granting civil rights protection to gay men and lesbians. Declares that homosexuality is a chosen behavior that is contrary to the fundamental unchanging truths that have been ordained by God in the Bible. Recognizes efficacy of reparatory therapy designed to turn gay people straight.

13. Quiz On which of the following issues do Texas Democrats and Texas Republicans agree? A)Minimum wage B)Abortion C)Death penalty D)Border security The answer is D.

14. What We Have Learned How do conservatives and liberals differ on the role of government? Whose values does the Texas Republican Party platform reflect? Why? What are some of the issue positions taken by the Texas Democratic Party? What are some of the issue positions taken by the Texas Republican Party?