Comparing Political Parties Democrats vs. Republicans On the Issues

Democrats Republicans Abortion Pro-choice Pro-life Promotes alternatives to abortion Death penalty Do not support it and don’t see it as a good way to control crime See it as necessary to curb crime Defense/Military Spending Limited missile defense Peace through worldwide relationship building and negotiation Oppose nuclear build-up Want to reduce military spending We must ask other nations for permission before we act to protect our own security Strong national defense Support spending on military, defense, and research Support building weapons and technology to protect our nation Peace through strong defense Fight terrorism aboard to prevent it at home

Democrats Republicans Economy Less government, more freedom. Wealth is good Free enterprise system Encourage business to keep jobs in America and not send them overseas Support unions and rights or workers More government, less freedom. Wealth is bad Government should guide all business decisions Pro-small business Against unions Education Believe tests burden teachers and waste classroom instruction time Want to enact new taxes to decrease class sizes and hire new teachers Believe all students, regardless of race or socio-economic background, should become proficient in math/reading Schools should be held accountable for student progress through testing Promote school choice Support voluntary student prayer in schools Oppose gender and race quotes in colleges Faith [Religion] Separation of church and state Promote secular [without God/material] issues and secular nation “God is part of a good society” Traditional morality: right and wrong

Democrats Republicans Gay Rights Support gay marriages because its every person’s civil right to choose what they want Oppose gay marriages and support constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages Guns Strict gun control Limited gun control Healthcare Support federally funded healthcare programs Keep healthcare private Immigration Support illegal alien’s right to become citizens Should give aliens more protections under the law Closed/tight borders Support tracking system for foreign travelers Minimum Wage Favor increase in minimum wage to help workers Oppose raising minimum wage because it hurts businesses Taxes Progressive taxation: higher taxes for higher income brackets Lowering taxes for the middle class High taxes Tax cuts for the wealthy Low taxes