Political Issues Taking Sides

Gun Control Conservative Liberal The government should limit and regulate gun ownership. Guns pose a danger to the public and we need to regulate them. The government should not regulate gun ownership. Guns prevent crime. Gun control laws infringe on our Second Amendment right bear arms.

Church & State Conservative Liberal The Founding Fathers clearly wanted a separation of church and state. Christian morality should not determine our laws, and schools should not promote prayer. The United States is a Christian nation. Denying this by, for example, preventing school prayer before football games is depriving Christians of their rights.

Gay rights Conservative Liberal Gay people must be guaranteed equality under the law, including the rights to be married, to enjoy their partners’ health benefits, and to serve in the military. Government should not promote the gay lifestyle by giving gay Americans special protection. Homosexuality violates traditional morality.

Abortion Conservative Liberal This issue comes down to the right to privacy. The decision to get an abortion is a private medical issue that should involve only the pregnant woman and her doctor. This issue comes down to the right to life. The government must step in to protect the life of the fetus. Life starts at conception, and abortion is murder.

Capital Punishment Conservative Liberal The government should not be empowered to execute prisoners, no matter the crime. Two wrongs don’t make a right, and the U.S. has executed innocent people before The death penalty should be used to punish murderers and the worst criminals. It helps to deter people from committing the most horrible crimes. It is the ultimate justice.

Social welfare Conservative Liberal The government has a responsibility to provide for the “general welfare” of its citizens. Those who are trying to find work but can’t must be given help using tax dollars. People must learn to support themselves. Too many people abuse the welfare system, and our tax dollars should not be used to support the lazy.

Healthcare Conservative Liberal Healthcare is a right. All people who work should be able to afford health insurance, and if they can’t, the government should help them afford it. Healthcare is a privilege. The healthcare system can be reformed, but the government should not get so involved that it becomes a healthcare provider.

Taxes Conservative Liberal Taxes are not fun to pay, but they are necessary to provide for schools, roads, national defense, science, and social programs that help the less fortunate. Higher taxes mean more government programs that provide for all people, rich and poor. The government is asking for too much, and too much of our tax $ goes to support welfare programs, which are wasteful. I know how to spend my money better than the gov’t. Instead of using taxes to provide for all people, we can use our own money to help for ourselves.

Affirmative Action Conservative Liberal Minorities groups have disadvantages early in life or culturally through years of oppression, which make the playing field uneven from the start. Giving them certain advantages like scholarships for college helps level the field. Diversity is good! Regardless of who had advantages early in life, everyone should be judged based solely on their abilities. Giving extra help to minorities unfairly punishes white people and diminishes accomplishments of people in the minorities.

Global Warming Conservative Liberal The vast majority of scientists support global warming. The earth’s temperature will rise by several degrees in the next fifty years unless countries make a large effort to reduce their carbon emissions. People can help slow global warming. Global warming is a hoax. Scientists are not sure it is real, and some are deliberately faking evidence to support it. Humanity can do nothing to stop the gradual warming of Earth’s surface because it is part of a natural cycle.

Environmental Regulations Conservative Liberal The government should impose regulations to promote greener living, such as providing tax incentives for driving hybrid cars or banning incandescent light bulbs. The government should stay out of the business world and stop restricting people’s right to live how they please, even if the goal is helping the environment.

Immigration Conservative Liberal Illegal immigration is wrong, but we have so many illegal immigrants here, it is not possible to deport them all. We should offer them a legal path to citizenship. All illegal immigrants must be deported. There are no second chances for people who broke the law to come here. We must increase border patrols and build a fence.

Military spending Conservative Liberal Our military spending is too high. Some of that money should be rerouted to fund schools and other public works programs, or given back to the people in tax refunds. Our soldiers need more resources. We must maintain or increase military spending, because you can’t spend too much when the goal is keeping Americans safe.

Diplomacy Conservative Liberal The U.S. should always try diplomacy first when a nation threatens us. Military action should be a last resort. The U.S. has the most powerful army in the world and should not hesitate to use it. Nations should be too afraid of us to threaten us.

National Security Conservative Liberal It is dangerous to give the government the power to invade our privacy and suspend our rights. If we give up our rights in the name of safety, we are betraying our national values. National security is the most important thing. If wiretapping phones or airport searches helps catch even one terrorist, Americans should be willing to give up some liberties.

Humanitarian aid Conservative Liberal As one of the most powerful nations on Earth, the U.S. has a moral duty to step in and stop major human rights violations like genocide, with our military or our money. Our economy is already in trouble, and the world cannot expect us to step in every time there is a genocide. The U.S. needs to be more isolationist.