REPUBLICAN PARTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM (2016) PLATFORM (2016)
Abortion “We assert the sanctity of human life and “Democrats are committed to protecting and affirm that the unborn child has a advancing reproductive health, rights, and fundamental individual right to life which justice. We believe unequivocally…that every cannot be infringed. We support a human woman should have access to quality life amendment to the Constitution.” reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion—regardless of where “We oppose using public revenues to she lives, how much money she makes, or how promote or perform abortion or fund she is insured.” organizations like Planned Parenthood, so long as they provide or refer for elective “We will fight Republican efforts to roll back abortions…We will not fund or subsidize the clock on women’s health and reproductive healthcare that includes abortion rights, and stand up for Planned Parenthood.” coverage.”
Criminal justice “The Republican Party, a party of law and “We will push for a societal transformation to reform order, must make clear in words and action make it clear that black lives matter and there that every human life matters.” is no place for racism in our country.”
“Along with diversion of first-time, “Whenever possible, Democrats will prioritize nonviolent offenders to community prevention and treatment over incarceration sentencing, accountability courts, drug when tackling addiction and substance use courts, veterans treatment courts, and disorder. We will build guidance by faith-based institutions with on effective models…that seek to give proven track records of rehabilitation, our nonviolent offenders opportunities for platform emphasized restorative justice to rehabilitation as opposed to incarceration.” make the victim whole and put the offender on the right path.” “We encourage the federal government to remove marijuana from the list of “Schedule 1" “We call for mandatory prison time for all federal controlled substances and to assaults involving serious injury to law appropriately regulate it, providing a reasoned enforcement officers.” pathway for future legalization.”
Education “We support options for learning, including “We believe that a strong public education home-schooling, career and technical system is an anchor of our democracy, a education, private or parochial schools, propeller of the economy, and the vehicle magnet schools, charter schools, online through which we help all children achieve learning, and early-college high schools. their dreams….We also support increased We especially support…education savings investments in afterschool and summer accounts (ESAs), vouchers, and tuition tax learning programs.” credits.” “Democrats are unified in their strong belief “The federal government should not be in that every student should be able to go to the business of originating student loans. In college debt-free, and working families should order to bring down college costs and give not have to pay any tuition to go to public students access to a multitude of financing colleges and universities.” options, private sector participation in student financing should be restored.”
REPUBLICAN PARTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM (2016) PLATFORM (2016)
Environment “Our air and waterways are much healthier “As a nation, we need policies and investments than they were a few decades ago. As a that will keep America’s public lands public, nation, we have drastically reduced strengthen protections for our natural and pollution, mainstreamed recycling, cultural resources, increase access to parks educated the public, and avoided and public lands for all Americans, protect ecological degradation.” native species and wildlife, and harness the immense economic and social potential of our “We support the development of all forms public lands and waters.” of energy that are marketable in a free economy without subsidies, including coal, “Democrats believe that carbon dioxide, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, and methane, and other greenhouse gases should hydropower.” be priced to reflect their negative externalities.” “We encourage the cost-effective development of renewable energy sources “We are committed to getting 50 percent of our — wind, solar, biomass, biofuel, electricity from clean energy sources within a geothermal, and tidal energy — by private decade, with half a billion solar panels capital…We oppose any carbon tax.” installed within four years and enough renewable energy to power every home in the “Information concerning a changing country.” climate, especially projections into the long-range future, must be based on “Climate change is an urgent threat and a dispassionate analysis of hard data.” defining challenge of our time.”
Firearms “We uphold the right of individuals to keep “While responsible gun ownership is part of and bear arms…Lawful gun ownership the fabric of many communities, too many enables Americans to exercise their God- families in America have suffered from gun given right of self-defense… We oppose violence…we will expand and strengthen federal licensing or registration of law- background checks and close dangerous abiding gun owners (and) registration of loopholes in our current laws.” ammunition.”
Foreign Policy “Our country faces a national security crisis “Democrats believe that America must lead in … We are the party of peace through the world to grow our economy, protect our strength. We believe that American interests and values, and make our country exceptionalism — the notion that our ideas safer and more prosperous.” and principles as a nation give us a unique place of moral leadership in the world — “We believe that while our military must be the requires the United States to retake its strongest in the world, it should only be sent natural position as leader of the free into combat when the terms of engagement are world.” clearly presented to the American people and our troops have what they need to fulfill their “Quite simply, the Republican Party is mission. We believe that war must always be committed to rebuilding the U.S. military the last resort, never the first choice.” into the strongest on earth, with vast superiority over any other nation or group of nations in the world.”
REPUBLICAN PARTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM (2016) PLATFORM (2016)
Healthcare “A Republican President, on the first day of “Democrats believe that health care is a right, office, will use his legitimate waiver not a privilege, and our health care system authority under that law to halt its progress should put people before profits... Americans and then sign the repeal (of The Affordable should be able to access public coverage Care Act of 2010). It is time to repeal through a public option, and those over 55 Obamacare…” should be able to opt in to Medicare.”
“We will return to the states their historic “Democrats will fight any attempts by role of regulating local insurance markets, Republicans in Congress to privatize, limit federal requirements on both private voucherize, or “phase out” Medicare as we insurance and Medicaid, and call on state know it. And we will oppose Republican plans officials to reconsider the costly medical to slash funding and block grant Medicaid and mandates, imposed under their own laws, SNAP, which would harm millions of that price millions of low-income families Americans.” out of the insurance market. To guarantee first-rate care for the needy, we propose to “We will defend the Affordable Care Act, block grant Medicaid and other payments which extends affordable preventative and to assist all patients, including those healthcare to women, including no-cost with pre-existing conditions, to obtain contraception.” coverage in a robust consumer market.”
Immigration “In an age of terrorism, drug cartels, human “The Democratic Party supports legal trafficking, and criminal gangs, the immigration, within reasonable limits, that presence of millions of unidentified meets the needs of families, communities, and individuals in this country poses grave risks the economy… People should come to the to the safety and sovereignty of the United United States with visas and not through States. Our highest priority, therefore, is to smugglers. secure our borders and all ports of entry and to enforce our immigration laws.” “Democrats believe we need to urgently fix our broken immigration system—which tears “Illegal immigration endangers everyone, families apart and keeps workers in the exploits the taxpayers, and insults all who shadows—and create a path to citizenship for aspire to enter America legally. We oppose law-abiding families who are here…” any form of amnesty for those who, by breaking the law, have disadvantaged “We will defend and implement President those who have obeyed it. The executive Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood amnesties of 2012 and 2014 are a direct Arrivals and Deferred Action for Parents of violation of federal law and usurp the Americans executive actions to help powers of Congress…These unlawful DREAMers, parents of citizens, and lawful amnesties must be immediately rescinded permanent residents avoid deportation.” by a Republican president.”
Jobs/Labor “We support the right of states to enact “We should raise the federal minimum wage to right-to-work laws and call for a national $15 an hour over time and index it, give all law to protect the economic liberty of the Americans the ability to join a union regardless modern workforce.” of where they work, and create new ways for workers to have power in the economy so “Minimum wage is an issue that should be every worker can earn at least $15 an hour.” handled at the state and local level.”
REPUBLICAN PARTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM (2016) PLATFORM (2016)
Marriage “Traditional marriage and family, based on “Democrats applaud last year’s decision by the marriage between one man and one Supreme Court that recognized that LGBT woman, is the foundation for a free society people—like other Americans— have the right and has for millennia been entrusted with to marry the person they love.” rearing children and instilling cultural values.” “Democrats will fight for the continued development of sex discrimination law to cover “We do not accept the Supreme Court’s LGBT people. We will also fight for redefinition of marriage and we urge its comprehensive federal non-discrimination reversal, whether through judicial protections for all LGBT Americans, to reconsideration or a constitutional guarantee equal rights in areas such as amendment returning control over housing, employment, public accommodations, marriage to the states. We oppose credit, jury service, education, and federal government discrimination against funding. We will oppose all state efforts to businesses or entities which decline to sell discriminate against LGBT individuals, items or services to individuals for activities including legislation that restricts the right to that go against their religious views about access public spaces.” such activities”
Taxes “Republicans consider the establishment of “We will make sure that our tax code rewards a pro-growth tax codes a moral businesses that make investments and provide imperative.” good-paying jobs here in the United States.” “Wherever tax rates penalize thrift or discourage investment, they must be “We will ensure those at the top contribute to lowered. Wherever current provisions of our country’s future by establishing a the code are disincentives for economic multimillionaire surtax to ensure millionaires growth, they must be changed.” and billionaires pay their fair share.”
“We oppose retroactive taxation. We “We will offer tax relief to hard working, condemn attempts by activist judges at any middle-class families for the cost squeeze level of government to seize the power of they have faced for years from rising health the purse from the people’s elected care, childcare, education, and other representatives by ordering higher taxes. expenses.”
Trade “We need better negotiated trade “Any future trade agreements must make sure agreements that put America first. When our trading partners cannot undercut American trade agreements have been carefully workers by taking shortcuts on labor policy or negotiated with friendly democracies, they the environment.” have resulted in millions of new jobs here at home supported by our exports. When “While we believe that openness to the world those agreements do not adequately economy is an important source of American protect U.S. interests, U.S. sovereignty, or leadership… We will oppose trade agreements when they are violated with impunity, they that do not support good American jobs, raise must be rejected.” wages, and improve our national security. We believe any new trade agreements must “We cannot allow foreign governments to include strong and enforceable labor and limit American access to their markets environmental standards in their core text with while stealing our designs, patents, brands, streamlined and effective enforcement know-how, and technology.” mechanisms.”