Democrat 2016 Party Platform Excerpts-

Budget and the Economy

  • Create an economy built to last & built from the middle out. (Sep 2012)
  • OpEd: Republicans want to cut benefits to kids. (Jan 2012)
  • Restore the budget discipline of the 1990s. (Nov 2006)
  • Cut the deficit in half over the next four years. (Jul 2004)
  • Democrats reversed economic stagnation of previous years. (Aug 2000)
  • Democrats must continue to lead Americans to prosperity. (Aug 2000)
  • G.O.P. creates debt, Dems create surpluses. (Aug 2000)
  • Democrats will eliminate publicly held debt by 2012. (Aug 2000)
  • Policy should encourage home ownership & affordable housing. (Aug 2000

Civil Rights

  • Enable disability access; plus 100,000 federal jobs. (Sep 2012)
  • Equal treatment under law for same-sex couples. (Sep 2012)
  • Racial and religious profiling is wrong. (Jul 2004)
  • Keep marriage at state level; no federal gay marriage ban. (Jul 2004)
  • Strengthen some parts of Patriot Act and change other parts. (Jul 2004)
  • Support affirmative action to redress discrimination. (Jul 2004)
  • Police should have zero tolerance of racial profiling. (Aug 2000)
  • Pass hate crime legislation including gays. (Aug 2000)
  • Democrats lead fight for ERA and equal employment. (Aug 2000)

Drugs/Crime

  • Reduce racial disparities in sentencing for drug crimes. (Sep 2012)
  • Join Central American governments to combat narco-traffic. (Sep 2012)
  • Bring to justice those bringing drugs to America. (Jul 2004)
  • Drugs in prison: get clean to get out. (Aug 2000)
  • Dry up drug demand via more enforcement plus more treatment. (Aug 2000)
  • Fight drugs and economic hopelessness that fuels it. (Aug 2000)
  • Death penalty must not be arbitrary. (Sep 2012)
  • Crack down on gangs and drugs. (Jul 2004)
  • Fight crime with prevention, community police. (Aug 2000)
  • Tougher punishments, including the death penalty. (Aug 2000)
  • DNA testing & post-conviction reviews in death penalty cases. (Aug 2000)

Education

  • OpEd: anti-school choice policy alienates Hispanics. (Mar 2013)
  • Turn around struggling public schools; expand public options. (Sep 2012)
  • Double investment in Pell Grants & more tax credits. (Sep 2012)
  • Make college tuition tax deductible. (Nov 2006)
  • Standardized tests to advance learning, not bureaucracy. (Jul 2004)
  • Charter schools OK, vouchers not. (Jul 2004)
  • Support lifelong learning and Distance Learning. (Jul 2004)
  • Bush broke promise of NCLB by not funding it. (Jul 2004)
  • Democrats are the party of public education. (Oct 2003)
  • Education is top priority in Democrat presidency. (Aug 2000)
  • Character education is an important aspect of education. (Aug 2000)
  • Accountability is a key to public school success. (Aug 2000)
  • Reduce class size, modernize facilities, hire new teachers. (Aug 2000)
  • Enact new tax programs to enable more life-long learning. (Aug 2000)
  • U.S. needs public school accountability, not vouchers. (Aug 2000)

Foreign Policy

  • US leadership at UN, including respectful disagreement. (Sep 2012)
  • Commit to “One China” policy but support Taiwan. (Jul 2004)
  • Asia: Enhance relations with Japan, S.Korea, India, Pakistan. (Jul 2004)
  • Bush bullies when he should instead persuade. (Jul 2004)
  • US leadership in Africa for economic & humanitarian goals. (Jul 2004)
  • Community of the Americas for US-Latin American relations. (Jul 2004)
  • Russia: work on nukes, human rights, and democracy. (Jul 2004)
  • End Castro regime, but allow travel. (Jul 2004)
  • Forward Engagement must guide proactive foreign policy. (Aug 2000)
  • Work to close gap between richest and poorest nations. (Aug 2000)
  • Engage China; protest Tibet. (Aug 2000)

Gun Control

  • Right to own firearms is subject to reasonable regulation. (Sep 2012)
  • Reauthorize assault weapons ban, close gun show loophole. (Jul 2004)
  • Strengthen gun control to reduce violence. (Aug 2000)

Health Care

  • No arbitrary insurer cancelation; yes pre-existing condition. (Sep 2012)
  • Preserve promise of Medicare; don't privatize or voucherize. (Sep 2012)
  • Make sure everyone has access to affordable health care. (Nov 2006)
  • Bush’s Medicare Rx program helps companies more than seniors. (Jul 2004)
  • Expand coverage and cut healthcare costs. (Jul 2004)
  • Every American should have affordable health insurance. (Aug 2000)
  • Add prescription drug benefit to Medicare. (Aug 2000)

Immigration

  • DREAM Act for now; comprehensive reform next. (Sep 2012)
  • Hispanics vote 60%-75% Dem; naturalizing "imports Democrats". (Oct 2007)
  • Path for undocumented aliens to earn citizenship. (Jul 2004)
  • Reform the INS; reduce immigrant backlog. (Aug 2000)
  • Protect immigrants from exploitation by employers. (Aug 2000)