Where do you stand on the issues?

2004.03.25 — Government | Culture | Campaign 2004 | Issues | by Derek Jensen

Have you taken the time to really think about the issues you support this election year? Many people say they can't tell the difference between Democrats and Republicans; they're all the same bunch of crooks and liars. But the truth is that most people haven't really thought about where they themselves stand on the issues, let alone where the candidates stand on them. Take a few minutes to run down the issues in this article and decide for yourself where you stand. It may surprise you.

Our two party (more or less) system also makes things difficult by enouraging the parties to align themselves on opposite sides of most important issues but close enough to the middle that it can be hard to distinguish between them. This is because any political party that strays too far from the American mainstream will be hurt by it badly enough that it will cost them elections. Since a candidate needs just over 50% of the vote to win, he has to stay close to the mainstream to maintain his electability.

Note: Few politicians (or anyone else) fall neatly into one category. Most have some views that are more centrist or even contrary to the views of others in their own political party. And all have some views they hold more strongly than others. This is important, since no politician can spend equal effort on every issue that faces him or her. What the candidate will focus on is just as important as what he or she believes.

Issues outside the liberal-conservative spectrum

Some issues are not split down traditional idealistic lines.

Deficit spending

Some support government spending in excess of revenues only in times of crisis, while others see it as a useful tool for spurring the economy in times of recession. Traditional conservatives dislike deficit spending as extravagant, but some conservatives actually want to drive up the national debt in order to create a crisis that will force Congress to drastically cut spending by "starving the beast."

Foreign Trade

Some support unrestricted trade on the grounds that trade barriers only make a country poorer. Others believe that targeted trade sanctions can encourage other countries to drop the barriers that are hurting specific industries. Many liberals fear globalization and are concerned with the quality of life of foreign workers (and oppose sweat shops and child labor). Many conservatives believe that food and energy production need special protections to keep the country from being overly dependent on foreign sources.

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