*Election2000 * |
Harry Browne Libertarian Party Phone: (202) 521-1200 |
Patrick Buchanan Reform Party Phone: (703) 734-2700 |
George W. Bush Republican Party Phone: (512) 637-2000 |
Al Gore Democratic Party Phone: (615) 340-2000 |
Ralph Nader Green Party Phone: (202) 265-4000 |
| Abortion | Anti-abortion rights. However, Browne believes that the federal government should not ban abortion. Believes the federal government's involvement in people's personal choice is against the Constitution. | Anti-abortion rights. Would support an act of Congress giving an unborn child the same rights as every other citizen, therefore making abortion murder. | Anti-abortion rights, with exception of rape, incest and mother's life being in danger. Would support--but not pursue--a Pro-Life Amendment. Ban partial birth abortion. Supports parental notification. | Pro-abortion rights. Supports Medicare-funded abortions. Supports more family planning. Does not think parental consent is necessary for a minor female to have an abortion. | Pro-abortion rights. Believes government does not have a role in a woman's personal choice. |
| Education | No role for federal government in education. Wants to eliminate Federal Income Tax so families will have the money to educate their children as they see fit. | Would abolish the Department of Education and return their role and their funding to states. Opposes national testing and teaching standards. Supports *school vouchers. | Committed to closing the gap between disadvantaged students and their peers. If a failing school does not change, parents will be given *school vouchers to send child elsewhere. | Wants teachers to be able to pass mandatory teaching tests. If a failing school does not change, will close it down and re-open it under new leadership. Does not support school vouchers. More teachers, higher pay. | Supports state funding for day care, including children under 10 years old with working parents. Supports tuition-free college and vocational education. |
| Environ-
ment |
Believes the answer to America' s pollution problem is to take land out of the control of government and place that control in the hands of private companies. | Does not support government buy-ups of land. Supports giving states the authority to decide what to do with environmental problems. Wants polluters held to high standards of accountability. | Wants a strong governmental role in the environment. Opposes the *Kyoto Protocol. Supports maximizing natural resource potential of U.S. land. Opposes oil drilling off coasts of California and Florida. | Supports $150 billion trust fund to provide tax breaks and incentives to consumers who purchase energy-saving products. Would pass the *Kyoto Protocol. Stop oil drilling off the coasts of Florida and California. | Strong supporter of reducing, reusing and recycling. Supports the taxes and fines placed on energy waste. Supports moving toward solar power to replace fossil fuel-generated electricity. Supports alternative transportation. |
| Health Care | Stop the income tax, enabling citizens to purchase health insurance. Citizens should be able to buy a health insurance policy that requires them to pay for only what they need. | Believes American workers should be allowed to invest in personal, affordable and accessible insurance accounts that are private and can be taken with them, even if they quit their job. | Lower prescription prices for all seniors. Families not qualifying for Medicaid or other government assistance will receive a $2,000 tax credit ($1,000 for individuals) to help purchase basic health insurance. | Wants a prescription drug benefit for all seniors. Supports taking steps toward universal health care. Supports greater research to fight diseases. | Wants universal health care. Wants all Americans on one plan. Plan would cover all standard medical practices, including dental care, prescriptions and abortions. |
| National Defense | Says that he will see that America has a “proper” defense against any missile attack. Wants American troops out of foreign affairs. | Wants to rebuild our defense and restore our troops' morale. | $1 billion pay raise for military. Reduce the number of American nuclear weapons. Aims to skip a generation of military weapons, then replace them with a new generation of technology. | Maintain a high state of readiness. Work to stop production of weapons of mass destruction. Wants military to have the next generation of hardware. Supports a 3.7 percent military pay budget increase. | Wants the defense budget and military spending to be cut by 50 percent over the next ten years. Would abolish nuclear weapons. Supports a capable military force, with wise foreign policy doctrines. |
| Social Security | Wants government out of Social Security, and wants to get rid of Social Security Tax, to enable citizens to put money towards their own retirement. | Wants all payroll taxes to go directly to Social Security. Wants a pay-as-you-go plan that will secure current system and allow citizens to build personal retirement accounts. | Wants to give individuals the option to voluntarily invest a portion of their Social Security payroll taxes in personal retirement accounts. | Devote all Social Security surpluses to Social Security and debt reduction. Supports voluntary contributions toward Retirement Savings Accounts. Wants tax credit to match savings contributions of those who participate. | Supports increased funding for Social Security. Opposes privatizing Social Security. Believes that the current state of Social Security is healthy. |
| Welfare | Believes that federal welfare does not work. Wants to end welfare immediately. Wants to reduce the federal government and stop the Social Security and Income Taxes. | Wants to diminish welfare. Believes that with the employment rate so high, now is the time to dismantle the “New Deal Society.” | Focus on transition from welfare to work and responsibility. Believes too much government fosters dependency. Wants more support to church-based welfare. | Move to the “second step” of welfare reform, promoting “responsible fatherhood.” Wants to strengthen child support enforcement. Wants to raise minimum wage $1 over the next two years. | Supports programs to ensure children receive the basic nutritional, medical and educational needs. Supports federally funded childcare. Wants citizens to earn a living wage compared to a minimum wage. |
| *Kyoto Protocol is a name given to treaty signed in Japan in 1977 that is being considered and hotly debated for use in the United States by 2008 to 2012. The Kyoto Protocol is a plan to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions to 7 percent below what they were in 1990. The plan would significantly raise gas, electricity and energy prices. *School vouchers would give money that parents pay into public school taxes to the parent to help pay for their child to go to a private school. |