The Republican Party tends to advocate for tradition and religious freedoms, often times voting along religious value lines. Unfortunately, the two party system has created substantial bipolarity in the system. This means that Americans are increasingly polarizing on issues, even though the differences may not be that great.
Each gathering has both conservative and liberal wings, and on certain issues e. Taking a Political Party Quiz. Take the political party quiz to see which of the 8 political party personalities match your identity. Take the political party quiz. The quiz is completely anonymous, private, and takes less than 2 minutes. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a million-acre national wildlife refuge in northern Alaska. The refuge includes a large variety of species of plants and animals, such as polar bears, grizzly bears, black bears, moose, caribou, wolves, eagles, lynx, wolverine, marten, beaver and migratory birds, which rely on the refuge.
In August the Trump administration approved program to auction oil leases that would enable oil companies to drill for oil within the refuge. Environmentalists argue that oil development threatens wildlife and is likely to worsen climate change. Proponents argue that drilling would be limited to the coastal ranges and would make the U.
Fracking is the process of extracting oil or natural gas from shale rock. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which fractures the rock and allows the oil or gas to flow out to a well. While fracking has significantly boosted oil production, there are environmental concerns that the process is contaminating groundwater.
In President George H. Bush passed an executive order banning all offshore drilling in U. In response to rising gas prices in President George W. Bush lifted the ban. Currently, there are 3, offshore oil rigs, 79 of which are deep water wells. By installing wind turbines on their properties farmers can earn up to tens of thousands of dollars per year in tax credits.
The announcement came a year after the company announced it would accept proposals from any North American city who wanted to host the headquarters. More than cities applied and offered Amazon millions of dollars in economic incentives and tax breaks. Opponents argue that governments should spend the tax revenue on public projects instead and that the federal government should pass laws banning tax incentives. The European Union has strict laws which prevent member cities from bidding against each other with state aid tax incentives in an effort to lure private companies.
Proponents argue that the jobs and tax revenue created by the companies eventually offset the cost of any awarded incentives. Australia currently has a progressive tax system whereby high income earners pay a higher percentage of tax than low income tax.
A more progressive income tax system has been proposed as a tool towards reducing wealth inequality. The federal minimum wage is the lowest wage at which employers may pay their employees. Since July 24, the U. The federal minimum wage applies to all federal employees including those who work on military bases, national parks and veterans working in nursing homes.
A Universal Basic Income program is social security program where all citizens of a country receive a regular, unconditional sum of money from the government. The funding for Universal Basic Income comes from taxation and government owned entities including income from endowments, real estate and natural resources. Several countries, including Finland, India and Brazil, have experimented with a UBI system but have not implemented a permanent program.
Proponents of UBI argue that it will reduce or eliminate poverty by providing everyone with a basic income to cover housing and food. Opponents argue that a UBI would be detrimental to economies by encouraging people to either work less or drop out of the workforce entirely.
Senate blocked the Paycheck Fairness Act which would make it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who perform the same work. The goals of the act were to make wages more transparent, require employers to prove that wage discrepancies are tied to legitimate business qualifications and not gender and prohibiting companies from taking retaliatory action against employees who raise concerns about gender-based wage discrimination.
Proponents point to studies including a census bureau report that stated that women's median annual earnings were Proponents argue that testing will prevent public funds from being used to subsidize drugs habits and help get treatment for those that are addicted to drugs.
Opponents argue that it is a waste of money since the tests will cost more money than they save. Proponents of deficit reduction argue that governments who do not control budget deficits and debt are at risk of losing their ability to borrow money at affordable rates. Opponents of deficit reduction argue that government spending would increase demand for goods and services and help avert a dangerous fall into deflation, a downward spiral in wages and prices that can cripple an economy for years.
Labor unions represent workers in many industries in the United States. Their role is to bargain over wages, benefits, working conditions for their membership. Larger unions also typically engage in lobbying activities and electioneering at the state and federal level. The average corporate tax rate worldwide is Opponents of argue that raising the rate will discourage foreign investment and hurt the economy. Capital gains are the profits earned from the the sale of stocks, bonds and properties.
Supporters of the increase argue that capital gains should be taxed like any other income and should be raised to at least Opponents of an increase argue that taxing capital gains will discourage investments in the U. Several major U. In May , the Obama Administration announced new regulations that would increase the number of American entitled to receive time-and-a-half overtime pay. The Labor department estimates that 4. In 5, estates in the U.
Opponents of the tax, including Donald Trump, argue that people who have paid income taxes their entire life should not be subject to another tax when they die.
In the European Union and U. Senator Warren proposed that the U. Opponents argue that these companies have benefited consumers by providing free online tools and bring more competition into commerce. An economic stimulus is a monetary or fiscal policy enacted by governments with the intent of stabilizing their economies during a fiscal crisis. The policies include an increase in government spending on infrastructure, tax cuts and lowering interest rates. In response to the financial crisis Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of The Act included increased spending on energy, infrastructure, education, health and unemployment benefits.
An offshore or foreign bank account is a bank account you have outside of your country of residence. The benefits of an offshore bank account include tax reduction, privacy, currency diversification, asset protection from lawsuits, and reducing your political risk.
In April , Wikileaks released The document exposed how world leaders and wealthy individuals hide money in secret offshore tax shelters. The release of the documents renewed proposals for laws banning the use of offshore accounts and tax havens. Proponents of the of the ban argue they should be outlawed because they have a long history of being vehicles for tax evasion, money laundering, illicit arms dealing and funding terrorism. Opponents of the ban argue that punitive regulations will make it harder for American companies to compete and will further discourage businesses from locating and investing in the United States.
A tariff is a tax levied on the import and exports of goods in international trade. The China - U. Proponents of tariffs argue that China breaks trade rules by subsidizing its exports, manipulating its currency and stealing intellectual property from the U.
Opponents argue that tariffs will cause a dramatic rise in the cost of goods for U. Citizens of the United States vote in each state at a general election to choose a slate of "electors" pledged to vote for a party's candidate. The Twelfth Amendment requires each elector to cast one vote for president and another vote for vice president.
In most countries, suffrage, the right to vote, is generally limited to citizens of the country. Some countries, however, extend limited voting rights to resident non-citizens.
Since , twelve states have passed laws that require a photo identification to vote. Critics argue that voter fraud rarely exists and that ID requirements are intended to suppress turnout by economically disadvantaged voters. After the presidential election concluded, Donald J.
After the cases were struck down by state courts, the Trump campaign pressured several governors to hold recounts. On December 10, , after several successive lawsuits had been dismissed, Trump tweeted, "This is going to escalate dramatically. This is a very dangerous moment in our history The fact that our country is being stolen.
A coup is taking place in front of our eyes, and the public can't take this anymore. The results of the re-count are expected to be published in July Citizens and corporations may give unlimited amounts to a Super PAC. A Super PAC is freed from traditional campaign finance laws as long as it does not fund a candidate or campaign or coordinate directly with a campaign how to spend donations.
A tax return is a document which states how much income an individual or entity reported to the government. States may prevent convicted felons candidates from holding statewide and local offices.
Currently, federal election law prohibits political candidates from knowingly soliciting, accepting or receiving donations from foreign nationals or entities under any circumstances. However, a loophole exists where foreign nationals or entities can hire lobbyists to meet with or donate directly to politicians to persuade them to vote favorably for the foreign interest.
Bush in bans former senators and top executive branch officials from becoming lobbyists for two years and they leave the government. In January , measles cases linked to an outbreak at Disneyland were reported in 14 states. The outbreak alarmed the CDC, which declared the disease eliminated in the U. Many health officials have tied the outbreak to the rising number of unvaccinated children under the age of Proponents of a mandate argue that vaccines are necessary in order to insure herd immunity against preventable diseases.
Herd immunity protects people who are unable to get vaccines due to their age or health condition. Opponents of a mandate believe the government should not be able to decide which vaccines their children should receive. Some opponents also believe there is a link between vaccinations and autism and vaccinating their children will have destructive consequences on their early childhood development.
Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions that release energy to generate heat, which most frequently is then used in steam turbines to produce electricity in a nuclear power station. Proponents argue that nuclear energy is now safe and emits much less carbon emissions than coal plants. Opponents argue that recent nuclear disasters in Japan prove that nuclear power is far from safe. Although no reports of ill effects from GMO foods have been documented, advocacy groups such as Greenpeace and the Organic Consumers Association argue that past studies cannot be trusted because they were sponsored by pro-GMO companies and do not measure the long-term effects on humans, the environment, and nature.
Opponents argue that labeling adds an unfounded stigma over organic foods and that if a nutritional or allergenic difference were found, current FDA regulations would already require a label. This represented. The government is currently prohibited by law from negotiating drug prices for Medicare.
Medicare Part D is a federal government program which subsidizes the costs of prescriptions drugs for people enrolled in Medicare. Opponents of Medicare Part D argue that it should be changed to allow the federal government to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies.
Proponents of Medicare D argue that the government should not interfere with prices set by private drug makers who use profits for the development and research of new drugs. The Affordable Care Act is a federal statute signed into law in that introduces a sweeping overhaul of the nation's healthcare system. The act grants the federal government significant regulatory powers and price controls over U. When the Affordable Care Act Obamacare was enacted in it required all states to expand their Medicaid programs to include people with incomes slightly higher than those allowed under traditional Medicaid, as well as groups, like childless adults, that had not previously been covered.
In the Supreme Court ruled that forcing States to expand their Medicaid coverage was unconstitutional. Since then 22 states have expanded their coverage and more than 35 have opted not to do so. Proponents of the expansion argue that it will lower healthcare costs for everyone by reducing the number of Americans without health insurance.
Opponents argue that states should be allowed to run their own Medicaid programs without the intervention of the federal government. The WHO has led global public health efforts including the development of an Ebola Vaccine and the near-eradication of polio and smallpox. The organization is run by a decision-making body composed of representatives from countries. It is funded by voluntary contributions from member countries and private donors.
Supporters of the WHO argue that cutting funding will hamper the international fight against the Covid pandemic and sap the U. Single-payer healthcare is a system where every citizen pays the government to provide core healthcare services for all residents. Under this system the government may provide the care themselves or pay a private healthcare provider to do so. In a single-payer system all residents receive healthcare regardless of age, income or health status.
Countries with single-payer healthcare systems include the U. On January 29, , the CDC issued an Order that required face masks to be worn by all people while on public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and U. The Order also required all people to wear masks while at transportation hubs including airports, bus or ferry terminals, train and subway stations, seaports, U.
In January , the Trump administration announced that it would allow U. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that helps with medical costs for low-income Americans. Each state determines its own requirements for Medicaid eligibility. In most states children from low-income households, pregnant women and low-income seniors are covered. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, like nursing home care and personal care services.
The Trump administration said Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin had requested approval to test programs including job training, job search, education, volunteer activities and caregiving.
In September of , US Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton released a proposal that would create an oversight panel that would protect U.
Proponents of drug price regulation argue that drug makers raise prices to benefit the value of their stock and invest little of their profits in the development and research of new drugs. Opponents of regulation argue that consumers rely on drug companies to develop new drugs and limiting prices will prevent new lifesaving drugs from being developed. In , officials in the U. In 64, people died in the U. To combat the epidemic cities including Vancouver, BC and Sydney, AUS opened safe havens where addicts can inject drugs under the supervision of medical professionals.
The safe havens reduce the overdose death rate by insuring the addicted patients are given drugs that are not contaminated or poisoned. Since 5, people have overdosed at a safe haven in Sydney, Australia but no one has died. Proponents argue that the safe havens are the only proven solution to lower the overdose fatality rate and prevent the spread of diseases like HIV-AIDS.
Opponents argue that safe havens may encourage illegal drug use and re-direct funding from traditional treatment centers. In September President Biden announced that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration would require businesses with or more employees to make vaccination a condition of employment.
Opponents argue that the rule is unconstitutional and cite evidence that people who already have natural immunity are at heightened risk of vaccine side effects caused by an augmented inflammatory response. The proposed plan would use tax credits to finance individual insurance purchases and cut federal payments to states which have been used to expand Medicaid. They demanded that the new plan should remove the ACA requirement that health insurers could not discriminate against individuals with pre-existing conditions.
Under the ACA health insurers cannot deny coverage or charge higher premiums to individuals who have pre-existing conditions. Opponents argue that the requirement will raise costs for insurers and cause them to drop out of the ACA healthcare exchange. Proponents argue that it is immoral to ban people with pre-existing conditions from getting health insurance. Last Spring the U. Proponents argue that current student loan interest rates are nearly double normal interest rates and should be lowered to provide relief for millions of low-income borrowers.
Opponents argue that the borrowers agreed to pay the interest rates when they took out the loans and taxing the rich would hurt the economy. Critical race theory is the claim that American institutions, laws, and history are inherently racist. It argues that white people have put up social, economic, and legal barriers between the races in order to maintain their elite status, both economically and politically and that the source of poverty and criminal behavior in minority communities is due exclusively to these barriers.
The St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank estimates that U. Several Democratic Presidential Primary candidates have argued that the cost of college is out of control and that the government should pay for tuition. Universal preschool is a proposal that would use funding from the federal government to provide school to children before they reach Kindergarten. In the current U. Half of the states that offer pre-K programs limit enrollment to low-income children. Proponents that preschool is too expensive for most American families and according to The Chicago Child-Parent Center's Longitudinal Study children who attend preschool found on average that children make significant gains in cognitive, language and early math and reading skills.
Charter schools are tax payer funded K schools that are managed by private companies. Charter schools are approved and governed by city, county or state governments.
Beneficiaries of private schools include real-estate investors who typically own the buildings and land where the schools are housed. Opponents of charter schools argue that they take money away from the public education system and enrich private companies and real estate investors who own the land where the schools are built.
Proponents argue that students in charter schools consistently have higher test scores than public school students and note that there are millions of students across the U. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is an education initiative that details what K students should know in English and Math at the end of each grade.
Truancy is intentional, unjustified, unauthorized, or illegal absence from compulsory education. Its absence is caused by students of their own free will and does not apply to excused absences.
Penalties include fines or jail time for parents or children. A school voucher is a certificate of government funding that students can use to pay for the school of their choice. Students are given the vouchers and can use them to pay for non-public school systems including private schools, home schools and charter schools Proponents argue that the vouchers will create a better education system by promoting competition between schools.
Opponents argue that the voucher system removes funds from public schools and redirects it toward private institutions. Militarization of police refers to the use of military equipment and tactics by law enforcement officers. This includes the use of armored vehicles, assault rifles, flashbang grenades, sniper rifles, and SWAT teams. Opponents argue that police forces which received military equipment were more likely to have violent encounters with the public.
In April , Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe issued an executive order which restored voting rights to more than , convicted felons living in the state. Opponents of felon voting rights argue that a citizen forfeits their rights to vote when they are convicted of a felony.
Proponents argue that the arcane law disenfranchises millions of Americans from participating in democracy and has an adverse affect on poor communities. Prison overcrowding is a social phenomenon occurring when the demand for space in prisons in a jurisdiction exceeds the capacity for prisoners. The issues associated with prison overcrowding are not new, and have been brewing for many years. Moreover, federal prison populations may increase if states adhere to federal policies, such as mandatory minimum sentences.
On the other hand, the Justice Department provides billions of dollars a year for state and local law enforcement to ensure they follow the policies set forth by the federal government concerning U. Prison overcrowding has affected some states more than others, but overall, the risks of overcrowding are substantial and there are solutions to this problem.
In January , President Obama issued a series of executive actions banning federal prisons from using solitary confinement to punish juveniles and prisoners who commit low level infractions. His orders also lowered the number of days an adult inmate could be subject to solitary confinement from days to 60 days. Mandatory minimum sentences are automatic, minimum prison terms set by Congress.
Judges in the U. Congress passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act which enacted new mandatory minimum sentences for drugs.
People caught with 5 grams of crack cocaine were given jail sentences of 5 years without parole the same sentence as people caught with grams. In Congress and President Obama eliminated the crack cocaine mandatory sentence with the passage of the Fair Sentencing Act. Opponents of mandatory minimum sentences argue that they often impose long prison terms on non-violent criminals.
Qualified immunity is a defense that police officers cannot be sued for misconduct if they were unaware at the time that their conduct was illegal and if there is no previous legal case with similar facts that ruled that officers may not engage in that conduct.
Proponents argue that more intense criticism of police will disincentivize officers from doing their jobs resulting in crime rates going up. Opponents argue that police officers should be held more accountable for misconduct. Currently, police unions are allowed to collectively bargain with government officials over the methods used to hold police officers accountable for misconduct.
Proponents argue that collective bargaining stands in the way of accountability. Opponents of limiting collective bargaining argue that more intense criticism of police will disincentivize officers from doing their jobs resulting in crime rates going up. In the wake of the lethal shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri a petition has been launched to have the White House look into requiring all police officers in the country to wear body cameras.
The petition has now exceeded , signatures, the Obama Administration said it will respond to petitions that exceed , Private prisons are incarceration centers that are run by a for-profit company instead of a government agency. The companies that operate private prisons are paid a per-diem or monthly rate for each prisoner they keep in their facilities. In 8. Opponents of private prisons argue that incarceration is a social responsibility and that entrusting it to for-profit companies is inhumane.
Proponents argue that prisons run by private companies are consistently more cost effective than those run by government agencies. In March , President Trump asked the Justice department to seek more death-penalty cases against drug traffickers. Trump announced the proposal as part of a plan to combat the opioid epidemic which is claiming the lives of more than people a day in the U.
Analysts estimate that this law has resulted in only a few executions. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings caused several states and cities to pass strict gun control measures. In response, state lawmakers in gun friendly states in the South and West passed bills that would strengthen Stand Your Ground laws and allow weapons in most public places. In , 21 states passed laws that expanded the rights of gun owners allowing them to possess firearms in churches, bars, schools and college campuses.
The federal government has not passed any gun control measures since the Brady Bill and 42 states now allow the possession of assault rifles. The law protects gun manufacturers and dealers from being held liable when crimes have been committed with their products. The law was passed in response to a series of lawsuits filed against the gun industry in the late s which claimed gun-makers and sellers were not doing enough to prevent crimes committed with their products.
Proponents of the law argue that lawsuits will discourage gun manufacturers from supplying stores who sell guns that end up being used in violent crimes.
Opponents argue that gun manufacturers are not responsible for random acts of violence committed with their products. In , Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act which banned the manufacture, importation, possession, use and distribution of certain drugs.
The act ranked drugs by their potential for abuse and placed them into five categories. Two of the most widely used drugs in the U. Ballot measures in several states including Colorado, Washington and Oregon have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana.
These laws apply only within the respective states and have no effect on Federal law. In , the U. Senate rejected a Constitutional Amendment which would have allowed Congress to pass legislation prohibiting the burning or desecration of the U.
Affirmative action is a policy that encourages the increased representation of members of a minority group. Shortly after, Senate Democrats introduced a measure that would have restricted anyone on the federal terrorism watch list, also known as the no-fly list, from being able to purchase firearms in the U. The measure did not pass after Senate Republicans voted down the measure. The proposals include adding 5 democratically elected judges to the current court and imposing term limits on current judges.
According to the U. Proponents of Supreme Court reform argue that the current court will be filled with too many conservative judges for the next several decades and it is not representative of the US population. Opponents argue that the plans are unconstitutional, would upset the balance of power and reinforce the idea that there are Democratic judges and Republican judges.
Eminent domain is the power of a state or a national government to take private property for public use. It can be legislatively delegated by state governments to municipalities, government subdivisions, or even to private persons or corporations, when they are authorized to exercise the functions of public character.
Opponents, including Conservatives and Libertarians in New Hampshire, oppose giving the government the power to seize property for private projects, like casinos. Proponents, including advocates of oil pipelines and national parks, argue that the construction of roads and schools would not be possible if the government could not seize land under eminent domain. Edward Snowden is a former National Security Agency contractor who turned over classified documents revealing a board global surveillance program previously unknown to anyone outside the intelligence community.
After the documents were published in the Guardian Newspaper in June Snowden fled to Russia where he is currently living under asylum. Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers should treat all data on the internet equally. Proponents of net neutrality laws argue that they balance the rights and duties of individuals, governments and corporations, while ensuring that the Internet continues to be an open and decentralized network.
Opponents include internet companies who complain that the law would increase their costs and create barriers to the free flow of information. House of Representatives Judiciary committee that they censor content for political reasons. During the hearing Republican members of Congress criticized the social media companies for politically motivated practices in removing some content, a charge the companies rejected. He stated that political messages on the platform should reach users through the recommendation of other users — not through paid reach.
Opponents argue that the ban will disenfranchise candidates and campaigns who rely on social media for grassroots organizing and fundraising. The law made June 19th a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Juneteenth's commemoration is on the anniversary date of the June 19, , announcement of Union Army General Gordon Granger proclaiming and enforcing freedom of enslaved people in Texas, which was the last state of the Confederacy with institutional slavery.
The House version of the bill was sponsored by Texas Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, and was co-sponsored by members, two of whom are Republicans. It passed to 14, with all the no votes coming from Republicans. It passed the Senate via unanimous consent. Air Force announced that it had selected Boeing to build the next generation of Air Force One aircraft.
Two new aircraft will be built and will enter service in The defense department estimates that the two new planes will cost U. In December , President-elect Donald Trump announced that costs for the project were out of control and he would cancel the plane order once he took office. Proponents of the new planes argue that the current planes used for Air Force One will be fifty years old in and spare parts for the old planes are becoming hard to find.
A term limit is a law that limits the amount of time a political representative may hold an elected office. There is at least one candidate who shares most of my views.
None of the candidates represent my views well. In general, how much do White people benefit from advantages in society that Black people do not have? A great deal. A fair amount.
Not too much. Do you think greater social acceptance of people who are transgender people who identify as a gender that is different from the sex they were assigned at birth is….
Very good for society. Somewhat good for society. Neither good nor bad for society. Somewhat bad for society. Very bad for society. Overall, would you say people who are convicted of crimes in this country serve…. Too much time in prison.
Too little time in prison. About the right amount of time in prison. Religion should be kept separate from government policies.
Black Queens Support Group is a space to talk, relate and relax. Sigma Lambda Gamma Sorority hosts pumpkin sale for a special cause. Thrift Shop for Campus Sustainability Month. A guide for throwing a haunting Halloween party. Spooky events to explore around Milwaukee this Halloween. Cancel reply. Your email address will not be published. Marquette Wire. RSS Feed. Submit Search. Search this site Submit Search.
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