Confused about voting? Turned off by the combativeness in politics today?  This issue of Fakchex cuts to the chase about what the two parties and their candidates stand for on several major issues, so you can select the group that best matches your beliefs and values.

Because the presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, and his followers take positions on some issues that are more extreme than Republicans have taken in the past, those positions are included in the relevant sections.

Remember, your vote is important! Please evaluate the various positions and compare them to your own values and the future you want to have, to help guide your choices.

Abortion

• Democrats take a pro-choice position on reproductive rights, opposing bans on abortion and expressing support for women’s autonomy in healthcare.
• Republicans have stated their solid opposition to abortion, in the form of either a national ban on abortion after 15 weeks or calls to allow states to decide whether they will implement bans at their discretion.
• Trump would allow states to track women’s pregnancies and allow prosecutions of people who violated bans on abortions.

LGBTQ+ people and issues

• Democrats support the continued legalization of gay marriage as well as further initiatives to end discrimination against LGBTQ+ communities.
• Republicans are recently pushing back against expressions of support for LGBTQ+ communities: they have proposed banning pride flags at government buildings and have occasionally expressed opposition to the continued legalization of same-sex marriage. Several prominent Republicans have also publicly expressed opposition to transgender athletes and education about sexual orientation and gender identity. For more about LGBTQ-related legislation, read the Fakchex article, “What Drives the Debates Over LGBTQ Issues?”
• On his campaign, Trump has said he would cut funding for schools “pushing transgender insanity.” More specifically, the plan being drafted for his potential presidency includes reinstating the transgender military ban, limiting discrimination protections for LGBTQ people in the workplace, and banning gender-affirming care for minors.

Racial inequity

• Democrats believe that both personal and systemic racism are still forces in society.
• Many Republicans also believe that personal racism is an issue for minorities in America, but are much less likely to view systemic racism as a serious problem and are also overall less likely than Democrats to think that racism is even still an issue for minorities. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to think white Americans face more racial discrimination issues than minority groups like black Americans. For more information, read the Fakchex article, “The Facts on Black Lives Matter”.

Immigration

• Democrats prioritize paths to legal status (citizenship) for immigrants who enter America illegally, are generally accepting of maintaining legal immigration levels, and are less likely to view immigration as a serious threat.
• Republicans emphasize the importance of border security and deporting immigrants who enter illegally, and are more likely to view immigration as a threat. For more background on immigration issues, read the Fakchex article, “How Does Immigration Really Impact the U.S.?”
• Trump has said in interviews that he would construct migrant camps and deploy the military and National Guard to deport millions of people, and reinstitute family separation policies for migrants at the border.

Voting access

• Democrats support policies that improve the ability for voters to cast their votes: allowing absentee voting, supporting access to mail-in ballots, automatic voter registration, and keeping voters on registration lists even if they haven’t voted recently.
• Republicans are less supportive of these policies supporting voting access, and have become less supportive since the 2020 election. There is a broad belief that this access must be restricted to prevent voter fraud, although claims of voter fraud have not been substantiated. Learn the facts on voter fraud by reading the Fakchex article, “Is Election Fraud Real?”
• Trump has said he would hire staff who supported his false claims of election fraud in 2020 and restrict voting rights and access.

Economy

• Democrats believe that the government should play a regulatory role in the economy to protect the public. Taxation should follow a progressive structure in which higher earners pay higher rates, and taxes should create funds to support social programs. During economic downturns, the government should spend money to boost the economy. There is a fundamental belief that economic policies that support job creation and business growth overall produce the best result. Historically, the economy has done well under this approach.
• Republicans favor a limited role for the government in the economy. They tend to support policies that prioritize business interests ahead of those for labor, healthcare, or the environment. Republicans generally support lowering tax rates on higher earners and businesses/corporations in the belief it will lead to higher wages and more jobs. This philosophy is referred to as “trickle-down” economics. It should be noted that during the past 40 years, when this approach to the economy was prevalent, wealth has shifted from the middle and lower classes to the highest earners.
• Donald Trump says he would also work to pass extensions of his 2017 tax cuts, and would reinstate, continue, and even expand tariffs on foreign goods, despite analysis indicating his tariffs had cost Americans $230 billion and nearly 200,000 jobs.

It should be noted that over a 40-year period when the trickle-down economic policy was predominant, the percent of the country’s wealth shifted to the wealthy and away from middle and lower classes Americans, and as taxes on the rich and corporations were reduced, the national debt increased as borrowing was necessary to replace this deficit in revenue. This is further broken down in the Fakchex article, “An Easy Way to Understand Our Economic Situation and the National Debt”.

As you prepare to cast your vote this year, review these notes and check with other reliable sources to gain an informed understanding of what a vote for Democrats, Republicans, and this year, for   Donald Trump and the candidates he endorses, will really mean.

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