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2024 Presidential Election

This fall, Americans will have the opportunity to exercise their vote to choose our next president. Voting in a self-governing society requires an informed citizenry who make their selection after considering competing ideas.

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2024 Presidential Election

This fall, Americans will have the opportunity to exercise their vote to choose our next president. Voting in a self-governing society requires an informed citizenry who make their selection after considering competing ideas.

There are two dominant parties in American politics, Democrats and Republicans. Political parties release platforms that outline their positions on a variety of major issues. Reviewing these party platforms helps citizens determine who aligns best with their own beliefs. The following is a summary of some of the most significant issues from the Democrat and Republican Party platforms in 2024.

Tax Policies

The Democratic Party platform calls for no tax increases for Americans who are making under $400,000. It supports plans to reduce tax burdens for lower- and middle-class people like renewing the Child Tax Credit, which provides a tax credit for Americans with children. The platform also proposes ending tax cuts for corporations and high earners that were enacted under President Trump in 2017. Additionally, it calls for raising taxes on corporations and high earners. The platform argues this will ensure they pay their “fair share” in taxes and also reduce our budget deficit.
The Republican Party platform calls for extending the Trump tax cuts from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which are set to expire in 2025. This act reduced taxes on corporations and many Americans. It supports keeping the corporate tax rate lower as it argues as a means of driving economic growth, arguing this will benefit all Americans. The platform supports ending taxes on tips for workers. It also supports having higher tariffs on foreign goods, arguing this will protect American workers and reduce the trade deficit.

Immigration

The Democratic Party platform calls for increased border security. It would do so through increasing the amount of border patrol officers, immigration judges, and machinery to detect fentanyl, among other things. Additionally, it also supports changes to the immigration system to allow for more asylum seekers as well as more people who can legally immigrate to the country. The platform argues that in general, immigrants strengthen our country through hard work and diversity.
The Republican Party platform makes changes to immigration policy one of its major focuses. It calls for a large increase in border security to reduce crime. The platform also calls for a large mobilization of law enforcement to deport many illegal immigrants who currently reside in the United States. It argues that while legal immigrants are welcome in certain numbers, there should be scrutiny over who is allowed to enter to ensure that those who come here adhere to general American values.

Foreign Policy

The Democratic Party platform calls for strengthening alliances around the world to create a bulwark against autocratic countries who are not friendly with the United States. It supports using our power and wealth to assist other countries grow economically, improve healthcare, and fight terrorism, among other things. It is critical of Russia and China, arguing they pose threats to the United States and global security. The platform calls for continuing to invest in the American military to maintain our strength on the global stage.
The Republican Party platform is similar to the Democratic platform in calling for the United States to strengthen alliances. It differs slightly by calling for allies like NATO to increase their military spending so that the United States doesn’t need to pay for as large of an amount of their defense against Russian aggression. It also states that illegal immigration is a foreign policy issue that the military may be mobilized to assist in stopping if necessary.

Education

The Democratic Party platform calls for programs and funding to work to ensure equity in education. It argues that children who fall into groups like low income, disabled, and non-English speaking do not have the same opportunities as others, and the federal government should work to help them. The platform calls for funding so that everyone has access to free preschool education. Additionally, the platform supports an increase in canceling student debt, claiming that doing so will reduce financial stress for young Americans.
The Republican Party platform calls for expanding school choice options so that Americans have more options of where they can send their children for school. This would involve supporting an expansion of the 529 education savings plans that allow Americans to save and receive tax benefits when funding the private education of their children. The platform also argues that increased support should be given for homeschooling. It claims that public education has lost its focus and become too politicized. It does not support measures like the federal government should cancel student debt or fund preschool education, instead arguing that more power over education should be returned to the states.

Environment

The Democratic Party platform argues that climate change is a crisis that must be addressed in order to protect both Americans and the world. It calls for increased federal support for solar, electric, and wind energy in order to reduce the use of fossil fuels. It argues that doing so will create new jobs for American workers. The platform calls for an increase in regulations to reduce pollution and protect clean water and air. It argues that the United States should be a global leader in helping other countries reach standards of fossil fuel reduction and reduction in pollution.
The Republican Party platform calls for a general decrease in environmental regulations, arguing that doing so will help businesses operate more efficiently, thereby reducing prices for Americans. They argue that regulations are currently excessive for oil, natural gas, and coal, which in turn distort the market. The platform specifically calls for no mandates for moving to electric vehicles.

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