Compare the basic
principles and values of the two major political parties and
decide for yourself. |
|
Republicans believe... |
Democrats believe... |
| …that
the United States and the State of Texas were founded on the
fundamental principle that individuals have certain rights and
freedoms which cannot be infringed upon and may be restricted
only to the degree necessary to preserve the rights of others. |
…that
our Founding Fathers did not really mean what they said when
they guaranteed certain constitutional rights such as the
right to freedom of religious expression, the right to keep
and bear arms, and the right to retain the use of private
property. |
|
…the money you earn is
yours and that government in a free society has the right to
take only as much as is needed to perform those limited
functions, which are appropriate to it. |
…government has a right
to use your money as it sees fit to fund welfare programs,
redistribute wealth and to return to you only that portion of
your money which is absolutely necessary. |
| …the
traditional family and the values it fosters are the
foundation of American society and their preservation is
essential to our Nation’s continued success. |
…American society must redefine its values and the role of the
family to fit new lifestyle concepts, which have resulted from
the 60’s counter-culture movement and an attitude that
promotes an abrogation of individual responsibility. |
|
…parents have the right
to determine the values with which their children will be
raised and to have the widest possible choice among public,
private and religious schools and that competition will
improve public education. |
…the federal government
has the right to determine the values which will be taught in
public schools and parents’ choice of schools must be limited
to avoid exposing public schools to competitive forces which
would encourage reform and increase accountability. |
| …that
the free enterprise system is the most effective engine of
economic progress. |
…that
government regulation and federal control of economic activity
can better distribute wealth and services to the American
people. |
|
…high taxes, runaway
government spending, and over-regulation of business and
farming punish initiative and stifle economic growth. |
…penalizing achievement
with higher taxes and increased government bureaucracy and
spending will not stifle economic growth but instead guarantee
prosperity for everyone. |
| …that
with freedom comes responsibility and that individuals must
take personal responsibility for their own actions and our
criminal justice system must be based on this idea. |
…individual behavior, including criminal behavior, can be
blamed on "society" and that spending on social welfare
programs and improvements in prison living conditions can
combat crime. |
|
…that your property is
yours and you have the basic right to make use of it without
unreasonable government restrictions. |
…the government has the
right to regulate the use of private property in accordance
with narrow special interests without giving just compensation
to owners. |
| …human
life is sacred and worthy of protection. |
…there
should be no restrictions on abortion. |
|
…the preservation of our
rights and freedoms must be entrusted to a strong national
defense and of the ability of the United States to negotiate
with other nations from a position of strength. |
…we can afford to
drastically weaken our military despite the threats present in
an unstable, post-Cold War international environment and the
United States must subjugate its interests to those of the
United Nations. |
| …it is
imperative today to re-affirm the traditional freedoms and
values of America to preserve our great Republic. |
…that
America must adopt a politically correct, multi-cultural set
of values which denies common American heritage and will
further divide American society. |
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