Which Side Do I Align With?

My placement on the political spectrum was moderate, but leaning more towards the left-wing. I've learned that I have more liberal views on issues and some of my beliefs overlap with both main parties. I also shared common ground with all of the presidential candidates which is something I did not expect. I was surprised that my ideologies most closely aligns with a third party candidate since I previously considered myself more Democratic. Despite this, I agree with my placement on the political spectrum based on the quizzes taken above. My alignment did not surprise me much because they were exactly where I expected them to be.

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Important Political Issues

Gun Control

Gun violence has become an increasingly problematic issue in recent years. I believe that we should have stricter gun control. Though gun violence cannot be eradicated entirely, there should be measures put into place to reduce the amount of damage to the country. Measures such as comprehensive background checks and psychological tests should be a requirement in order to reduce the possibility of guns getting into the wrong hands. Guns should be made to be more difficult to acquire so that not just anyone could own one. In the US, over 100,000 people die from gun related violence with 72% of the most violent killings involve guns (www.ontheissues.org). If guns were made more difficult to attain and to the people less likely to abuse their rights, there would be less incidents.

Democratic Stance: The Democratic Party favors of stricter gun laws. They wish to implement comprehensive background checks and make guns more difficult to acquire. 

Republican Stance: Republicans are not in favor of stricter gun control. They believe every one should have access to guns to defend themselves.

Libertarian Stance: Laws that restrict guns are not effective. Like the Republicans, they believe that carrying guns reduces crime and deaths. 

Green Stance: The Green Party is in favor of stricter gun laws. They reference the Australian gun restrictions and how it has reduced crime rates in the country as the basis of their stance on the issue.

Constitution Stance: They are against prohibiting anyone from gaining access to guns. The Constitution Party cites the second amendment as the basis for their beliefs.They also wish to eliminate all government "Gun Free Zones" to "ensure the safety of the American people and their families" (www.constitutionparty.com).

Abortion

On the issue of abortion, I believe that it is the woman's choice whether or abort or not. Not everyone conceives on the same circumstances and I believe that people who do not want children should not have children. If abortion is illegal, children who are born to parents who did not want them will be/feel neglected and can lead to an increase in child abuse/abandonment in the country. Women should not be forced to have children if they do not wish to. But, abortion is not always about not wanting the child. Some women experience complications during birthing or their pregnancy and continuing to have their child will result in their deaths; there are also those whose children will be born with so many medical issues that their lifespan is not expected to be long. For those women, they are forced to give up their child for their safety and happiness. They do not want their child to have to suffer through life or have to watch their child die before them.

Democratic stance: Democrats are pro-choice, but they emphasize that it does not mean they're pro-abortion. They believe in making abortion more rare by support foster care and adoption services. Democrats also advocate to uphold Roe vs. Wade.

Republican stance: Republicans are pro-life. They believe that the Roe vs. Wade decision should be overturned and all life should be protected from conception to death.

Libertarian stance: Women have the right to abortion. Like Democrats, Libertarians are pro-choice and believe that abortion should be a choice. 

Green stance: They believe in maintaining abortion rights and providing free birth control. Greens also advocate federal funding for stem cell research.

Constitution stance: The Constitution Party is pro-life. They believe in protecting the "God-given personhood" of humans from conception to death "without exception" (www.constitutionparty.com). In the case of rape or incest, they claim that it is still "unconscionable to take the life of an innocent for the crimes of the father" (www.constitutionparty.com).

Environment

The condition of the environment is essential to the survival of the planet. Without sustaining life, there would be nothing. The effects of years and years of harmful behavior has caught up with us; climate change is only one of the many problems of our destructive behavior. There should be policies put into place to help lessen the damage. An unhealthy environment would also mean putting everyone's health at risk and bring tragedy. More people should take steps to protect the habitability of the planet for future generations.

Democratic stance: Democrats wished to invest in clean energies and fund more research. They also believed the country should move towards conservation.

Republican stance: They believe in the use of eminent domain and do not support the workings of the EPA. Green technology also costs too much and would take years to pay back.

Libertarian stance: Most believe that man do contribute to the harm to the environment, but it is not an issue the government can fix.  

Green stance: Greens stand up against the abuse of eminent domain. They support restoration of forests, shorelines, and also the ban of genetically modified foods.

Constitution stance: They believed there should be a balance between conservation, development, use, and preservation. The Constitution Party also supports reducing pollution. However, they do not believe that the damage to the environment are caused by man.

Immigration

Regarding immigration, I believe that illegal immigrants should not be randomly deported. This tears apart some families and only brings unnecessary sadness. Most immigrants come to America in hopes of a better life, not every one of them is a criminal or a threat to the nation. The government should provide a legal pathway for immigrants to gain citizenship, not make the process even more difficult. If the process is made more difficult, there would be more illegals because people would not stop trying to escape the political chaos in their country. The US is widely regarded by other countries as a "free" country and looks to it as a safe haven to escape from their country's political turmoil.

Democratic stance: Democrats support immigration and believe that it brings diversity to the country. 

Republican stance: Immigration should be limited and illegal immigration should be stopped because it damages the economy.

Libertarian stance: Illegal immigrants should not be randomly deported, only criminals. Provide easier access to work visas.

Green stance: The country should provide a legal pathway for illegal immigrants to gain citizenship. 

Constitution stance: Borders should be more strictly guarded. There should be a limit to the number of immigrants who cross the border into the country. 

Education

Education across the country should be less focused on teaching students only the concepts that are going to be on a test. I believe that education standards should move towards subjects that would be applicable to real life. Many students feel unprepared for the real world, with no knowledge or understanding of how the world operates. There should also be cuts to the cost of college; too many struggle with student debt and spend much of their lives being haunted by it. From the period of 2003 to 2013, the cost of college had risen 79% (www.ontheissues.org).

Democratic stance: Democrats support butting college costs and is against the No Child Left Behind program. They believe that public college education should be free for families who make under a certain salary.

Republican stance: Republicans believe that there should be a choice to which school children attend and they oppose Common Core standards. 

Libertarian stance: Libertarians wish to stop providing students loans because they believe it only increases tuition. They are also against Common Core and putting an end to the Department of Education.

Green stance: Public college education should be free. Like Democrats, they also were against No Child Left Behind and proposes to replace it with professional teachers.

Constitution stance: They also oppose No Child Left Behind and putting an end to the Department of Education. Religion should also be implemented into education.

Works Cited

Gemma, Peter. "The Constitution Party." The Constitution Party. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
Issues2001.org. "OnTheIssues.org - Candidates on the Issues." OnTheIssues.org - Candidates on the Issues. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

Mascots/Logos of Political Parties & Their History/Meaning

The Donkey

The Democratic Party's mascot is the donkey. In 1828 during Andrew Jackson's presidential campaign, his opponents called him a donkey. Jackson was amused by this and he included a picture of a donkey in his campaign posters. He defeated opponent John Quincy Adams and became the first Democratic president. Later in the 1870s, cartoon artist Thomas Nast popularized the donkey as the Democratic Party's mascot. 

The Elephant

The Republican Party's mascot is the elephant. The elephant was first featured in a political cartoon, but it was not until Thomas Nast used the cartoon that the mascot became more known. Nast featured the cartoon in an 1874 Harper's Weekly publication. It mocked the New York Herald for criticizing the rumor of President Grant's bid for a third term. Nast's cartoon portrayed different interest groups as animals, with an elephant labeled as the Republican Party standing at the edge of a pit. He continued to use the elephant as a symbol for the Republican Party in his later cartoons and so, the elephant became associated with the Republican Party.

The Porcupine

The porcupine is the official mascot of the Libertarian Party. It was chosen in 2006 when party leaders decided against using the Statue of Liberty. The porcupine was previously associated with the Libertarian Party's Free State Project. This project aimed to move at least 20,000 libertarians to states with low populations in hopes of turning those states into a stronghold of libertarian ideas. The porcupine also represents libertarian ideologies. Their aggression, when confronted by a predator, is supposed to represent libertarians' support for individual rights. The porcupine's low maintenance lifestyle is also associated with the libertarian belief in minimum state intervention. 

Green Party 

The Green Party's logo depicts Earth blooming in a flower. This embodies the party's emphasis on environmentalism and their support for saving the planet while encouraging growth/development. The formal font is used to create the feeling of authority. 

Constitution Party

The Constitution Party's logo features a bald eagle, the American flag, and stars. These all represent common American symbols which, in this case, are aimed to demonstrate the party's traditionalist views. The Constitution Party is a religious conservative party centering their views around the words in the Constitution. The Constitution is the basis for law in America, hence the use of common American symbols in the party's logo.

Works Cited

Bonigala, Mash. "Top 10 USA Political Party Logos." SpellBrand. SpellBrand®, 2016. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

By Heat Street Staff | 1:07 Pm, June 13, 2016. "Why the Prickly Porcupine Is the Perfect Mascot for the Libertarian Party." Heat Street. N.p., 22 July 2016. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

Nix, Elizabeth. "Election 101:How Did the Republican and Democratic Parties Get Their Animal Symbols?" History.com. A&E Television Networks, 07 July 2015. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

Important Figures

Democrat: Hillary Clinton

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton was born on 26 October 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. She attended Wellesley College and was elected the senior class president, graduating in 1969. She went on to attend Yale Law School where she met Bill Clinton. After she graduated with honors from Yale in 1973, she became a member of the presidential impeachment inquiry staff the following year. She advised the Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives during the Watergate Scandal. Following Richard Nixon's resignation later that year, Clinton became a faculty member at the University of Arkansas Law School. She married Bill Clinton in 1975 who gifted her with the purchase of a house after his proposal. In 1976, Clinton was part of the team that worked on Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign and Bill was elected governor a few years later. She was recognized in 1988 and 1991 by The National Law Journal as one of the top 100 most powerful lawyers in the United States. Bill won the presidential election in 1992 and appointed her as the head of the Task Force on National Health Reform. The commission proved to be too controversial and complicated, failing to come to floor of either house in Congress; therefore, the project was dropped the subsequent year. In 1998, Bill was involved in the Monica Lewinsky scandal and although Clinton publicly supported her husband, there were reports of her considering divorce. Bill was impeached, but the Senate failed to convict so he remained in office as president. Clinton ran for the US Senate in 1999 and won against Rick Lazio 55% to 43%. She became the first woman to be elected into the Senate from New York and also the first wife of a president to be elected into office. Clinton campaigned for president in the 2008 elections, but conceded her nomination to Barack Obama. When Obama won the 2008 presidential election, he nominated Clinton as Secretary of State. On 21 January 2009, Clinton became the 67th Secretary of State. She runs for presidency again in 2016, making history yet again as the first female nominee of a major political party.

Clinton was a large advocator for women's rights. She also supports social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, though she was not always an advocator for the latter. She had previously supported the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage in the US as one between a man and a woman, in 1996 but in 2013, she explained that her viewpoint has "evolved" and she is now for same-sex marriage. On the issue of guns, she believes in stricter regulation of guns and wishes to reinstate the ban on assault weapons. Regulations that protect gun manufacturers from civil lawsuits would be repealed and a comprehensive background check would be performed on every individual who wishes to purchase a gun.

Republican: Donald Trump

Donald John Trump was born on 14 June 1946 in Queens, New York. Growing up, he was an assertive child and so, his parents sent him to New York Military Academy when he was 13. He attended Fordham University and then transferred to the Wharton School of Finance at the university of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1968. He followed in his father's footsteps and ventured into the world of real-estate developing. In 1971, he participated in built large, profitable building projects in Manhattan. Trump became known as Manhattan's best developer in 1980 when he opened the Grand Hyatt. He starred in the NBC's The Apprentice in 2004 and later turned to the world of politics. In 2015, he announced his decision to run for presidency as a Republican candidate. On 19 June 2016, Trump was officially the Republican candidate for the presidential election.

Trump has strong views regarding immigration issues. He proposed a ban on all Muslims from entering the US and believe that half of all illegal immigrants are criminals. He also does not support birthright citizenship stating that the US is the only country "dumb enough" to offer it. Trump advocated stricter control on borders, proposing to make even legal immigration more difficult. On the issue of guns, he does not believe in stricter control. Trump believes that guns save lives and should not be made more difficult to access for people that are not on the terrorist watch list. Regarding the environment, he does not believe that climate change is a reality; instead he believes that people should focus more on disease and access to clean water.

Libertarian: Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson was born in Minot, North Dakota on 1 January 1953. He graduated from the University of New Mexico with a BS in Political Science in 1975. He served as governor of New Mexico from 1994 to 2002. Johnson was a candidate for presidency in 2000 and again in 2012. He identified initially with the Republican Party, but he switched to the Libertarian Party in 2011. Johnson was also the co-founder/owner of Big J Enterprises from 1976-1999.

Johnson sets himself apart from the other Libertarian Party candidates in the past because of his willingness to compromise about the size of the government, whether it should have more control or less. He is a supporter of environmental regulation and also believes in using executive authority rather than the Congress to achieve his party's objectives. Johnson advocates for the legalization of marijuana for medical uses, not for recreational, and reducing incarceration. 

Green: Jill Stein

Jill Stein was born on 14 May 1950 in Chicago, Illinois. She graduated from Harvard in 1973 with a BA in Sociology/Psychology/Anthropology and went on to attend Harvard Medical School, graduating in 1979. Stein was a physician before she joined politics. Her political experience began in 2002 when she was a candidate as the governor of Massachusetts. Stein was the co-chair and member of the Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts beginning from 2005 to 2011. In 2012, she was nominated as the Green Party candidate for presidency and again in 2016.

Stein was a firm believer and supporter of healing the environment and the healthcare in America. Her own experience with observing the healthcare system inspired her to take action. Stein wanted the government to take the necessary steps to stop these preventable diseases from falling upon the population. She realized that in order to do that, the broken political system must be repaired first. To protect health in America, she aims to achieve a "green future" for her children and others around the nation. 

Constitution: Howard Phillips

Howard Phillips was born on 3 February 1941 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was raised as Jewish but he later converted to Christianity. Later in his life, he would play an important role in the founding of religious rights in the 1970s. Phillips graduated from Harvard in 1962. After graduating, he worked to build support for anti-Communist freedom fighters in southern Africa and Central America. He led missions across much of the world. Phillips founded the US Taxpayers Party in 1992 in hopes of restoring America to its Constitutional basis heavily emphasized by biblical foundations. He was nominated as the party's presidential candidate in 1992 and 1996. In 1999, the US Taxpayers Party's name was changed to The Constitution Party in order to reflect their ideology of returning the US back to the guidelines set by the Constitution of the United States. Phillips was, again, chosen as the party's Presidential candidate in 2000. He died in 2013 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia.

Phillips was a very religious and patriotic man. He centered his political party around the Constitution and religion. One of the beliefs of the Constitution Party was to make Jesus Christ the ultimate leader of the country. This party is arguable one of the most conservative political parties, often associated with pro-life and a constitutional government. 

Works Cited

Issues2001.org. "OnTheIssues.org - Candidates on the Issues." OnTheIssues.org - Candidates on the Issues. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

"Hillary Clinton." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

"Howard Phillips: The Conservative's Conservative | The Constitution Party."Howard Phillips: The Conservative's Conservative | The Constitution Party. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

"Howard Phillips (politician)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

"Gary Johnson." VoteSmart. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

"The Voter's Self Defense System." Project Vote Smart. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

"What Does Hillary Clinton Believe? Where the Candidate Stands on 12 Issues." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

"What Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Nominee for President, Wants to Do to America."Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

Brief History & Philosophy of Different Political Parties

Democratic Party

The Democratic Party is the oldest political party in the United States. It was formed in 1792 when Thomas Jefferson's followers declared themselves the Republican Party (also known as the Jeffersonian Republicans) because of their antimonarchical views. Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Party (which favored a strong central government) emerged not long after and called them the Democratic-Republican Party because they wanted to associate them with the chaos caused by the "radical democrats" in the 1789 French Revolution. 

The ideals of the Democratic Party has changed throughout time. In the 19th century, they had supported slavery and opposed civil rights reforms in order to gain favor from the Southerners. Democrats in modern times advocate for equality between all people, regardless of circumstance, race, or gender. They believed it was a woman's choice whether or not to have an abortion and in universally accessible healthcare. Democrats also support protecting the environment and cutting government spending.The Democratic Party's ideology is centered around the hope to improve the conditions in the general public.

Republican Party

A Wisconsin anti-slavery Whigs Party meeting in 1854 is the founding meeting of the Republican Party. The party gained most of their support from the North. John Fremont was the first Republican presidential candidate. After the Union's victory in the Civil War, the Republican Party was identified as the North's political party. A Republican-dominated Congress passed a Reconstruction act that eventually led to the formation of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments.

Like Democrats, Republican beliefs have shifted over the years as well. They began as a party that was against slavery and advocated equal rights, a largely liberal and left-wing party. After the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, more Southerners began to join the party, shifting the party's views into right-wing territory over time.

Libertarian Party

The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in the US. It was formed in 1971 in Colorado. The party reached its peak in 1980 when presidential candidate Edward Clark was on the ballots in all fifty states. From 1992, Libertarian Party candidates continued to secure their place on the ballots. This party believed that a completely free market would ensure economic prosperity. They also supported a repeal of income taxes along with the replacement of most government-provided services (i.e. Social Security, post offices) and all forms of censorship.

Green Party

The Green Party began with the 1984 Green movement Committee in St. Paul, Minnesota. Party members were inspired by the West German Greens advocating for non-violence, social justice, and ecology. Their first meeting drew more than 600 people and in March of 1990, the Green Party Organizing Movement was founded. Members advocated peace, ecological politics, and grassroots democracy.

Constitution Party

The Constitution Party was founded in 1991 by the US Taxpayers' Party. The party's first candidate that ran for office was Howard Philips receiving 0.19% of the votes in the 1996 election. They supported an originalist interpretation of the Constitution along with a stronger federal government. The Constitution Party opposed gay marriage and abortion, wanted to end illegal immigration, supported the death penalty, and wished to draw the country out of foreign affairs including wars. Overall, the party had not seen much success in elections.

Works Cited

@toptenz. "Top 10 Political Third Parties Currently Active in the United States - Toptenz.net." Toptenznet. N.p., 14 May 2014. Web. 26 Oct. 2016."Democratic Party." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
"GP History." Www.gp.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
"Libertarian Party." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
RepublicanViews.org. "Home." Democratic Party Beliefs. N.p., 31 May 2015. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
"Republican Party Founded." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
RepublicanViews.org, and Giavanna(Gia) DiBiase Says. "Home." Republican Party Beliefs. N.p., 07 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.