NAACP analysis of the 2012 Party Platforms
of the
National Democratic & the National Republican Parties
INTRODUCTION
Dear Friends:
A political party’s platform is perhaps the best reflection of the party’s values as illustrated in the public policy it promotes. It lays out their goals,
their priorities, and their core beliefs. Both the Democratic and Republican platform committees held hearings in 2012 to gain insight into the
priorities of different constituencies. Both parties considered testimony from a broad spectrum of individuals and groups including the NAACP,
reviewed common and contrasting views, mixed them with historical party priorities as well as long-standing party goals and beliefs, and came out
with a final product – the party platform. Both parties unveiled their platform proposals just prior to their national conventions earlier this
summer. The platforms were then considered and ultimately ratified by the entire body of voting delegates to the conventions from across the
Nation.
The NAACP submitted written testimony to both the Democratic and Republican platform committees (the Republican party calls the committee
which designs its platform its “Resolutions Committee”) and asked that our priorities for the Nation, specifically the issues which fall into our 5
game changers (economic development, criminal justice, education, health care and voting rights / civic engagement) be incorporated into their
final product. Our testimony was drawn from our legislative public policy priorities, which is available on the NAACP website at www.naacp.org,
under the Washington Bureau section. Copies of the written testimony to both the Democratic and Republican platform committees are available
by contacting the NAACP Washington Bureau at (202) 463-2940.
The final document, which is then voted on by the delegates to the convention, reflects the goals and public policy priorities of the party for the
next 4 years. Because this is a national, party-wide decision, it is also illustrative to look at the composition of the delegates themselves. According
to a study recently released by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, at this year’s Republican convention, there were 47 African
American delegates out of 2,286, comprising 2.1% of the total, compared with 1,452 (26.2%) black delegates at this year’s Democratic Convention
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More…
(1,452 out of 5,527) . The Republicans’ convention committees had few black members and no leaders, whereas there are black co-chairs of all the
Democrats’ convention committees, Credentials, Platform and Rules. The good news is that the percentage of African American delegates to both
conventions grew from 2008 to 2012: 2.1% of the delegates at the Republican convention were African American in 2012, compared to 1.6% in
2008(39 out of 2,380); the Democrats went from 24.3% in 2008 ( 1,079 out of 4440) to 26.3% in 2012.1
What is printed on the following pages are passages, reprinted verbatim, from the Democratic and Republican Party Platforms (with the specific
pages noted in the footnotes). The issues that are included here reflect policy priorities of the NAACP as established either by the National Board
of Directors and through the NAACP national convention resolutions process. To review the party platforms in their entirety, members of the
public are encouraged to go to each party’s website – http://www.democrats.org/democratic-national-platform and
http://whitehouse12.com/republican-party-platform/ Of course, the NAACP Washington Bureau is also always happy to answer any questions or
take any comments you may have at (202) 463-2940 or [email protected].
Sincerely
Hilary O. Shelton
Director, NAAACP Washington Bureau &
Senior vice President for Advocacy and Policy
1
Blacks and the 2012 Democratic National Convention and Blacks and the 2012 Republican National Convention. Bositis, David, Joint Center for Economic and Political Studies
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CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Issue
Racial Profiling
Democratic Platform
“We are committed to ending racial, ethnic, and
religious profiling and requiring federal, state, and local
enforcement agencies to take steps to eliminate the
practice, and we continue to support enforcement of
Title VI.”2
Republican Platform
No mention
Issue
Violence Against
Women
Democratic Platform
“We are committed to ending violence against women.
We support reauthorizing the bipartisan Violence
Against Women Act and oppose the proposals …that
would undermine this law and deprive law
enforcement of the tools it needs to combat violence
against women.3
Republican Platform
No mention
Issue
Holding Attorney
General Eric Holder in
contempt of Congress
Democratic Platform
No mention
Issue
Death penalty
Democratic Platform
“We believe that the death penalty must not be
arbitrary.”4
Republican Platform
“We applaud the Members of the U.S. House of
Representatives in holding the current
Administration’s Attorney General in contempt of
Congress”5
Republican Platform
“Courts should have the option of imposing the death
penalty in capital murder cases.”6
2
P. 51
P. 55
4
P. 54
3
5
6
P. 17
P. 42
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CRIMINAL JUSTICE, continued
Issue
Mandatory minimum
sentences
Democratic Platform
No mention
Issue
Immigration reform
Democratic Platform
“We are continuing to work to hold employers
accountable for whom they hire.”7 “…the Democratic
Party stand(s) for comprehensive immigration reform
that intelligently prioritizes our country's security and
economic needs.” 8 “…the word ‘family' in immigration
includes LGBT relationships in order to protect binational families threatened with deportation.”9
Issue
Gun Safety
Democratic Platform
“We can focus on effective enforcement of existing laws,
especially strengthening our background check system,
and we can work together to enact commonsense
improvements—like reinstating the assault weapons ban
and closing the gun show loophole—so that guns do not
fall into the hands of those irresponsible, law-breaking
few.”10
Issue
Drug courts
Democratic Platform
“…we will continue to expand the use of drug courts.”11
Republican Platform
“…we support mandatory prison sentencing for gang
crimes, violent or sexual offenses against children, repeat
drug dealers, rape, robbery and murder.”12
Republican Platform
“…we oppose any form of amnesty for those who, by
intentionally violating the law, disadvantage those who
have obeyed it.”13 “We will create humane procedures
to encourage illegal aliens to return home voluntarily,
while enforcing the law against those who overstay their
visas.”14
Republican Platform
“…we recognize the individual responsibility to safely use
and store firearms. This also includes the right to obtain
and store ammunition without registration.”15 “…we
support federal legislation that would expand the
exercise of that right by allowing those with state-issued
carry permits to carry firearms in any state that issues
such permits to its own residents.”16
Republican Platform
“We endorse State and local initiatives that are trying
new approaches to curbing drug abuse and diverting
first-time offenders to rehabilitation.”17
12
7
P.46
8
P. 47
9
P. 51
10
P. 53
11
P. 55
P. 42
P.30
14
P. 31
15
P. 17
16
Ibid.
17
P. 42
13
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CRIMINAL JUSTICE, continued
Issue
Appointment of fair
and impartial judges
Democratic Platform
“…we will continue to nominate and confirm judges
who are men and women of unquestionable talent and
character and will always demonstrate their
faithfulness to our law and our Constitution and bring
with them a sense of how American society works and
how the American people live.”18
Republican Platform
“Judicial activism which includes reliance on foreign
law or unratified treaties undermines American law.
The sole solution, apart from impeachment, is the
appointment of constitutionalist jurists, who will
interpret the law as it was originally intended rather
than make it. That is both a presidential responsibility,
in selecting judicial candidates, and a senatorial
responsibility, in confirming them. We urge … Senators
to do all in their power to prevent the elevation of
additional leftist ideologues to the courts, particularly
in the waning days of the current Administration.”21
Issue
Prisoner Reentry
Democratic Platform
“We will reduce recidivism in our neighborhoods. We
created the Federal Interagency Reentry Council in
2011, but there's more to be done. We support local
prison-to-work programs and other initiatives to
reduce recidivism …We understand the
disproportionate effects of crime, violence, and
incarceration on communities of color and are
committed to working with those communities to find
solutions.”19
Republican Platform
“Prisons should do more than punish; they should
attempt to rehabilitate and institute proven prisoner
reentry systems to reduce recidivism and future
victimization.”22
Issue
Youth Crime and
violence reduction
Democratic Platform
“We will end the dangerous cycle of violence,
especially youth violence, by continuing to invest in
proven community-based law enforcement programs
such as the Community Oriented Policing Services
program.”20
Republican Platform
No mention
18
P. 55
P. 54
20
Ibid.
19
21
22
P. 29
P. 42
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Issue
Tax Policy
Democratic Platform
“…we are committed to extending the middle class tax
cuts for the 98 percent of American families who make
less than $250,000 a year, and we will not raise taxes on
them.”23 “We support allowing the Bush tax cuts for the
wealthiest to expire and closing loopholes and
deductions for the largest corporations and the highestearning taxpayers. We are committed to reforming our
tax code so that it is fairer and simpler, creating a tax
code that lives up to the Buffett Rule so no millionaire
pays a smaller share of his or her income in taxes than
middle class families do. We are also committed to
reforming the corporate tax code to lower tax rates for
companies in the United States, with additional relief for
those locating manufacturing and research and
development on our shores, while closing loopholes and
reducing incentives for corporations to shift jobs
overseas.”24 “We want to cut tax breaks for companies
that are shipping jobs overseas and for special interests,
and instead offer tax breaks to companies that are
investing right here in the United States of America,
betting on American workers who are making American
products we sell to the world that are stamped with
three proud words: Made in America.”25 “Democrats
support lowering the corporate tax rate while closing
unnecessary loopholes, and lowering rates even further
for manufacturers who create good jobs at home.”26 “we
support expanding the Child and Dependent Care Tax
Credit.” 27
Republican Platform
“Extend the 2001 and 2003 tax relief packagescommonly known as the Bush tax cuts-pending reform
of the tax code, to keep tax rates from rising on
income, interest, dividends, and capital gains. Reform
the tax code by reducing marginal tax rates by 20
percent across-the-board in a revenue-neutral manner;
Eliminate the taxes on interest, dividends, and capital
gains altogether for lower and middle-income
taxpayers; End the Death Tax; and Repeal the
Alternative Minimum Tax”28 “In any restructuring of
federal taxation, to guard against hypertaxation of the
American people, any value added tax or national sales
tax must be tied to the simultaneous repeal of the
Sixteenth Amendment, which established the federal
income tax.”29
23
P.38
Ibid.
25
P. 40
26
Ibid.
27
P. 47
24
28
29
P.5
P. 6
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, continued
Issue
Balanced Budget
Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution
Democratic Platform
No mention
Republican Platform
“Republican Members of Congress have repeatedly
tried to reform the budget process…by voting for a
Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution…We
call for a Constitutional amendment requiring a supermajority for any tax increase, with exceptions for only
war and national emergencies, and imposing a cap
limiting spending to the historical average percentage
of GDP so that future Congresses cannot balance the
budget by raising taxes.”32
Issue
Help homeowners
facing foreclosure
Democratic Platform
“Democrats are fighting to give every responsible
homeowner the chance to refinance their home,
spurring investment in communities that have been hit
hardest by foreclosure, and taking whatever steps we
can to avoid more foreclosures.”30
Republican Platform
“Taxpayer dollars should not be used to bail out
borrowers and lenders by funding principal writedowns.”33
Issue
Protect Social
Security
Democratic Platform
“…we will find a solution to protect Social Security for
future generations. We will block…efforts to subject
Americans' guaranteed retirement income to the
whims of the stock market through privatization.”31
Republican Platform
“While no changes should adversely affect any current
or near-retiree, comprehensive reform should address
our society’s remarkable medical advances in longevity
and allow younger workers the option of creating their
own personal investment accounts as supplements to
the system.”34
32
30
P.35
31
Ibid.
P. 7 & p. 14
P. 8
34
P. 27
33
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, continued
Issue
Small Business
Development
Issue
Consumer Financial
Services Reform
Issue
Gender
discrimination
Democratic Platform
“We support expanding and making permanent the Research and
Experimentation Tax Credit”35 “…the Democratic Party (is)
committed to continue cutting red tape for small businesses,
helping them sell their goods around the world and access the
capital they need to grow. This includes tax cuts for small businesses
that make new investments, hire more workers, or increase
wages.”36
Republican Platform
“We will reform the tax code to allow businesses to generate
enough capital to grow and create jobs for our families,
friends and neighbors all across America. We will encourage
investments in small businesses. We will create an
environment where adequate financing and credit are
available to spur manufacturing and expansion.”39
Democratic Platform
“We enacted Wall Street reform to end all future taxpayer-funded
bank bailouts. Today Democrats are holding Wall Street
accountable, bringing new transparency to financial markets, and
ending taxpayer-funded bank bailouts and the era of "too big to
fail." (we) put in place new rules of the road that refocus the
financial sector on getting capital to entrepreneurs and small and
mid-sized businesses who create jobs and financing to millions of
families who want to buy a home or send their kids to college.
We've created a single consumer watchdog agency whose sole job
is looking out for working families by protecting them from
deceptive and unfair lending practices of mortgage brokers, payday
lenders, debt collectors, and other financial institutions. Democrats
are not only fighting to protect consumers from practices that can
hurt their pocketbooks and add to their debt, but also working to
put an end to practices that helped cause the mortgage crisis”37
Republican Platform
“Making matters worse, the Congress, under Democrat
control, enacted the Dodd-Frank Act, a massive labyrinth of
costly new regulations that deter lenders from lending to
creditworthy homebuyers and that disproportionately harms
small and community banks. As a result, home sales remain
weak, investment in housing remains depressed, construction
industry jobs remain down, and mortgage lending has yet to
recover to pre-crisis levels.”40
Democratic Platform
“We are committed to ensuring full equality for women: we
reaffirm our support for the Equal Rights Amendment, recommit to
enforcing Title IX, support the Paycheck Fairness Act, and will urge
ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women.”38
Republican Platform
No mention
35
P. 41
P. 43
37
P. 44
38
P. 51
36
39
40
P. 5
P. 8
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, continued
Issue
Infrastructure
development
Democratic Platform
“We will give our businesses access to newer roads and airports,
and faster railroads and Internet access. We will fight for immediate
investments for highways, transit, rail, and aviation and for the
creation of a national infrastructure bank to help modernize our
infrastructure, put hundreds of thousands of construction workers
back on the job, and help businesses grow.”41 “We support
strengthening rural water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure to
make rural businesses more competitive. We have expanded
broadband access to nearly seven million rural Americans, including
rural businesses, creating new jobs.”42 “We will continue to partner
with local communities to support their sustainable developments
such as passenger rail, bicycle and pedestrian paths, and other
projects to support livable cities.”43
Issue
Religious
discrimination in
Faith Based Policies
Democratic Platform
“We believe in constitutionally sound, evidence-based partnerships
with faith-based and other non-profit organizations to serve those
in need and advance our shared interests.”44
Republican Platform
“We assert every citizen’s right to apply religious values to
public policy and the right of faith-based organizations to
participate fully in public programs without renouncing their
beliefs, removing religious symbols, or submitting to
government-imposed hiring practices.”48
Democratic Platform
“…we have committed to ending veterans' homelessness by 2015,
and have launched new partnerships with the Departments of
Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development and with
veterans' organizations to do just that …”45“We will not only
continue to support them in the field, but we will also continue to
prioritize support for wounded warriors, mental health, and the well
being of our military families and veterans. We will keep working to
give our veterans the health care, benefits, education, and job
opportunities that they have earned”46
Republican Platform
“…we will consider a fundamental change in structure to
make the regional directors of the Department presidential
appointees rather than careerists…We are committed to
ending homelessness for our veterans. One key is to assist
their reentry into the job market as soon as possible after
military service ends…We urge immediate action to review
the automatic denial of gun ownership to returning members
of our Armed Forces who have had representatives appointed
to manage their financial affairs.”49
Issue
Veterans’ rights
Republican Platform
“Republicans will make hard choices and set priorities, and
infrastructure will be among them…We oppose any funding
mechanism that would involve governmental monitoring of
every car and truck in the nation. Amtrak continues to be, for
the taxpayers, an extremely expensive railroad. The public has
to subsidize every ticket nearly $50. It is long past time for the
federal government to get out of way and allow private
ventures to provide passenger service to the northeast
corridor. The same holds true with regard to high-speed and
intercity rail across the country.”47
41
P. 40
P. 49
43
P. 54
44
P. 49
45
P. 48
46
Ibid.
42
47
P. 9
P. 16
49
P. 50
48
Page | 9
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, continued
Issue
Energy Policy /
Clean fuels
Issue
Fair Pay
Democratic Platform
“Democrats support making America the world's leader in building a
clean energy economy by extending clean energy incentives that
support American businesses and American jobs in communities
across the country….Building a clean energy future means that new
exploration and production needs to be approached safely and
responsibly. Democrats are committed to balancing environmental
protection with development, and that means preserving sensitive
public lands from exploration, like the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge, Pacific West Coast, Gulf of Maine, and other irreplaceable
national landscapes.” 50 “Democrats will fight to cut tax subsidies
for Big Oil while promoting job growth in the clean energy sector, so
we can cut the deficit and increase jobs and growth in America.”51
“We support a clean energy economy that is creating jobs and
helping lower energy costs in rural America. U.S. biofuel production
is at its highest level in history. We have made historic investments
in renewable fuels and expanded markets for them.”52
Democratic Platform
“…every American should have a voice on the job and a chance to
negotiate for a fair day's pay after a hard day's work.”53
Republican Platform
“Coal is a low-cost and abundant energy source with
hundreds of years of supply. We look toward the private
sector’s development of new, state-of-the-art coal-fired
plants that will be low-cost, environmentally responsible, and
efficient. We also encourage research and development of
advanced technologies in this sector, including coal-to-liquid,
coal gasification, and related technologies for enhanced oil
recovery…We will end the EPA’s war on coal and encourage
the increased safe development in all regions of the nation’s
coal resources, the jobs it produces, and the affordable,
reliable energy that it provides for America.” 54 “We call for a
reasoned approach to all offshore energy development on the
East Coast and other appropriate waters…We support
opening the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) for energy
exploration and development and ending the current
Administration’s moratorium on permitting; opening the
coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for
exploration and production of oil and natural gas; and
allowing for more oil and natural gas exploration on federally
owned and controlled land.”55 “We are committed to
approving the Keystone XL Pipeline and to streamlining
permitting for the development of other oil and natural gas
pipelines. Nuclear energy, now generating about 20 percent
of our electricity through 104 power plants, must be
expanded.”56
Republican Platform
“We demand an end to the Project Labor Agreements; and we
call for repeal of the Davis-Bacon Act, which costs the
taxpayers billions of dollars annually in artificially high wages
on government projects.”57
50
54
51
55
P. 39
Ibid.
52
P. 49
53
P. 42
P. 20
Ibid.
56
P. 21
57
P. 11
Page | 10
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, continued
Issue
Eliminate Pay
discrimination
based on race,
ethnicity or
gender
Democratic Platform
“We know that putting America back to work is Job One, and
we are committed to ensuring that Americans do not face
employment discrimination.”58 “We Democrats will continue
to support efforts to ensure that workers can combat gender
discrimination in the workplace and to protect women against
pregnancy discrimination.”59 “The first bill the President
signed was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, we are committed
to passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, and we will continue to
battle …opposition to efforts to stop wage discrimination.”60
Republican Platform
No mention
Issue
Right to form a
union
Democratic Platform
“We will continue to fight for the right of all workers to
organize and join a union.”61 “We will fight for labor laws that
provide a fair process for workers to choose union
representation, that facilitate the collective bargaining
process, and that strengthen remedies for violations of the
law. We will fight for collective bargaining rights for police
officers, nurses, firefighters, emergency medical technicians,
teachers, and other public sector workers—jobs that are a
proven path to the middle class for millions of Americans.”62
Republican Platform
“We will restore the rule of law to labor law by blocking
“card check,” enacting the Secret Ballot Protection Act,
enforcing the Hobbs Act against labor violence, and
passing the Raise Act to allow all workers to receive wellearned raises without the approval of their union
representative… We will aggressively enforce the recent
decision by the Supreme Court barring the use of union
dues for political purposes without the consent of the
worker.”64
Issue
“Right to Work”
laws
Democratic Platform
“We will continue to vigorously oppose "Right to
Work…efforts…whenever they are proposed."63
Republican Platform
“We support the right of States to enact Right-to-Work
laws and encourage them to do so to promote greater
economic liberty. Ultimately, we support the enactment
of a National Right-to-Work law to promote worker
freedom and to promote greater economic liberty.”65
58
P. 51
P. 52
60
P. 42
61
Ibid.
62
Ibid.
63
Ibid.
59
64
65
P. 11
Ibid.
Page | 11
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, continued
Issue
Support for the
Employment NonDiscrimination Act
Democratic Platform
“We support the Employment Non- Discrimination Act
because people should not be fired based on their sexual
orientation or gender identity.”66
Republican Platform
No mention
Issue
Collective
bargaining and
labor rights for
employees
Democratic Platform
“We oppose the attacks on collective bargaining that
…governors and state legislatures are mounting in states
around the country.”67 “…(We) will continue (the) fight
against the exploitative practice of employers fraudulently
misclassifying workers as independent contractors or whitecollar workers to evade taxes or deny them protections and
overtime benefits.”68
Republican Platform
“We salute the … Governors and State legislators who
have saved their States from fiscal disaster by reforming
their laws governing public employee unions. We urge
elected officials across the country to follow their lead in
order to avoid State and local defaults on their
obligations”.72
Issue
Minimum Wage /
Livable wage
Democratic Platform
“We will raise the minimum wage, and index it to inflation.”69
Republican Platform
No mention
Issue
Support for paid
sick leave for
workers
Democratic Platform
“We believe that all parents and caregivers—regardless of
gender—need more flexibility and support in the workplace.
We support passing the Healthy Families Act, broadening the
Family and Medical Leave Act, and partnering with states to
move toward paid leave.”70 “…we support passing the
Healthy Families Act, broadening the Family and Medical
Leave Act, and partnering with states to move toward paid
leave.”71
Republican Platform
No mention
66
P. 51
P. 42
68
P. 41
69
Ibid.
70
P. 47
71
P. 52
67
72
P. 12
Page | 12
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, continued
Issue
Job Creation
Democratic Platform
“Last September, President Obama put forward the American
Jobs Act to provide an immediate boost to the economy and
strengthen the recovery. We have already enacted key parts of
the American Jobs Act—payroll tax relief, tax credits for
businesses that hire veterans, and an extension of
unemployment insurance that also included reforms like worksharing, a "Bridge to Work" to help the long-term unemployed
reconnect with the labor force, and support for unemployed
workers looking to become entrepreneurs. But Republicans in
Congress blocked other provisions that independent analysis said
could create one million jobs.”73 And we continue to fight for
measures that would strengthen the recovery and create jobs
now, including keeping teachers and first responders on the job,
putting construction workers back to work by investing in our
roads, bridges, schools, and water supply, helping families
refinance their mortgages and save hundreds of dollars a month,
cutting taxes for small businesses that invest and hire, and
putting veterans back to work. That's why we continue to fight
for relief for the long-term unemployed, including a ban on hiring
discrimination against the unemployed and a reformed and
expanded universal worker training proposal to provide more
training and job search assistance to all displaced workers
regardless of how they lost their job.”74” The Democratic Party
supports a broad-based strategy to further strengthen an
American renaissance in manufacturing, with tax relief for clean
energy manufacturing, incentives to create advanced vehicles in
the United States, more research, and a network of
manufacturing innovation hubs”75” We will fight for immediate
investments for highways, transit, rail, and aviation and for the
creation of a national infrastructure bank to help modernize our
infrastructure, put hundreds of thousands of construction
workers back on the job, and help businesses grow.”76
Republican Platform
“Republicans will pursue free market policies that are the
surest way to boost employment and create job growth and
economic prosperity for all.”77 “The tax system must be
simplified. Government spending and regulation must be
reined in. American companies must be more competitive in
the world market, and we must be aggressive in promoting
U.S. products abroad and securing open markets for them. A
federal-State-private partnership must invest in the nation’s
infrastructure: roads, bridges, airports, ports, and water
systems, among others. Federal training programs have to be
overhauled and made relevant for the workplace of the
twenty-first century. Potential employers need certainty and
predictability for their hiring decisions”78 “To level the
international playing field, and to spur job creation here at
home, we call for a reduction of the corporate rate to keep
U.S. corporations competitive internationally, with a
permanent research and development tax credit, and a repeal
of the corporate alternative minimum tax.”79
73
P.33
P. 34
75
P. 40
76
Ibid.
74
77
P. 4
P. 5
79
P. 6
78
Page | 13
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, continued
Issue
Broadband Access
Democratic Platform
“President Obama has committed to ensuring that 98
percent of the country has access to high-speed wireless
broadband Internet access.”80
Republican Platform
No mention
Issue
Marriage equality
Democratic Platform
“We support marriage equality and support the
movement to secure equal treatment under law for
same-sex couples. We also support the freedom of
churches and religious entities to decide how to
administer marriage as a religious sacrament without
government interference. We oppose discriminatory
federal and state constitutional amendments and other
attempts to deny equal protection of the laws to
committed same-sex couples who seek the same respect
and responsibilities as other married couples”81
Republican Platform
“We reaffirm our support for a Constitutional
amendment defining marriage as the union of one man
and one woman.”82 “…we believe that marriage, the
union of one man and one woman must be upheld as
the national standard, a goal to stand for, encourage,
and promote through laws governing marriage.”83
Democratic Platform
No mention
Republican Platform
“Congressional Republicans have taken the lead in efforts
to foster homeownership and open access to higher
education for Washington residents. Against the
opposition of the current President and leaders of the
Democratic Party, they have fought to establish, and now
to expand, the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program,
through which thousands of low-income children have
been able to attend a school of their choice and receive a
quality education.”84 “The Republican-founded D.C.
Opportunity Scholarship Program should be expanded as
a model for the rest of the country.”85
EDUCATION
Issue
School vouchers
82
P. 14
P. 35
84
P. 32
85
P. 40
83
80
81
P. 41
P. 53
Page | 14
EDUCATION
Issue
Making College More
Affordable
Issue
Redefining “Highly
qualified teachers” /
supporting public
teachers
Issue
Support for
Historically Black
Colleges and
Universities
Democratic Platform
“…we doubled our investment in Pell Grant
scholarships and created the American Opportunity
Tax Credit worth up to $10,000 over four years of
college, and we're creating avenues for students to
manage their federal student loans so that their
payments can be only 10 percent of what they make
each month.”86
Republican Platform
“The federal government should not be in the business
of originating student loans…”89
Democratic Platform
“(We have) laid out a plan to prevent more teacher
layoffs while attracting and rewarding great teachers.
This includes raising standards for the programs that
prepare our teachers, recognizing and rewarding good
teaching, and retaining good teachers. We also believe
in carefully crafted evaluation systems that give
struggling teachers a chance to succeed and protect
due process if another teacher has to be put in the
classroom. We also recognize there is no substitute for
a parent's involvement in their child's education.”87
Republican Platform
“We support legislation that will correct the current
law provision which defines a “Highly Qualified
Teacher” merely by his or her credentials, not results in
the classroom.”90
Democratic Platform
“We invested more than $2.5 billion in savings from
reforming our student loan system to strengthen our
nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities,
Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and
Universities, Alaska, Hawaiian Native Institutions, Asian
American and Pacific Islander Institutions, and other
Minority Serving Institutions. These schools play an
important role in creating a diverse workforce…”88
Republican Platform
No mention
86
P. 37
P. 36
88
P. 37
87
89
90
P. 41
Ibid.
Page | 15
HEALTH
Issue:
Comprehensive Health Care
Democratic Platform
“We believe accessible, affordable, high quality health care is part of the American promise, that Americans should have the security that comes with good health care, and that no one should go
broke because they get sick. Over the determined opposition…we enacted landmark reforms that are already helping millions of Americans, and more benefits will come soon. As a result of our
efforts, today, young Americans entering the workforce can stay on their parents' plans. Insurers can no longer refuse to cover kids with pre-existing medical conditions. Insurance companies will
no longer be able to arbitrarily cap and cancel coverage, or charge women more simply because of their gender. People with private insurance are getting preventive services like cancer screenings,
annual well-woman visits, and FDA-approved contraception with no out-of-pocket costs. We've established new Offices of Minority Health, and are helping state Medicaid programs fund home and
community-based services. Small businesses are receiving tax credits to help them cover their workers, and businesses and families are receiving rebates from insurers who overcharged them.
Soon, working families will finally have the security of knowing they won't lose health care or be forced into bankruptcy if a family member gets sick or loses their job. And soon, insurance
companies will no longer be able to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions. Medicaid will cover more working families. Those who don't get insurance at work will be able to shop in new
91
exchanges and will be eligible for new tax credits. As a result, all Americans will have access to health care…(F)or the first time, 30 million of our fellow citizens finally gain health insurance.” “At
the same time, the Affordable Care Act is not the end of efforts to improve health care for all Americans. Democrats will continue to fight for a strong health care workforce with an emphasis on
primary care. We remain committed to eliminating disparities in health and will continue to make sure families have access to mental health and substance abuse services. We will strengthen
Medicaid and oppose efforts to block grant the program, slash its funding, and leave millions more without health insurance. We will continue to invest in our public health infrastructure—ensuring
that we are able to respond to emergencies and support community-based efforts to prevent disease. The Recovery Act and the health reform law made historic investments in Community Health
92
Centers, and Democrats will continue to support these valuable institutions.”
Republican Paltform
“We believe that taking care of one’s health is an individual responsibility. Chronic diseases, many of them related to lifestyle, drive healthcare costs, accounting for more than 75 percent of the
nation’s medical spending. To reduce demand, and thereby lower costs, we must foster personal responsibility while increasing preventive services to promote healthy lifestyles. We believe that all
Americans should have improved access to affordable, coordinated, quality healthcare, including individuals struggling with mental illness. Our goal is to encourage the development of a
healthcare system that provides higher quality care at a lower cost to all Americans while protecting the patient-physician relationship based on mutual trust, informed consent, and privileged
patient confidentiality. We seek to increase healthcare choice and options, contain costs and reduce mandates, simplify the system for patients and providers, restore cuts made to Medicare, and
equalize the tax treatment of group and individual health insurance plans. For most Americans, those who are insured now or who seek insurance in the future, our practical, non-intrusive reforms
will promote flexibility in State leadership in healthcare reform, promote a free-market based system, and empower consumer choice. All of which will return direction of the nation’s healthcare to
the people and away from the federal government. To return the States to their proper role of regulating local insurance markets and caring for the needy, we propose to block grant Medicaid and
other payments to the States; limit federal requirements on both private insurance and Medicaid; assist all patients, including those with pre-existing conditions, through reinsurance and risk
adjustment; and promote non-litigation alternatives for dispute resolution. We call on State officials to carefully consider the increased costs of medical mandates, imposed under their laws, which
may price many low-income families out of the insurance market… To achieve a free market in healthcare and ensure competition, we will promote price transparency so that consumers will know
the actual cost of treatments before they undergo them. When patients are aware of costs, they are less likely to over-utilize services. We support legislation to cap non-economic damages in
medical malpractice lawsuits, thereby relieving conscientious providers of burdens that are not rightly theirs and addressing a serious cause of escalating medical bills. We will empower individuals
and small businesses to form purchasing pools in order to expand coverage to the uninsured. Individuals with pre-existing conditions who maintain continuous insurance coverage should be
protected from discrimination. We support technology enhancements for medical health records and data systems while affirming patient privacy and ownership of health information. Consumer
choice is the most powerful factor in healthcare reform. Today’s highly mobile work force requires portability of insurance coverage that can go with them from job to job. The need to maintain
coverage should not dictate where families have to live and work. Putting the patient at the center of policy decisions will increase choice and reduce costs while ensuring that services provide
what Americans actually want. We must end tax discrimination against the individual purchase of insurance and allow consumers to purchase insurance across State lines. While promoting “coinsurance” products and alternatives to “fee for service,” government must promote Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement Accounts to be used for insurance premiums and should
encourage the private sector to rate competing insurance plans. We will ensure that America’s aging population has access to safe and affordable care. Because seniors overwhelmingly desire to
age at home, we will make home care a priority in public policy. We will champion the right of individual choice in senior care. We will aggressively implement programs to protect against elder
93
abuse, and we will work to ensure that quality care is provided across the care continuum from home to nursing home to hospice.”
91
P. 34
P. 35
93
PP. 37 - 38
92
Page | 16
HEALTH, continued
Issue
Full implementation of
the Affordable Care Act
(Health Care Reform) of
2010
Democratic Platform
“We will continue to stand up to (those) working to take away the
benefits and protections that are already helping millions of
Americans every day. We refuse to go back to the days when
health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your
health policy, deny you coverage, or charge women more than
94
men.” “Democrats will continue to fight for a strong health care
workforce with an emphasis on primary care. We remain
committed to eliminating disparities in health and will continue to
make sure families have access to mental health and substance
95
abuse services.”
Republican Platform
“The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – Obamacare –
was never really about healthcare, though its impact upon the
nation’s health is disastrous… …Congressional Republicans are
committed to its repeal; and a Republican President, on the first
day in office, will use his legitimate waiver authority under that
99
law to halt its progress and then will sign its repeal.”
Issue
Protect and Preserve
Medicare
Democratic Platform
“(we) adamantly oppose any efforts to privatize or voucherize
Medicare;… we will not ask seniors to pay thousands of dollars
more every year while they watch the value of their Medicare
96
benefits evaporate.” “…the Democratic Party will fiercely
oppose the harsh cuts in Medicaid that would inevitably lead to
no or significantly less health care for millions of Americans with
disabilities, workers with disabilities, and families raising children
97
with autism, Down Syndrome, and other serious disabilities.”
Republican Platform
“We will save Medicare by modernizing it, by empowering its
100
participants, and by putting it on a secure financial footing.”
“While retaining the option of traditional Medicare in competition
with private plans, we call for a transition to a premium-support
model for Medicare, with an income-adjusted contribution
101
toward a health plan of the enrollee’s choice.”
Democratic Platform
We Democrats have increased overall funding to combat
HIV/AIDS to record levels and will continue our nation's fight
against HIV/AIDS. (We) established the first-ever comprehensive
National HIV/AIDS Strategy for responding to the domestic
epidemic, which calls for reducing HIV incidence, increasing access
to care, optimizing health outcomes, and reducing HIV-related
health disparities. This is an evidence-based plan that is guided by
science and seeks to direct resources to the communities at
greatest risk, including gay men, black and Latino Americans,
substance users, and others at high risk of infection. And we will
continue to support America's groundbreaking biomedical
98
researchers in their lifesaving work.”
Republican Platform
“Abstinence from sexual activity is the only protection that is 100
percent effective against out-of-wedlock pregnancies and
sexually-transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS when
transmitted sexually. It is effective, science-based, and empowers
teens to achieve optimal health outcomes and avoid risks of
sexual activity. We oppose school-based clinics that provide
referrals, counseling, and related services for abortion and
102
contraception.”
Issue
Funding for HIV/AIDS
prevention, treatment &
research
94
P. 35
Ibid.
96
P. 36
97
P. 48
98
P. 35
95
99
P. 36
P. 25
101
P. 26
102
P. 40
100
Page | 17
HEALTH, continued
Issue
Protect and
preserve food
stamp
accessibility
Democratic Platform
No mention
Republican Platform
“The food stamp program now accounts for nearly 80 percent of
the entire USDA budget. In finding ways to fight fraud and abuse,
the Congress should consider block-granting that program to the
States, along with the other domestic nutrition programs.”105
Issue
Protect and
preserve
Medicaid
Democratic Platform
“We will strengthen Medicaid and oppose efforts
to block grant the program, slash its funding, and
leave millions more without health insurance.”103
…“the Democratic Party will fiercely oppose the
harsh cuts in Medicaid that would inevitably lead
to no or significantly less health care for millions of
Americans with disabilities, workers with
disabilities, and families raising children with
autism, Down Syndrome, and other serious
disabilities.”104
Republican Platform
“There should be alternatives to hospitalization for chronic health
problems. Patients could be rewarded for participating in disease
prevention activities. Excessive mandates on coverage should be
eliminated. Patients with long-term care needs might fare better
in a separately designed program. Republican Governors and
State legislatures are ready to do the hard work of modernizing
Medicaid for the twenty-first century. We propose to let them do
all that…by block-granting the program to the States providing the
States with the flexibility to design programs that meet the needs
of their low income citizens. Such reforms could be achieved
through premium supports or a refundable tax credit, allowing
non-disabled adults and children to be moved into private health
insurance of their choice, where their needs can be met on the
same basis as those of more affluent Americans. For the aged and
disabled under Medicaid, for whom monthly costs can be
extremely high, States would have flexibility to improve the
quality of care and to avoid the inappropriate institutional placing
of patients who prefer to be cared for at home…”106 “…we
propose to block grant Medicaid and other payments to the Sta
tes; limit federal requirements on both private insurance and
Medicaid.”107
105
103
P. 35
104
P. 48
P. 23
P. 26
107
P. 37
106
Page | 18
HEALTH, continued
Issue
Climate Change
Democratic Platform
“We affirm the science of climate change, commit
to significantly reducing the pollution that causes
climate change, and know we have to meet this
challenge by driving smart policies that lead to
greater growth in clean energy generation and
result in a range of economic and social
benefits.”108 “Democrats pledge to continue
showing international leadership on climate
change, working toward an agreement to set
emission limits in unison with other emerging
powers. Democrats will continue pursuing efforts
to combat climate change at home as well,
because reducing our emissions domestically—
through regulation and market solutions—is
necessary to continue being an international leader
on this issue. We understand that global climate
change may disproportionately affect the poor,
and we are committed to environmental
justice.”109 “We will seek to implement
agreements and build on the progress made during
climate talks in Copenhagen, Cancun, and Durban,
working to ensure a response to climate change
policy that draws upon decisive action by all
nations. Our goal is an effective, international
effort in which all major economies commit to
reduce their emissions, nations meet their
commitments in a transparent manner, and the
necessary financing is mobilized so that developing
countries can mitigate the effects of climate
change and invest in clean energy technologies.”110
Republican Platform
“We also call on Congress to take quick action to prohibit the EPA
from moving forward with new greenhouse gas regulations that
will harm the nation’s economy and threaten millions of jobs over
the next quarter century.”111
108
P. 55
P. 56
110
P. 61
109
111
P. 24
Page | 19
HEALTH, continued
Issue
Clean Air
Democratic Platform
“Pollutants like nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide,
particulate matter, and mercury are a threat to
human health, and Democrats will continue to
stand up to polluters in the interest of
environmental and public health.”112
Republican platform
“Efforts to reduce pollution, encourage recycling, educate the
public, and avoid ecological degradation have been a success. To
ensure their continued support by the American people, however,
we need a dramatic change in the attitude of officials in
Washington, a shift from a job-killing punitive mentality to a spirit
of cooperation with producers, landowners, and the public. An
important factor is full transparency in development of the data
and modeling that drive regulations. Legislation to restore the
authority of States in environmental protection is essential.”114
Issue
Affordable
Family Planning
Democratic Platform
“The President and the Democratic Party believe
that women have a right to control their
reproductive choices. Democrats support access to
affordable family planning services, and President
Obama and Democrats will continue to stand up to
Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood
health centers. The Affordable Care Act ensures
that women have access to contraception in their
health insurance plans, and the President has
respected the principle of religious liberty.
Democrats support evidence-based and ageappropriate sex education.”113
Republican Platform
No mention
112
113
P. 55
P. 52
114
P. 23
Page | 20
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Issue
Promote fair trade
and development
with Africa
Democratic Platform
“We will continue to partner with African nations to
combat al-Qaeda affiliates in places like Somalia and to
bring to justice those who commit mass atrocities, like
Joseph Kony.”115 “…we are providing robust trade and
investment support to Africa and building a trade and
investment partnership with the countries of East
Africa.”116 “The administration continues to work to
promote opportunity and development in sub-Saharan
Africa by improving the region's trade competitiveness,
encouraging economic diversification, and ensuring
that the benefits from growth are broad-based.”117
Republican Platform
“From Peace Corps volunteers teaching in one-room
schools to U.S. Seabees building village projects, we
will continue to strengthen the personal and
commercial ties between our country and African
nations.”119 “We support closer cooperation in both
military and economic matters with those who are
under attack by forces which seek our destruction.”120
Issue
Rebuilding Haiti
Democratic Platform
“… as we did in the aftermath of Haiti's catastrophic
earthquake in January 2010, we will provide critical aid
to countries facing devastating circumstances to meet
their acute short-term needs and foster long-term
recovery. (We) led an unprecedented international
effort in response to Haiti's natural disaster,
committing over $3.1 billion to relief, reconstruction,
and recovery, and launching a multifaceted effort to
improve health, promote food security, and strengthen
economic security. While major challenges remain…
(we support) a sustained commitment to Haiti's
reconstruction, and (will continue) to assist in Haiti's
development”118
Republican Platform
No mention
115
P. 63
P. 65
117
Ibid.
118
P. 66
116
119
120
P. 54
Ibid.
Page | 21
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, continued
Issue
End trade and travel
embargoes with Cuba
Democratic Platform
“…we have undertaken the most significant efforts in
decades to engage the Cuban people. We have focused
on the importance of the family ties between Cuban
Americans and their relatives still living under
oppression….it is now possible for Cuban Americans to
visit and support their families in Cuba, and to send
remittances that reduce the Cuban people's dependence
on the Cuban state. We have taken additional steps to
bolster Cuban civil society, expanding purposeful
exchanges that bolster independent religious groups on
the island and enhancing the free flow of information to,
from, and among the Cuban people. Going forward we
will continue to support the Cuban people's desire to
freely determine their own future.”121
Republican Platform
“(we) affirm the principles codified in U.S. law as
conditions for the lifting of trade, travel, and financial
sanctions: the legalization of political parties, an
independent media, and free and fair internationallysupervised elections.”123
Issue
Assist the people of
Darfur and other
regions of Sudan
Democratic Platform
“We have made great efforts to reduce the violence in
Darfur and built international support for a successful
referendum on South Sudan's future. ...(We have)
advanced initiatives to strengthen UN peacekeeping
capabilities in Africa. This includes providing equipment,
training, and logistical support for UN and African Union
missions in Darfur...”122
Republican Platform
No mention
121
122
P. 68
P. 63
123
P. 53
Page | 22
VOTING RIGHTS
Issue
Protect & Enhance
Voting Rights
Issue
Oppose Photo ID
requirements for
voting
Democratic Platform
“Democrats are committed to ensuring that Americans
with disabilities can exercise their right to vote and
have access to the polls.”124 “We believe the right to
vote and to have your vote counted is an essential
American freedom, and we oppose laws that place
unnecessary restrictions on those seeking to exercise
that freedom….”125
Republican Platform
“We support State efforts to ensure ballot access for
the elderly, the handicapped, military personnel, and
all authorized voters.”127
Democratic Platform
“…the Justice Department has initiated careful,
thorough, and independent reviews of proposed
voting changes, and it has prevented states from
implementing voter identification laws that would be
harmful to minority voters. Democrats know that voter
identification laws can disproportionately burden
young voters, people of color, low-income families,
people with disabilities, and the elderly, and we refuse
to allow the use of political pretexts to disenfranchise
American citizens.”126
Republican Platform
“we condemn the current Administration’s continued
assaults on State governments in matters (of) voter ID
laws…”128 “…we applaud legislation to require photo
identification for voting and to prevent election fraud,
particularly with regard to registration and absentee
ballots. We support State laws that require proof of
citizenship at the time of voter registration to protect
our electoral system against a significant and growing
form of voter fraud.”129
124
127
125
128
P. 48
P. 52
126
Ibid.
P. 15
P. 14
129
P. 15
Page | 23
VOTING RIGHTS, continued
Issue
Voting Rights for the
residents of the
District of Columbia
Democratic Platform
“The American citizens who live in Washington, D.C.,
like the citizens of the 50 states, should have full and
equal congressional rights and the right to have the
laws and budget of their local government respected
without congressional interference.”130
Republican Platform
“We oppose statehood for the District of Columbia.”134
Issue
Support for the
popular vote
Democratic Platform
No mention
Republican Platform
“We oppose the National Popular Vote Interstate
Compact or any other scheme to abolish or distort the
procedures of the Electoral College.”135
Issue
Campaign finance
disclosure
Democratic Platform
“we believe we must take immediate action to curb
the influence of lobbyists and special interests on our
political institutions.”131 “We support campaign
finance reform, by constitutional amendment if
necessary. We support legislation to close loopholes
and require greater disclosure of campaign
spending.”132 “We support requiring groups trying to
influence elections to reveal their donors so the public
will know who's funding the political ads it sees.”133
Republican Platform
“ (we) oppose passage of the DISCLOSE Act or any
similar legislation designed to vitiate the Supreme
Court’s recent decisions protecting political speech in
Wisconsin Right to Life v. Federal Election Commission
and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.”136
130
P. 53
P. 45
132
P. 46
133
Ibid.
131
134
P. 33
P. 15
136
P. 16
135
Page | 24
ISSUES NOT COVERED
A number of the issues important to the NAACP, issues which are an integral part of our national policy agenda, were not
mentioned in either the 2012 Democratic or the Republican platform. Some of the issues not addressed this year have
received mention in past platforms; nevertheless, the NAACP was disappointed to see them left out of this year’s official
platform. These include:
Support for Equal Opportunity Programs such as Affirmative Action
Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity and other police brutality and other misuse of force policies
Racially Disparate Prosecution in the criminal justice system
The establishment of a blue-ribbon, national commission to examine our country’s criminal justice system
Reparations for the descendants of the trans-Atlantic slave trade
Ending childhood obesity
Debt Relief for Impoverished Nations
The re-enfranchisement of ex-felony offenders voting rights
Page | 25