"The Democratic Party stands behind the right of every woman to choose, consistent with Roe v. Wade, and regardless of ability to pay. We believe it is a fundamental constitutional liberty that individual Americans -- not government -- can best take responsibility for making the most difficult and intensely personal decisions regarding reproduction. This year's Supreme Court rulings show to us all that eliminating a woman's right to choose is only one justice away. That's why the stakes in this election are as high as ever. Our goal is to make abortion less necessary and more rare, not more difficult and more dangerous. … Al Gore will appoint justices to the Supreme Court who have a demonstrated concern for and commitment to the individual rights protected by our Constitution, including the right to privacy."

"The Supreme Court's recent decision, prohibiting states from banning partial birth abortions – a procedure denounced by a committee of the American Medical Association and rightly branded as four-fifths infanticide – shocks the conscience of the nation. . . . the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and we endorse legislation to make clear that the 14th Amendment's protections apply to unborn children. Our purpose is to have legislative and judicial protection of that right against those who perform abortions. We oppose using public revenues for abortion and will not fund organizations which advocate it. We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of human life. . . . We salute those who provide alternatives to abortion and offer adoption services. . . . "

"Our nation must do all it can to focus its efforts on fighting HIV and AIDS. A top priority for Democrats will be the continued investment in research, prevention, care, treatment, and we are deeply committed to the search for a cure. Democrats continue to support important programs such as the Ryan White CARE Act, the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program and incentives to return Americans with HIV/AIDS to work. . . . the most severe global epidemic is HIV/AIDS. It is more than a health tragedy, it is a threat to global security. . . . we can and must do more to prevent transmission, care for those who are ill and lead in knitting together the scores of AIDS-fighting initiatives into a global campaign to defeat this threat."

"Since Republicans took control of Congress in January 1995, our party has led in setting sound HIV/AIDS policy, including increased research funding and access to health services. We remain committed to, and place a high priority on, finding a cure for HIV/AIDS."

"We must restore Americans' faith in their own democracy by providing real and comprehensive campaign finance reform, creating fairer and more open elections, and breaking the link between special interests and political influence. . . . The McCain-Feingold bill is the very first piece of legislation that a President Gore will submit to Congress -- and he will fight for it until it becomes the law of the land. . . . He will insist on tough new lobbying reform, publicly guaranteed TV time for debates and advocacy by candidates and a crackdown on special interest issue ads. Most boldly of all, Al Gore has proposed a public-private, non-partisan Democracy Endowment which will raise money from Americans and finance congressional elections -- with no other contributions allowed to candidates who accept the funding."

"The Republican party affirms that any regulation of the political process must not infringe upon the rights of the people to full participation in the political process. . . . we have one guiding principle in the development of laws to regulate campaigns: Will any particular proposal encourage or restrict the energetic engagement of Americans in elections? . . . (We) "will stop the abuses of corporate and labor 'soft' money contributions to political parties. . . . Enact 'Paycheck Protection,' ensuring no union member is forced to contribute to anybody's campaign . . . preserve the right of every individual and all groups to express their opinions and advocate their issues , , , forbidding incumbents to roll over their leftover campaign funds into a campaign for a different office; require full and timely disclosure on the Internet of all campaign contributions. . . . "

"We continue to lead the fight to end discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, age, ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation. The Democratic Party has always supported the Equal Rights Amendment and will continue to do so, and we are committed to ensuring full equality for women and to vigorously enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act. . . . We recognize the importance of new battles against forms of discrimination and disadvantage that stand as barriers to communities and families, such as environmental injustices and predatory lending practices. And we will fight for full funding and full staffing of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other civil rights enforcement agencies so they can do their job of ensuring that America lives up to its creed of equal rights and equal opportunity for all."

"Equality of individuals before the law has always been a cornerstone of our party. We therefore oppose discrimination based on sex, race, age, religion, creed, disability, or national origin and will vigorously enforce anti-discrimination statutes. We call on all Americans to reject the forces of hatred and bigotry. Accordingly, we denounce all who practice or promote racism, anti-Semitism, ethnic prejudice, and religious intolerance. . . . We support the First Amendment right of freedom of association and stand united with private organizations, such as the Boy Scouts of America, and support their positions. . . . We do not believe sexual preference should be given special legal protection or standing in law. . . . We believe rights inhere in individuals, not groups. We will attain our nation's goal of equal opportunity without quotas or other forms of preferential treatment."

CRIME

"Democrats believe government's most basic duty is to establish law, order and freedom and keep citizens safe from crime." Support increase in number of community police on streets, tougher laws against serious and violent crime, DNA testing in death-penalty cases in "all appropriate circumstances", increased crime prevention, stronger penalties against sex offenders and an end to racial profiling. "Al Gore believes in a Victims' Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution. . . . Democrats believe that we should fight gun crime on all fronts -- with stronger laws and stronger enforcement. . . . We need mandatory child safety locks, to protect our children. We should require a photo license I.D., a full background check and a gun safety test to buy a new handgun in America. We support more federal gun prosecutors, ATF agents and inspectors, and giving states and communities another 10,000 prosecutors to fight gun crime."

"While we support community policing and other proven initiatives against crime, we strongly oppose any erosion of that responsibility by the federal government. . . . A Republican president will advance an agenda . . . [of] no-frills prisons, with productive work requirements, that make the threat of jail a powerful deterrent to crime . . . [and] a constitutional amendment to protect victims' rights at every stage of the criminal justice system. . . . We will reopen Pennsylvania Ave. in front of the White House as a symbolic expression of our confidence in the restoration of the rule of law. . . . We renew our call for a complete overhaul of the juvenile justice system that will punish juvenile offenders. . . . We defend the constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and we affirm the individual responsibility to safely use and store firearms. . . . [and] will vigorously enforce current gun laws. . . . "

"We need to dry up drug demand, hold up drugs at the border and break up drug rings that are spreading poison on our streets. We should open more drug courts . . . double the number of drug hot-spots where we aggressively target our enforcement efforts, expand drug treatment for at-risk youth and make sure that all of our school zones are drug-free zones. . . . We know that to dry up drug demand, we must provide drug treatment upon demand. . . . We have to test prisoners for drugs while they are in jail, treat them for addictions and break up the drug rings inside our prison system. . . . We must continue to fight narco-traffickers, increasing our budget to do so. We must continue to have a strong drug czar who can bring together the considerable resources of the U.S. government in this effort." Supports fight against money launderers and others who make financing of drug trade possible and effort to deal with "those nations who turn a blind eye to the financial end of this problem."

"The entire nation has suffered from the administration's virtual surrender in the war against drugs. . . . A Republican president will advance an agenda to restore the public's safety (through) increased penalties and resources to combat the dramatic rise in production and use of methamphetamine and new drugs such as ecstasy; an effective program of rehabilitation, where appropriate. . . . We will bring accountability to anti-drug programs, promote those that work, and cease funding for those that waste resources. The Department of Justice will require federal prosecutors to aggressively pursue drug dealers, from the kingpins to the lackeys. We renew our support for capital punishment for drug traffickers who take innocent life."

"Today's Democrats believe we should pay down the debt every year until we can give our children the independence, self-sufficiency and prosperity that will come from an America that is debt-free. . . . Today, because of the successes of the Clinton-Gore Administration, a debt-free America is within reach. This would free businesses to invest and innovate, it would provide an ever more sturdy foundation for future economic growth, and it would create good jobs. . . . Al Gore is determined to completely eliminate the publicly held debt by the year 2012. . . . Democrats want to give middle class families tax cuts they can use -- tax cuts that will put their own values into action and that will not injure the economic vitality they rely on. Democrats seek the right kind of tax relief -- tax cuts that are specifically targeted to help those who need them the most."

"The federal government has operated in the black for the last two years and is now projected to run a surplus of nearly $5 trillion over ten years. . . . Over a five year period, as surpluses continue to grow, we will return half a trillion dollars to the taxpayers who really own it, without touching the Social Security surplus. . . . We are also determined to protect Medicare and to pay down the national debt. . . . We reaffirm our support for a constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget. . . . The weak link in the chain of prosperity is the tax system. . . . We enthusiastically endorse the principles of Governor Bush’s Tax Cut with a Purpose . . . ensuring all taxpayers significant tax relief while targeting it especially toward low-income workers. . . . We support legislation requiring a super-majority vote in both houses of Congress to raise taxes."

"We need revolutionary improvements in our public schools. This requires a major national investment; a demand of accountability from all; a genuine expansion of public-school choice, and renewed focus on discipline, character and safety in our schools. . . . [W]hat America needs are public schools that compete with one another and are held accountable for results, not private-school vouchers that drain resources from public schools and hand over the public's hard-earned tax dollars to private schools with no accountability." Supports voluntary national tests in fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade math and a teacher corps for needy schools. "Failing schools that do not improve should be quickly shut down and reopened with a new principal and new teachers. . . . The Democratic Party will triple the number of charter schools in the nation."

"The Republican Party commits itself to bold reforms in education--to make every school a place of learning and achievement for every child. We will preserve local control of public schools, while demanding high standards and accountability for results. . . . Empower needy families to escape persistently failing schools by allowing federal dollars to follow their children to the school of their choice. . . . Ensure that all children learn to read by reforming Head Start and by facilitating state reading initiatives. . . . [reward] states that enact a system for teacher accountability. . . . We defend the option for home schooling and call for vigilant enforcement of laws designed to protect family rights and privacy in education. . . . We will continue to work for the return of voluntary school prayer to our schools . . . "

"Parents and the entertainment industry must accept more responsibility. Many parents are not aware of the resources available to them, such as the V-chip technology in television sets and Internet filtering devices, that can help them shield children from violent entertainment. The entertainment industry must accept more responsibility and exercise more self-restraint, by strictly enforcing movie ratings, by taking a close look at violence in its own advertising and by determining whether the ratings systems are allowing too many children to be exposed to too much violence and cruelty."

"There is much to celebrate in contemporary culture, but also much to deplore: The glorification of violence, the glamorizing of drugs, the abuse of women and children whether in music or videos, advertising, or tabloid journalism. We support and applaud . . . [those] individuals and organizations using their power as citizens and consumers to advance a cultural renewal in all aspects of American life. . . . [We] call upon the media to reconsider their role in fostering bias through negative stereotyping of religious citizens."

"Democrats know that for all of us there is no more solemn responsibility than that of stewards of God's creation. . . . With regard to public lands, Democrats believe that communities, environmental interests and government agencies should work together to protect our public resources, critical habitat areas and wildlands while ensuring the vitality of local economies. . . . Democrats believe we must give Americans incentives to invest in driving more fuel-efficient cars, trucks and sport-utility vehicles; living in more energy-efficient homes and using more environmentally sound appliances and equipment. We need to clean up aging power plants. We must invest in rebuilding and improving our transportation infrastructure and ensure that we adequately maintain these systems for the future."

"Economic prosperity and environmental protection must advance together. . . . Environmental regulations should be based upon the best science. We believe the government's main role should be to provide market-based incentives to innovate and develop the new technologies for Americans to meet – and exceed– environmental standards. . . . Use the Superfund resources to actually clean up places where people live and labor, rather than waste it on costly litigation." Promises to work "with businesses and other nations to reduce harmful emissions through new technologies without compromising America's sovereignty or competitiveness – and without forcing Americans to walk to work."

"Faith-based and community-based organizations have always been at the forefront in combating the hardships facing families and communities. Democrats believe it is time that government found ways to harness the power of faith-based organizations in tackling social ills such as drug addiction, juvenile violence and homelessness. However, in contrast to the Republicans, Democrats believe that partnerships with faith-based organizations should augment -- not replace -- government programs, should respect First Amendment protections and should never use taxpayer funds to proselytize or to support discrimination."

"When government funds privately-operated social, welfare, or educational programs, it must not discriminate against faith-based organizations, whose record in providing services to those in need far exceeds that of the public sector. Their participation should be actively encouraged, and never conditioned upon covering or removing religious objects or symbols. . . . Congress mandated charitable choice in the welfare reform law of 1996, allowing states to contract with faith-based providers for welfare services on the same basis as any other provider. . . . We propose . . . [to] apply charitable choice to all, federal social service programs . . . [and] extending the current federal charity tax deduction to the 70 percent of all tax filers who do not itemize their deductions."

"Government does not raise children, families do. But government can help make the hardest job in the world -- being a parent -- a little easier. . . . We need to expand [the Family and Medical Leave law] so that it covers parent-teacher visits and children's routine medical appointments. . . . We should not penalize families by forcing couples to pay more in taxes just because they have made the sacred commitment of marriage to one another. . . . Provide grants to community and faith-based organizations to help couples prepare for and strengthen their marriages . . . become better parents and reduce domestic violence. . . . making child care more affordable through targeted tax cuts and other investments, in improving the safety and quality of child care centers, in ensuring that children start school ready to read and in giving a helping hand to parents who decided to stay at home with their children. . . . Fund Head Start. . . . we must require all fathers who owe child support to pay or go to work. . . .  "

"Republicans recognize the importance of having a father and a mother in the home. The two-parent family still provides the best environment of stability, discipline, responsibility, and character. . . . We encourage states to review their divorce laws and to support projects that strengthen marriage, promote successful parenting, bolster the stability of the home, and protect the economic rights of the innocent spouse and children. . . . We support initiatives that strengthen marriage rates and promote committed fatherhood. . . . We second Gov. Bush's call to make permanent the adoption tax credit and expand it to $7,500. . . . [and] help families by doubling the child tax credit to $1,000, making it available to more families, and eliminating the marriage penalty. . . . With the tax cuts we propose . . . six million families – one in five taxpaying families with children – will no longer pay any federal income tax. . . . "

(The Democrat platform makes no reference to gambling.)

"We support legislation prohibiting gambling over the Internet or in student athletics by athletes who are participating in competitive sports."

"We must redouble our efforts to bring the uninsured into coverage step-by-step and as soon as possible. We should guarantee access to affordable health care for every child in America. . . . Americans need a real, enforceable Patients' Bill of Rights with the right to see a specialist, the right to appeal decisions to an outside board, guaranteed coverage of emergency room care and the right to sue when they are unfairly denied coverage. . . . It is time we modernized Medicare with a new prescription drug benefit. . . . It is time we treated underage tobacco use like the health crisis it is. That's why we need to give the [Food and Drug Administration] full authority to keep cigarettes away from children. . . ."

"Our nation must reform Medicare--and in doing so, ensure that prescription drugs are affordable and available for every senior who needs them. Seniors deserve a wider scope of coverage, and . . . more choices among health plans. . . . All Americans should have access to high-quality and affordable health care. They should have a range of options and be able to select what is the best care for their individual and family needs a health care system that supports, not supplants, the private sector; that promotes personal responsibility in health care decision-making; and that ensures the least intrusive role for the federal government. . . . " We also support a patient’s right to adjudicate claims in court to receive necessary medical care."

Oppose discrimination on the basis of "sexual orientation. . . . We support continued efforts, like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, to end workplace discrimination against gay men and lesbians. We support the full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of the nation. This would include an equitable alignment of benefits." Favors punishing hate crimes based on "sexual orientation." Al Gore "is committed to equal treatment of all service members and believes all patriotic Americans [should] be allowed to serve their country without discrimination, persecution and violence."

"We support the traditional definition of 'marriage' as the legal union of one man and one woman, and we believe that federal judges and bureaucrats should not force states to recognize other living arrangements as marriages." . . . Congress enacted "the Defense of Marriage Act which a Republican Department of Justice will energetically defend in the courts. . . . We do not believe sexual preference should be given special legal. protection or standing in law. . . . We affirm that homosexuality is incompatible with military service."

"We should allow stem cell research to make important new discoveries."

"With the enormous increase in resources for biomedical research comes accountability for its use, as well as responsibility to maintain the highest ethical standards. We applaud congressional Republicans for the steps they have taken for protection of human embryos and against human cloning, the trafficking in fetal tissue organs, and related abuses."

"The Democratic Party understands . . . military pay must continue to increase. We enacted the largest military pay increase in 20 years -- and we must raise pay even more. We need to further reform the military retirement system and improve housing, health care and childcare benefits to support the general competitiveness of military careers during a period of unprecedented prosperity in the civilian economy." Supports continuing the "work we have begun in cutting stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, halting testing and ensuring that weapons and weapons-grade material do not fall into the wrong hands. . . . . As President, Al Gore will promptly resubmit [the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty] to the Senate with a demand from the American people for its ratification. . . . Al Gore and the Democratic Party support the development of the technology for a limited national missile defense system that will be able to defend the U.S. against a missile attack from a state that has acquired weapons of mass destruction despite our efforts to block their proliferation."

"We commit ourselves to rebuilding the American military and returning to a foreign policy of strength and purpose and a renewed commitment to our allies. We will deploy defenses against ballistic missiles and develop the weapons and strategies needed to win battles in this new technological era. . . . A strong and well-trained American military is the world’s best guarantee of peace. . . . The military is not a civilian police force or a political referee. We believe the military must no longer be the object of social experiments. We affirm traditional military culture. . . . We support the advancement of women in the military, support their exemption from ground combat units." . . . Support discontinuing co-ed basic training. . . . "The next Republican president will protect our nuclear secrets . . . [and] will deploy a national missile defense for reasons of national security. . . . Republicans in the Senate acted responsibly in rejecting the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty."

(The Democrat platform makes no reference to pornography.)

"Federal obscenity and child pornography laws . . . must be vigorously enforced – in contrast to the current administration's failure in this area. . . . We endorse Republican legislation pending in Congress to require schools and libraries to secure their computers against on-line porn and predators if they accept federal subsidies to connect to the Internet.

(The Democrat platform does not specifically address religion in public life.)

"Our country was founded in faith and upon the truth that self-government is rooted in religious conviction. While the Constitution guards against the establishment of state-sponsored religion, it also honors the free exercise of religion. We believe the federal courts must respect this freedom and the original intent of the Framers. We assert the right of religious leaders to speak out on public issues and will not allow the EEOC or any other arm of government to regulate or ban religious symbols from the workplace. We condemn the desecration of places of worship and objects of religious devotion. . . . We believe religious institutions and schools should not be taxed. . . . We affirm the right of public schools, courthouses, and other public buildings to post copies of the Ten Commandments."

"We support contraceptive research, family planning, comprehensive family life education, and policies that support healthy childbearing. . . . We must continue to support efforts to reduce unintended pregnancies, and we call on all Americans to take personal responsibility to meet this important goal".

"We renew our call for replacing 'family planning' programs for teens with increased funding for abstinence education which teaches abstinence until marriage as the responsible and expected standard of behavior. Abstinence from sexual activity is the only protection that is 100 percent effective against out-of-wedlock pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. . . . We oppose school-based clinics that provide referrals, counseling, and related services for contraception and abortion. . . . We support the establishment of Second Chance Maternity Homes. . . . "