What Do Democrats Want?
Previously I examined the Republican Party platform. Now
the Democratic vision for America is available so I want to take a look at that
in a similar fashion. The Democratic Party Platform document
is a bit shorter at 55 pages compared to the Republican document.
Economic issues
Several traditional concerns of Democrats are evident in
a call for raising wages and protecting workers’ rights. Also, they wish to
protect and expand social security. There is an identified focus on jobs for
younger persons and support for small businesses.
Related to the economy is a concern for fairness in the
U.S. financial system, taxation, and trade. The fairness in taxation reflects a
Democratic view of proportionality rather than equal or flat tax approaches.
Rights and Justice
Several concerns deal with human rights. In addition to
concerns about racism and criminal justice, the platform planks include
concerns for immigrants, women, and people who identify as LGBT. Additionally,
there are concerns for people with disabilities and respect for people of
faith. Fairness in voting rights and campaign fairness are also mentioned.
Similar groups to those in the preceding paragraph are
mentioned in a section on values. For example, the platform addresses concern
for women and girls, sexual and religious minorities, refugees, and issues such
as trafficking and slavery, torture, and HIV/AIDS.
Education
There is a strong emphasis on education. Specifics
include relief for students with high debt loads and promoting debt-free
college education. They advocate control over the exploitive practices of some
for-profit schools. Another widespread appeal is to provide universal preschool
education.
Health and Safety
Not surprisingly, Democrats continue their focus on
universal health care, more affordable prescriptions and note a specific focus
on mental health and substance dependence. Special mentions include people with
autistic disorders, reproductive rights, violence against women, and gun
violence.
Defense and
Military
Democrats support a strong military and care for veterans
as well as active service members. They address concerns about global terror
and identify issues associated with specific countries.
Leadership
A final section focuses on American leadership in the
world and is organized by continents.
Search Term Frequency
To compare the emphasis of the Democrats with that
reported in my post on Republicans, I analyzed the platform for the same
concepts. I used the search tool in Adobe Reader to identify a few examples. In
some cases, I searched both the singular and plural use of a term. My focus is
generally on culture but I also looked at international issues.
Religion and
Religious Freedom
Religious 11 + Religion 6 = 17
Religious freedom 3
Christian or Christians 1
God 3
Conscience 0
Muslims 5 (Muslim 1) = 6
Jewish 1
Hindu, Buddhist 0
Economic
Economic 47 + economy 45= 92
Tax 31 + taxes 6 = 37
Market 5 + Markets 10 = 15
Property 3
Wages 14
Defense and Safety
Issues
Military 28
Border 2 + borders 3 = 5
Gun/ guns 11+1 = 12
Police 3
Leaders
Obama 6
Clinton 0
Bush 1
Trump 24
International Issues/
Sample of Countries
China 6
Israel 5
Russia 2
Mexico 1
Iran 9
Canada 2
India 1
United Kingdom 1
Palestine 0
Social and
Cultural
Rights 79
Health care 43
Criminal 10 + crime 3 = 13
Abortion 5
Drug 16 + drugs 10 = 26
Disabilities 28, Disabled 0, disability 8 = 36
Marriage 0
Sex 3 + sexual 16 = 19
Immigration 17
Judge 0 + judges 3 = 3
Gun/ guns 11+1 = 12
Adoption related to children = 1
Race 11 + racism 7 + racist 1 = 19
Worship 0
Violence 24
Pornography 0
Rape 1
Divorce 0
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I write about culture in general and Christian culture in particular. To read more, see my recent book.
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