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