Conservative vs - Doral Academy Preparatory School



Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs

Copyright 2005 (revised 2010)

|CONSERVATIVES - believe in personal responsibility, limited |LIBERALS - believe in government action to achieve equal |

|government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional |opportunity and equality for all.  It is the duty of the |

|American values and a strong national defense.  Believe the role|government to alleviate social ills and to protect civil |

|of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary |liberties and individual and human rights.  Believe the role of|

|to pursue their own goals.  |the government should be to guarantee that no one is in need. |

|  |  |

|Conservative policies generally emphasize empowerment of the |Liberal policies generally emphasize the need for the |

|individual to solve problems. |government to solve problems. |

THE ISSUES:

|ISSUE |CONSERVATIVE |LIBERAL |

|Abortion |Human life begins at conception.  Abortion is the |A woman has the right to decide what happens with |

| |murder of a human being.  An unborn baby, as a |her body.  A fetus is not a human life, so it does |

| |living human being, has separate rights from those |not have separate individual rights. |

| |of the mother. |The government should provide taxpayer funded |

| |Oppose taxpayer-funded abortion.  Taxpayer dollars |abortions for women who cannot afford them. |

| |should not be used for the government to provide |The decision to have an abortion is a personal |

| |abortions.  |choice of a woman regarding her own body and the |

| |Support legislation to prohibit partial birth |government must protect this right.  Women have the |

| |abortions, called the "Partial Birth Abortion* Ban"|right to affordable, safe and legal abortions, |

| |(*Partial Birth Abortion:  the killing of an unborn|including partial birth abortion. |

| |baby of at least 20 weeks by pulling it out of the |  |

| |birth canal with forceps, but leaving the head |  |

| |inside.  An incision is made in the back of the |  |

| |baby's neck and the brain tissue is suctioned out. | |

| |The head is then removed from the uterus.) | |

|Affirmative Action |Individuals should be admitted to schools and hired|Due to prevalent racism in the past, minorities were|

| |for jobs based on their ability.  It is unfair to |deprived of the same education and employment |

| |use race as a factor in the selection process.  |opportunities as whites.  The government must work |

| |Reverse-discrimination is not a solution for |to make up for that.  |

| |racism. |  |

| |Some individuals in society are racist, but |America is still a racist society, therefore a |

| |American society as a whole is not.  Preferential |federal affirmative action law is necessary.  Due to|

| |treatment of certain races through affirmative |unequal opportunity, minorities still lag behind |

| |action is wrong. |whites in all statistical measurements of success. |

|Death Penalty |The death penalty is a punishment that fits the |The death penalty should be abolished.  It is |

| |crime of murder; it is neither ‘cruel' nor |inhumane and is ‘cruel and unusual' punishment.  |

| |‘unusual'.  Executing a murderer is the appropriate|Imprisonment is the appropriate punishment for |

| |punishment for taking an innocent life. |murder.  Every execution risks killing an innocent |

| | |person. |

|Economy |The free market system, competitive capitalism, and|A market system in which government regulates the |

| |private enterprise create the greatest opportunity |economy is best.  Government must protect citizens |

| |and the highest standard of living for all.  Free |from the greed of big business.  Unlike the private |

| |markets produce more economic growth, more jobs and|sector, the government is motivated by public |

| |higher standards of living than those systems |interest.  Government regulation in all areas of the|

| |burdened by excessive government regulation. |economy is needed to level the playing field. |

|Education - |School vouchers create competition and therefore |Public schools are the best way to educate |

|  school vouchers |encourage schools to improve performance. |students.  Vouchers take money away from public |

|  & charter schools |Vouchers will give all parents the right to choose |schools.  Government should focus additional funds |

| |good schools for their children, not just those who|on existing public schools, raising teacher salaries|

| |can afford private schools. |and reducing class size. |

|Embryonic Stem Cell |Support the use of adult and umbilical cord stem |Support the use of embryonic stem cells for |

|Research |cells only for research. |research. |

| |It is morally and ethically wrong for the |It is necessary (and ethical) for the government to |

| |government to fund embryonic stem cell research.  |fund embryonic stem cell research, which will assist|

| |Human life begins at conception. The extraction of |scientists in finding treatments and cures for |

| |stem cells from an embryo requires its destruction.|diseases. |

| |In other words, it requires that a human life be |An embryo is not a human. The tiny blastocyst |

| |killed. |(embryos used in embryonic stem cell research) has |

| |Adult stem cells have already been used to treat |no human features. Experimenting on |

| |spinal cord injuries, Leukemia, and even |embryos/embryonic stem cells is not murder. |

| |Parkinson's disease. Adult stem cells are derived |Embryonic stem cells have the potential to cure |

| |from umbilical cords, placentas, amniotic fluid, |chronic and degenerative diseases which current |

| |various tissues and organ systems like skin and the|medicine has been unable to effectively treat. |

| |liver, and even fat obtained from liposuction. |Embryonic stem cells have been shown to be effective|

| |Embryonic stem cells have not been successfully |in treating heart damage in mice. |

| |used to help cure disease. | |

|Energy |Oil, gas and coal are all good sources of energy |Oil is a depleting resource.  Other sources of |

| |and are abundant in the U.S.  Oil drilling should |energy must be explored.  The government must |

| |be increased both on land and at sea.  Increased |produce a national plan for all energy resources and|

| |domestic production creates lower prices and less |subsidize (partially pay for) alternative energy |

| |dependence on other countries for oil. |research and production. |

| |Support increased production of nuclear energy.  |Support increased exploration of alternative energy |

| |Wind and solar sources will not provide plentiful, |sources such as wind and solar power. |

| |affordable source of power. |Support government control of gas and electric |

| |Support private operation of gas and electric |industries. |

| |industries. | |

|Euthanasia |Neither euthanasia nor physician-assisted suicide |Euthanasia should be legalized. A person has a right|

|&  Physician-assisted |should be legalized. It is immoral and unethical to|to die with dignity, by his own choice. A terminally|

|suicide |deliberately end the life of a terminally ill |ill person should have the right to choose to end |

| |person (euthanasia), or enable another person to |pain and suffering. It is wrong for the government |

| |end their own life (assisted suicide). The goal |to take away the means for a terminally ill person |

| |should be compassionate care and easing the |to hasten his death. It is wrong to force a person |

| |suffering of terminally ill people. |to go through so much pain and suffering. |

| |Legalizing euthanasia could lead to doctor-assisted|Legalizing euthanasia would not lead to |

| |suicides of non-critical patients. |doctor-assisted suicides of non-critical patients. |

| |If euthanasia were legalized, insurance companies |Permitting euthanasia would reduce health care |

| |could pressure doctors to withhold life-saving |costs, which would then make funds available for |

| |treatment for dying patients. |those who could truly benefit from medical care. |

| |Many religions prohibit suicide and euthanasia.  |  |

| |These practices devalue human life. | |

|Global Warming/ |Change in global temperature is natural over long |Global warming is caused by an increased production |

|      Climate Change |periods of time.  Science has not shown that humans|of carbon dioxide through the burning of fossil |

| |can affect permanent change to the earth's |fuels (coal, oil and natural gas).  The U.S. is a |

| |temperature. |major contributor to global warming because it |

| |Proposed laws to reduce carbon emissions will do |produces 25% of the world's carbon dioxide.  |

| |nothing to help the environment and will cause | |

| |significant price increases for all. |Proposed laws to reduce carbon emissions in the U.S.|

| |Many reputable scientists support this theory. |are urgently needed and should be enacted |

| | |immediately to save the planet. |

| | |Many reputable scientists support this theory. |

|Gun Control |The Second Amendment gives citizens the right to |The Second Amendment does not give citizens the |

| |keep and bear arms.  Individuals have the right to |right to keep and bear arms, but only allows for the|

| |defend themselves. |state to keep a militia (National Guard).  |

| |There are too many gun control laws--additional |Individuals do not need guns for protection; it is |

| |laws will not lower gun crime rates.  What is |the role of local and federal government to protect |

| |needed is enforcement of current laws.  |the people. |

| |Gun control laws do not prevent criminals from |Additional gun control laws are necessary to stop |

| |obtaining guns. |gun violence and limit the ability of criminals to |

| |More guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens mean|obtain guns. |

| |less crime. |More guns mean more violence. |

|Health Care |Support competitive, free market health care |Support free or low-cost government controlled |

| |system. |health care. |

| |All Americans have access to health care.  The |There are millions of Americans who can't afford |

| |debate is about who should pay for it.  Free and |health care and are deprived of this basic right.  |

| |low-cost government-run programs (socialized |Every American has a right to affordable health |

| |medicine) result in higher costs and everyone |care.  The government should provide equal health |

| |receiving the same poor-quality health care.  |care benefits for all, regardless of their ability |

| |Health care should remain privatized. |to pay. |

| |The problem of uninsured individuals should be |  |

| |addressed and solved within the free market | |

| |healthcare system--the government should not | |

| |control healthcare. | |

| | | |

|Homeland Security |Airport security - Choosing passengers randomly for|Airport security - Passenger profiling is wrong, |

|  |extra security searches is not effective.  Rather, |period.  Selection of passengers for extra security |

|NOTE - there are many |profiling and intelligence data should be used to |screening should be random. Using other criteria |

|facets to Homeland |single out passengers for extra screening.  Those |(such as ethnicity) is discriminatory and offensive |

|Security.  This entry |who do not meet the criteria for suspicion should |to Arabs and Muslims, who are generally innocent and|

|focuses on airport |not be subjected to intense screening. |law-abiding. |

|security. |The terrorists currently posing a threat to the |Terrorists don't fit a profile. |

| |U.S. are primarily Islamic/Muslim men between the |"...Arabs, Muslims and South Asians are no more |

| |ages of 18 and 38.  Our resources should be focused|likely than whites to be terrorists." (American |

| |on this group.  Profiling is good logical police |Civil Liberties Union ACLU) |

| |work.   |Asked on 60 Minutes if a 70-year-old white woman |

| |"If people are offended (by profiling), that's |from Vero Beach should receive the same level of |

| |unfortunate, but I don't think we can afford to |scrutiny as a Muslim from Jersey City, President |

| |take the risk that terrorism brings to us. They've |Obama's Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said,|

| |wasted masses of resources on far too many people |"Basically, I would hope so." |

| |doing things that really don't have a big payoff in|  |

| |terms of security." - Northwestern University | |

| |Aviation Expert A. Gellman. | |

| |  | |

|Immigration |Support legal immigration only.  Oppose amnesty for|Support legal immigration.  Support blanket amnesty |

| |those who enter the U.S. illegally ("illegal |for illegal immigrants.  Also  believe that illegal |

| |aliens").  Those who break the law by entering the |immigrants have a right to: |

| |U.S. illegally do not have the same rights as those|-- all educational and health benefits that citizens|

| |who obey the law and enter legally.  |receive (financial aid, welfare, social security and|

| |The borders should be secured before addressing the|Medicaid), regardless of legal status. |

| |problem of the illegal immigrants currently in the |-- the same rights as American citizens |

| |country.  The Federal Government should secure the |It is unfair to arrest millions of illegal |

| |borders and enforce current immigration law. |immigrants. |

|Private Property |Respect ownership and private property rights.  |Government has the right to use eminent domain |

| |Eminent domain (seizure of private property by the |(seizure of private property by the government--with|

| |government--with compensation to the owner) in most|compensation to the owner) to accomplish a public |

| |cases is wrong.  Eminent domain should not be used |end. |

| |for private development. | |

|Religion and Government |The phrase "separation of church and state" is not |Support the separation of church and state.  The |

| |in the Constitution.  The First Amendment to the |Bill of Rights implies a separation of church and |

| |Constitution states "Congress shall make no law |state.  Religious expression has no place in |

| |respecting an establishment of religion, or |government.  The two should be completely separate. |

| |prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."  This |Government should not support religious expression |

| |prevents the government from establishing a |in any way. |

| |national church.  However, it does not prohibit God| |

| |from being acknowledged in schools and government | |

| |buildings.  | |

| |  |All reference to God in public and government spaces|

| |Symbols of Christian heritage should not be removed|should be removed (eg., the Ten Commandments should |

| |from public and government spaces (eg., the Ten |not be displayed in Federal buildings). |

| |Commandments should continue to be displayed in |  |

| |Federal buildings). |Religious expression has no place in government. |

| |  |  |

| |Government should not interfere with religion and | |

| |religious freedom. | |

|Same-sex Marriage |Marriage is the union of one man and one woman.  |Marriage is the union of people who love each |

| |Oppose same-sex marriage. |other.  It should be legal for gay, lesbian, |

| |  |bisexual and transgender individuals, to ensure |

| |Support Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), passed in |equal rights for all.  Support same-sex marriage. |

| |1996, which affirms the right of states not to |  |

| |recognize same-sex marriages licensed in other |Opposed to the creation of a constitutional |

| |states.  [Opinions vary on the creation of a |amendment establishing marriage as the union of one |

| |constitutional amendment establishing marriage as |man and one woman.  All individuals, regardless of |

| |the union of one man and one woman.]  |their sexual orientation, have the right to marry. |

| |Requiring citizens to sanction same-sex | |

| |relationships violates moral and religious beliefs |Prohibiting same-sex citizens from marrying denies |

| |of millions of Christians, Jews, Muslims and |them their civil rights.  [Opinions vary on whether |

| |others, who believe marriage is the union of one |this issue is equal to civil rights for African |

| |man and one woman. |Americans.] |

| | |  |

|Social Security |The Social Security system is in serious financial |The Social Security system should be protected at |

| |trouble.  Major changes to the current system are |all costs.  Reduction in future benefits is not a |

| |urgently needed.  In its current state, the Social |reasonable option.  [Opinions vary on the extent of |

| |Security system is not financially sustainable.  It|the current system's financial stability.] |

| |will collapse if nothing is done to address the | |

| |problems.  Many will suffer as a result.  |Social Security provides a safety net for the |

| |Social Security must be made more efficient through|nation's poor and needy.  Changing the system would |

| |privitization and/or allowing individuals to manage|cause a reduction in benefits and many people would |

| |their own savings. |suffer as a result. |

|Taxes |Lower taxes and a smaller government with limited |Higher taxes (primarily for the wealthy) and a |

| |power will improve the standard of living for all. |larger government are necessary to address |

| | |inequity/injustice in society (i.e. government will |

| |Support lower taxes and a smaller government.  |help the poor and needy using tax dollars from the |

| |Lower taxes create more incentive for people to |rich).  |

| |work, save, invest, and engage in entrepreneurial |Support a large government to provide for the needs |

| |endeavors.  Money is best spent by those who earn |of the people and create equality.  Taxes enable the|

| |it, not the government.  |government to create jobs and provide welfare |

| |Government programs encourage people to become |programs for those in need.  |

| |dependent and lazy, rather than encouraging work |Government programs are a caring way to provide for |

| |and independence. |the poor and needy in society. |

|United Nations (UN) |The UN has repeatedly failed in its essential |The UN promotes peace and human rights.  The United |

| |mission to promote world peace and human rights.  |States has a moral and a legal obligation to support|

| |The wars, genocide and human rights abuses taking |the United Nations (UN).  The U.S. should not act as|

| |place in many Human Rights Council member states |a sovereign nation, but as one member of a world |

| |(and the UN's failure to stop them) prove this |community.  The U.S. should submit its national |

| |point. |interests to the greater good of the global |

| |History shows that the United States, not the UN, |community (as defined by the UN). |

| |is the global force for spreading freedom, | |

| |prosperity, tolerance and peace.  The U.S. should |The U.S. should defer to the UN in |

| |never subvert its national interests to those of |military/peacekeeping matters. |

| |the UN. |The United Nations Charter gives the United Nations |

| |The U.S. should never place troops under UN |Security Council the power and responsibility to |

| |control.  U.S. military should always wear the U.S.|take collective action to maintain international |

| |military uniform, not that of UN peacekeepers. |peace and security.  U.S. troops should submit to UN|

| |[Opinions vary on whether the U.S. should withdraw |command. |

| |from the UN.] | |

|War on Terror/Terrorism |Terrorism poses one of the greatest threats to the |Global warming, not terrorism, poses the greatest |

| |U.S. |threat to the U.S., according to Democrats in |

| |The world toward which the militant Islamists |Congress. |

| |strive cannot peacefully co-exist with the Western |Terrorism is a result of arrogant U.S. foreign |

| |world.  In the last decade, militant Islamists have|policy. |

| |repeatedly attacked Americans and American |Good diplomacy is the best way to deal with |

| |interests here and abroad.  Terrorists must be |terrorism.  Relying on military force to defeat |

| |stopped and destroyed. |terrorism creates hatred that leads to more |

| |The use of intelligence-gathering and military |terrorism. |

| |force is the best ways to defeat terrorism around |Captured terrorists should be handled by law |

| |the world. |enforcement and tried in civilian courts. |

| |Captured terrorists should be treated as enemy | |

| |combatants and tried in military courts. | |

|Welfare |Oppose long-term welfare. |Support welfare, including long-term welfare. |

| |Opportunities should be provided to make it |Welfare is a safety net which provides for the needs|

| |possible for those in need to become self-reliant. |of the poor.  Welfare is necessary to bring fairness|

| |It is far more compassionate and effective to |to American economic life.  It is a device for |

| |encourage people to become self-reliant, rather |protecting the poor. |

| |than allowing them to remain dependent on the | |

| |government for provisions.  | |

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