Similarities between Republican & Democratic Party Platforms, 1996

American democracy is based on a two-party political system. So, those two parties represent fundamentally different opinions and agendas, right? Wrong.

Particularly in recent years, party lines have blurred as politicians embrace the politically expedient notion of "centrism." A close look at the Republican and Democratic party platforms shows exactly how much of a choice Americans really have when they vote for the president. The answer is disturbing: the parties' agendas are almost identical, and fail to represent anything approaching the full spectrum of American ideologies. Americans have no choice.

The two platforms' similarities provide a primary explanation for low voter turnout. People do not identify with either of the two major parties and therefore, lacking a better alternative, they simply choose not to vote. The addition of serious third party contenders in both congressional and presidential campaigns would force the "center" to shift to a more comprehensive representation of the American people.

Republican Platform

Democratic Platform

LEGEND

Issues	Republicans	Democrats	Similarity Rating
Education	More state & local power, safer classrooms, more money, school vouchers	More state & local power, safer classrooms, more money (specifically Head Start), national standards
Taxes	Eliminate marriage tax, $500/child tax credit, dividend & interest income tax cut	Eliminate marriage tax, $500/child tax credit, middle class tax cut, Earned Income Tax Credit
Free Trade	Fast track negotiating authority, open markets through trade pressure	Fast track negotiating authority, open markets through trade pressure
Employment	Tax breaks/exemptions to small businesses, right-to-work laws	Tax breaks/exemptions to small businesses, increased minimum wage
Technology	Tax breaks/exemptions to businesses specializing in R+D	Tax breaks/exemptions to businesses specializing in R+D
Government	Eliminate following departments: Commerce, HUD, Education, & Energy, privatization and more state power	Reduce waste, give power back to states (whenever possible), campaign finance reform
Abortion	Constitutional amendment for right-to-life	Uphold Roe v. Wade, right-to-choice
Gun Control	No guns for convicts, jail any felon caught with gun	No guns for convicts, juvenile gun control
Immigration	Increase Border Patrol, increase enforcement, no public benefits (except emergency) for legal immigrants	Increase Border Patrol, increase enforcement
Crime	Increased penalties for violent offenders, more police, victims' rights constitutional amendment, abolish juvenile justice system	Increased penalties for violent offenders, more police, community policing
Drugs	More drug interdiction funding, harsher penalties, more drug testing	More drug interdiction funding, harsher penalties, prevention
Health Care	Medical Saving Accounts, relax medical malpractice laws, state power for Medicaid/Medicare	Portability, no pre-existing condition rejections, R+D, expand Medicaid/Medicare
Social Security	Individual Retirement Accounts, keep earning cap on taxable income	Individual Retirement Accounts, maintain current services
Environment	Business tax incentives, increased R+D, reduce EPA's power	Business tax incentives, increased R+D
NATO	Expand to Central/East Europe	Expand to Central/East Europe
Missile Defense	National Missile Defense, theater systems for allies, scrap ABM treaty	National Missile Defense, theater systems for allies, more R+D
Defense	R+D, cut foreign aid, increase budget	R+D, cut wasteful spending, maintain START and other arms control treaties

- LEGEND -

Similarity ratings: = not very similar
= very similar
= virtually identical
= 1/2

Sources: Official Republican Party Platform; Official Democratic Party Platform