2016 issues

I will be redoing the official President Infinity 2016 campaign issues.

If you feel there’s an issue that isn’t in the game that’s important, feel free to list it here.

If you feel there’s an issue position that isn’t quite right, feel free to post a suggestion about how to change it.

The new issues system will allow for grouping issues under categories. For example, you can have five issues that together are categorized as ‘Environment’, which allows for more fine-toothed issues as well as a way to view candidate’s positions at varying levels of abstraction (‘Social Issues’ ‘Economic Issues’, ‘Foreign Issues’ at the top level, say).

The current issues list (this will be updated as work is done on the new issues), with positions Far-Left, Left, Center-Left, Center, Center-Right, Right, Far-Right, is

Leadership, Experience, Integrity, Issue Familiarity (can’t be changed, hard-coded into game)

Abortion

• Full reproductive rights for women! Only appoint pro-choice judges to Supreme Court and extend abortion rights!
• Keep abortion as it is presently. Safe, legal, and rare. Keep partial-birth abortion legal.
• Protect responsible choice. Ban partial-birth abortions except in the case of life of the mother.
• Abortion is not an issue for government intrusion. Oppose government control over abortion. Leave it to the states.
• Some restrictions on abortion. Allow abortions in cases of rape, incest, or life of the mother. Ban partial birth abortions.
• Only allow abortion in cases where the mother’s life is at risk. Ban partial-birth abortion.
• Abortion is murder! Total ban on abortions including rape and incest.

Government Spending

• A deficit and debt is fine.  Focus on social programs and how the government can better people’s lives.
• Increase government spending on social programs, a deficit is acceptable for longer term gain such as the New Deal.
• Focus on real priorities. More funds for military and social programs.
• Balance lowering the deficit with other priorities. No long-term deficits.
• We need to curb spending in order to balance the budget. Respect taxpayers’ dollars.
• A large decrease in federal spending. A Balanced Budget Amendment to ensure responsible fiscal management.
• Deficit spending should be outlawed as overall government spending is reduced to minimal levels.

Education

• Completely public school system run by the state. Massive increase to funding.
• No school vouchers, large increase to federal funding. Modernize school system with more after-school programs.
• Make teachers accountable with performance based pay. Increase funding. Remain open to options such as charter schools.
• Support public school system but allow room for vouchers.
• School vouchers for lower-income students. Privatize failing schools. Charter schools provide competition.
• Support school vouchers and charter schools. Reduce federal government’s role in education.
• School vouchers for anyone. Get the federal government out of education completely!

Energy

• Renewable energy all the way! Ban all polluting forms of energy like oil and coal.
• Move towards energy independence focussing mostly on renewable energy sources. Subsidize clean energy.
• Invest in clean energy and end oil company subsidies. Cut oil use significantly by 2025.
• Renewable and non-renewable energy must be equally researched.
• Reduce dependence on foreign sources of oil. Some research on alternate energy sources.
• Coal and oil are our main concerns right now. End dependence on foreign energy. Let private funds research other energy.
• We don’t need to worry about renewable energy sources. Oil is king!

Environment

• The environment should be our first national priority. Expand National Park System. Large government programs.
• The environment and gobal warming is a major concern. Ratify Kyoto. Increase environmental regulations and pollution cleanup.
• We need to leave a healthy environment for our children. Work to reduce emissions and harmful toxins. Modified Kyoto.
• Balance environmental policies with sound economic policies.
• The environment is important. Find market based solutions to environmental problems.
• Economic policies and priorities take precedence over environmental concerns.
• The environment is fine. We don’t need to worry about it.

Gun Control

• Ban all guns!
• We need gun control! Ban certain guns. Require registration/background checks. Gun control protects children.
• The right to bear arms, but only responsibly! Ban assault rifles, require registration/background checks.
• Gun control is a state issue. Responsible gun ownership is fine.
• We should be wary of gun control. The Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms.
• Gun ownership is constitutionally protected. Protect sportsmen’s rights and the Second Amendment.
• The Second Amendment is not negotiable! No restrictions on firearms!

Health Care

• We need a completely public health care system! Publicly funded, universal health care insurance. Health care is a right!
• Universal health care system with mandates in order so everyone is covered.
• Near-universal health care whether public or private, but no mandates. Require health insurance for every child.
• Public health care benefits for the poor and elderly, the rest private.
• More tax-deductable health costs. Very limited public health services. Give health coverage to uninsured children.
• Massive payroll tax increase (or reduce Medicare/Medicaid spending) to fund tax credits for healthcare.
• The health care system should be completely private, it is not a responsibility of the federal government.

Immigration

• Completely open borders. Try to obtain global citizenship.
• Immigration is great! The more immigrants the better. Just require a criminal record check. Full blanket-amnesty.
• Legal immigration is great. Support guest-worker program for illegals and amnesty.
• Enforce current laws and tighter border security but allow room for a guest-worker program.
• Illegal immigration is a serious problem. Tighter border security. Reform immigration laws.
• Tighten border security with stricter immigration enforcement provisions. Deport illegal immigrants.
• Stop all immigration completely. Deport illegal aliens and build massive security fence on Mexican and Canadian borders.

Defense Spending

• Defense spending should be reduced so as to focus on other things. No overseas deployments.
• The armed forces are using too great a percentage of the budget. Cancel unneeded future weapons systems.
• Reorganize the armed forces to deal with modern threats. More ground forces and less emphasis on air & naval assets.
• The military is in a solid position right now but could use additional ground forces.
• The military needs additional funding, but not all future and current weapon systems are required.
• The military requires a major expansion in capability to deal with potential conflicts with Russia and Iran.
• The armed forces must be capable of fighting a multiple-front war including engaging with China.

Iran

• Iran should be able to develop nuclear technology – they will only use it for peaceful purposes.
• We should deal with Iran through the United Nations.
• Diplomacy and economic sanctions should make Iran see things our way.
• Keep diplomatic channels open and use economic sanctions. Go to war as a last resort.
• We should prepare to attack Iran but be sure that we have the proper intelligence.
• We should launch a pre-emptive attack on Iran and destroy all potential nuclear sites.
• Iran and North Korea have troubled us long enough!  Launch a full-fledged attack and invade them.

Military Intervention

• Remove all U.S. troops from foreign soil. No intervention! Our military need never be used.
• Intervening in other countries is another way of saying ’empire building.’
• For humanitarian causes or if we are attacked.
• Only if we are attacked should we retaliate. War is okay to stop ethnic cleansing.
• We should intervene when our national interests are threatened.
• We must never hesitate to defend America! Unilateral attacks are fine for national security purposes.
• We have the most powerful military in the world! We should exert our power across the globe.

Role of Government

• More government is always a good thing, and should be expanded into every part of a citizen’s life.
• Government is an activist force for good.
• Government is not inherently a good or bad thing, but plays an important role in society.
• The Government needs to be more efficient, but is otherwise fine.
• Reduce the role Government plays and transfer power to the states. However, Government is not inherently good or bad.
• The smaller and less activist the Government, the better the country. Local control when possible.
• Government can run the military, the police, and the courts – that’s it.

Free Trade

• Protect the American labor market. Punish companies that send jobs overseas and end free trade.
• Increase taxes on companies that send jobs overseas. Free Trade must include labour and environmental conditions.
• Consider new free trade deals carefully, and create incentives to keep jobs in America.
• Free Trade is doing fine as is. The American corporate and labor culture is coping.
• Outsourcing is not a problem, it is part of a globalized world and helps America. Additional free trade agreements.
• By outsourcing the U.S. frees up a lot of laborers to go on to better jobs. Global free trade would only help America.
• We need to encourage businesses to do whatever is necessary to generate profit.

Tax Rates

• Raise income taxes in a highly progressive tax system. Eliminate corporate loopholes.
• Make the tax system more progressive by increasing the marginal rate on the wealthy. Reform corporate tax system.
• Raise taxes on the rich, reduce taxes on the middle class, and reform the corporate tax system (eliminate loopholes).
• Leave income tax as it is presently. Keep progressive taxes and remove small hidden taxes like marriage tax.
• Reduce corporate and income tax moderately.
• Major tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations to spur economic growth via trickle-down.
• A single rate flat tax for citizens, and a very low tax rate for corporations. It works for the Baltic States.

Same-Sex Marriage

• Same-sex marriage is a fundamental human right.
• Same-sex marriage is a constitutional right.
• Same-sex marriage, even if not in name. However, state level efforts should also be supported.
• Retain marriage as it is but explore civil unions. If the states want to pass same-sex marriage, let them.
• Marriage is between a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others.
• Marriage is between a man and a woman. Support a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages.
• Homosexuals need to be treated for their condition.

Social Security

• No to any private investment, dramatically increase funding.
• No to private investment and personal retirement accounts, increase funding.
• Allow a small amount of private investment but keep it regulated.
• Keep social security as it is.
• Let workers privately invest some of their retirement payments.
• Gradually scale down federal involvement and implement privatization of social security over time.
• Let workers privately invest all retirement payments. Social Security is a Ponzi scheme!

Unions

• Organized labor is essential to a worker’s state and unions provide the source of our prosperity.
• Labor Unions are a worker’s best protection against exploitation.
• Labor Unions provide job security and allow workers to collectively better themselves and be paid a fair wage.
• Labor demands must be balanced with business concerns.
• Unions are undermining our economy by blackmailing companies to overpay their workers.
• Unions are hindering our economic prosperity with their constant bickering.
• Unions should be outlawed.

War on Terror

• Terrorism will be reduced if we stop meddling in other country’s affairs. Civil liberties are deeply important.
• We should develop an antiterror strategy with the United Nations to stop economic and social injustice.
• A renewed focus on multilateral foreign policy aimed at engaging terrorism as a police issue. Protect civil liberties.
• We must focus on Al Qaeda, not Syria. Civil liberties are important.
• We should not hesitate to use military force against terrorism. At home civil liberties must sometimes be sacrificed.
• Terrorism can only be stopped with military force. Unilateral attacks are justified as are limitations on civil rights.
• Unilaterally attack countries suspected of supporting terrorists.

Corruption

• Capitalism has corrupted our system! The system needs to be completely rebuilt.
• The Republicans are completely corrupt.
• The Republicans are more corrupt than Democrats.
• Both parties are corrupt. We need better oversight and reform.
• The Democrats are more corrupt than Republicans.
• The Democrats are completely corrupt.
• Socialism has corrupted our system! The system needs to be completely rebuilt.

Thanks for any feedback!