Political positions

Main article: Political positions of the Democratic Party

Economic policy:

• Expand social security and safety net programs.^[70]
• Increase top capital gains tax and dividend tax rates to above 28%.^[71]
• Across the board tax-cuts for the low and middle class and small businesses.^[72]
• Change tax rules to not encourage shipping jobs overseas.^[72]
• Increase federal minimum wage.
• Modernize and expand access to public education, and provide universal preschool education.^[73][74]
• Support for universal health care.^[75]
• Greater investment in infrastructure development.^[74]
• Increase investments in scientific and technological research and development.^[76]
• Expand the use of renewable energy and diminish the use of fossil fuels.^[77]
• Implement a carbon tax.^[78]
• Support for cuts in defense spending.^[74][79]
• Uphold labor protections and the right to unionize.^[80][81]
• Reform the student loan system and allow for refinancing student loans.^[82]
• Mandate equal pay for equal work regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity.^[83]

Social policy:

• Uphold network neutrality.^[84]
• Implement campaign finance reform and electoral reform.^[85]
• Uphold voting rights and easy access to voting.^[86][87]
• Supports for same-sex marriage and civil unions.
• Allow legal access to abortions and women's reproductive health care.
• Reform the immigration system and allow for a pathway to citizenship.
• Support for gun background checks and stricter gun control regulations.
• Improve privacy laws and curtail government surveillance.
• Opposition to the use of torture.^[88][89]
• Recognize and defend Internet freedom worldwide.^[72]

Economic issues

Equal economic opportunity, a base social safety net provided by the welfare state, and strong labor unions have historically been at the heart of Democratic economic policy.^[13] The welfare state supports a progressive tax system, higher minimum wages, social security, universal health care, public education, and public housing.^[13] They also support infrastructure development and government sponsored employment programs in an effort to achieve economic development and job creation, while stimulating private sector job creation.^[90] Additionally however, since the 1990s the party has at times supported centrist economic reforms, which cut the size of government and reduced market regulations.^[91] The party has continuously rejected laissez-faire economics as well as market socialism, instead favoring Keynesian economics within a capitalist market-based system.

Fiscal policy

Democrats support a more progressive tax structure to provide more services and reduce economic inequality by making sure that the wealthiest Americans pay the highest amount in taxes.^[92] Democrats support more government spending on social services while spending less on the military.^[93][94] They oppose the cutting of social services, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and various other welfare programs,^[95] believing it to be harmful to efficiency and social justice. Democrats believe the benefits of social services, in monetary and non-monetary terms, are a more productive labor force and cultured population, and believe that the benefits of this are greater than any benefits that could be derived from lower taxes, especially on top earners, or cuts to social services. Furthermore, Democrats see social services as essential towards providing positive freedom, i.e. freedom derived from economic opportunity. The Democratic-led House of Representatives reinstated the PAYGO (pay-as-you-go) budget rule at the start of the 110th Congress.^[96]

Minimum wage

See also: United States minimum wage

The Democratic Party favors raising the minimum wage and believes that all Americans have the right to a fair wage. They call for a $10.10/hour national minimum wage and think the minimum wage should be adjusted regularly.^[97] The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 was an early component of the Democrats' agenda during the 110th Congress. In 2006, the Democrats supported six state ballot initiatives to increase the minimum wage; all six initiatives passed.^[98]

Health care

President Barack Obama signing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law at the White House on March 23, 2010.

Democrats call for "affordable and quality health care," and many advocate an expansion of government intervention in this area. Democrats favor national health insurance or universal health care in a variety of forms to address the rising costs of modern health insurance. Some Democrats, such as Representatives John Conyers and John Dingell, have called for a single-payer program of Medicare for All. The Progressive Democrats of America, a group operating inside the Democratic Party, has made single-payer universal health care one of their primary policy goals.^[99] The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010, has been one of the most significant pushes for universal health care to become a reality. By April 2014, more than 10 million Americans had enrolled in healthcare coverage since the launch of the Affordable Care Act.^[100]

Education

Democrats favor improving public education by raising school standards and reforming the head start program. They also support universal preschool and expanding access to primary education, including through charter schools. They call for slashes in student loan debt and support reforms to force down tuition fees.^[101] Other proposed reforms have included nationwide universal preschool education, tuition-free college, and reform of standardized testing. Democrats have the long-term aim of having low-cost, publicly funded college education with low tuition fees (like in much of Europe and Canada), which should be available to every eligible American student. Alternatively, they encourage expanding access to post-secondary education by increasing state funding for student financial aid such as Pell Grants and college tuition tax deductions.^[102]