George W. Bush in The Economist

On Abortion: No tax money for abortion, but no Pro-Life Amendment either

Bush has a solidly anti-abortion record in Texas, pushing aggressively for restrictions on the practice and for a more streamlined adoption process. But he has also been careful to send out subtle signals, including saying that e will not use abortion as a litmus test for selecting Supreme Court justices, and considering Tom Ridge, the pro-choice governor of Pennsylvania, as his running mate. (He chose Dick Cheney, solidly anti, in the end). Bush:
• opposes abortion except in cases of rape or incest, or to save the life of the mother
• supports laws under which parents are notified if minors undergo abortions
• supports a ban on "partial-birth" (late-term) abortions
• opposes the use of taxpayer money to pay for abortions
• wants to make adoption easier, and to promote abstinence programs in schools
• will not try to change the constitution to outlaw abortion.

On Civil Rights: Guaranteed TX college racial preference for top 10% of class

Texas has 4.8M Latinos, but does not have a large number of blacks. In Texas, Bush has:
• guaranteed a place at a state college or university for the top 10% of every high school graduating class
• pushed for school vouchers in Texas
• appointed Mexican-Americans to senior positions in his two campaigns for governor.

On Education: Allow "charter states" as well as charter schools

Bush is keener than Gore on structural reform based on parental choice. He tried to introduce vouchers in Texas, but failed. He would:
• Force failing schools to improve their performance with the sick of being closed down (after a 3-year period) and the carrot of getting more money.
• Schools that receive federal money for educating poor children will be given three years to improve their performance. Students at schools that fail will be given "exit vouchers" (worth an average of $1,500) for use at public or private schools of their choice.
• Allow states (as opposed to schools) to become "charter states": in return for a promise to improve the achievements of poor children, they will have more freedom from regulation.

On Environment: Replace mandate/regulate/litigate with decentralized efforts

Bush's environmental record in Texas is notably poor, and he has never suggested he cares. On his watch, the air in Houston has become so foul that the city has recently displaced Los Angeles as the city with the worst smog in America. Bush says he wants to:
• Tackle the brownfield problem by replacing the "old system of mandate/regulate/litigate" with decentralized state-led efforts
• Conserve wilderness areas by encouraging states and even private citizens to take up wildlife management, rather than leaving everything to the federal government
• Tackle global warming, which he acknowledges may be a real threat. However, he pours scorn on the Kyoto Treaty on climate change (which Gore is proud of) and says he favors market-friendly alternatives instead.
• Keep energy prices low, in part by encouraging further exploration on federal lands. He blamed the summer gasoline crisis on new laws mandating cleaner gas; precisely the sort of initiative Gore would love.

On Foreign Policy: Less intervention abroad and unilateral nuclear cuts at home

Bush's foreign policy experience is minimal. Yet his foreign policy speeches and his circle of advisors both draw from the veil of pragmatic, big-power Republicanism practiced with some skill by his father when he was in the White House. As president, he would:
• seek further increases in the defense budget, and a thorough review of military needs and financing
• supports trying not to intervene abroad, unless this was proved to be in America's national interest
• would appoint General Colin Powell as secretary of state
• supports acting unilaterally in arms-control negotiations, if necessary
• is inclined to scrap the ABM treaty and build a nuclear shield over the objections of Russia and China
• favors deep unilateral cuts in America's nuclear stockpile
• opposes the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and Kyoto accords

On Free Trade: Don't link trade to environment and labor

Free trade is a subject on which both candidates appear to start from the same position, commitment to free trade. From that point, their positions swiftly diverge. Bush would:
• supports restoration of "fast-track" negotiating authority for the president
• opposes linking trade agreements to labor and environmental issues
• supports the expansion of NAFTA throughout the Americas
• supports the admission of China and Taiwan to the WTO
• wants strict enforcement of anti-dumping and other laws against "unfair" trade
• intends to revise export controls to tighten control over military technology and ease restrictions on commercial technology
• wants to make international financial institutions more accountable and transparent
• strongly supports free trade, saying that the case for it is "not just monetary but moral" and pledging to make the expansion of trade a consistent priority"

On Government Reform: Ban some soft money; fewer restrictions on individuals