VoteMatch Responses (Click here for VoteMatch quiz)
VoteMatch Question & Answer (Click on question for explanation and background)	Based on these stances: (Click on topic for excerpt & citation)
Strongly Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (+5 points on Social scale)	Lead coalition against anti-choice lobby: Favors topic 1 Supports Contraceptive Coverage Bill and Buffer Zone Law: Strongly Favors topic 1 Unrestricted right to safe abortions: Strongly Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Women entering paid work in 1970s has reshaped the family: Favors topic 2 Gender discrimination has yet to be wrung out of society: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Supports civil unions: Strongly Favors topic 3 Extend partner benefits to gays: Strongly Favors topic 3 Equal rights for GLBT; against DOMA: Strongly Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (+2 points on Social scale)	Entire idea of social insurance is under attack: Strongly Opposes topic 4 Social reform should include faith-based institutions: Favors topic 4 Clinton’s signing of Welfare Reform was his worst decision: Opposes topic 4 Welfare reform resulted in millions working at dead end jobs: Opposes topic 4 Americans deserve a livable wage: raise the minimum: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Single-payer healthcare system is inevitable: Strongly Favors topic 5 GOP can't beat ObamaCare, so they pretend it's a "disaster": Favors topic 5 ObamaCare fixed three big problems of private insurance: Favors topic 5 ObamaCare is first step; next is Medicare for all: Strongly Favors topic 5 Raise cigarette taxes to make health care more affordable: Strongly Favors topic 5 Budget surplus means it’s time for universal health care: Strongly Favors topic 5 Universal coverage helps more than minimum wage increase: Strongly Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Open the lockbox & throw away key: Better reforms needed: Opposes topic 6 Privatization is the first cousin of social Darwinism: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Keep Trust Fund as federal “insurance pool”: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+2 points on Economic scale)	Achievement gap from richer districts spending twice as much: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Progressive vouchers: $14K for poor kids; $2K for rich kids: Strongly Favors topic 7 Let any school enroll poor kids and funds that go with them: Strongly Favors topic 7 Progressive vouchers: more resources for poorer kids: Favors topic 7 Variable vouchers to avoid self-sorting mechanisms: Strongly Favors topic 7 Give poor kids a choice, but not via vouchers: Opposes topic 7 Never supported vouchers, despite interpretation that way: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Poorest children should get largest vouchers: Favors topic 7 $10,000 vouchers for poor kids in private & charter schools: Strongly Favors topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+5 points on Social scale)	$4 gas hurts, but we need long-term solution: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+5 points on Social scale)	Against the death penalty on several grounds: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	Increase penalties for felon handgun possession: Opposes topic 10 Limit handgun sales to one per month: Strongly Opposes topic 10 If I had my way, I’d restrict handguns: Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Make corporate pay depend on pay of median worker: Strongly Favors topic 11 Estate tax prevent aristocracy of wealth populated by heirs: Strongly Favors topic 11 Raise tax on inherited wealth for the very rich: Strongly Favors topic 11 Raising estate tax to 1990s level means $448B in new revenue: Favors topic 11 Taxing the rich does not slow the economy: Strongly Favors topic 11 Estate tax pushes tax policy in regressive direction: Strongly Favors topic 11 Postpone state tax cut: Favors topic 11 Avoid raising taxes, but a pledge is irresponsible: Favors topic 11 No tax cut. Period.: Strongly Favors topic 11 Expand EITC & raise bottom of SSI tax, as tax cut to poor: Strongly Favors topic 11 Opposes marriage penalty bill: It’s a tax cut to the wealthy: Strongly Favors topic 11
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	Arizona law invites police to stop Latinos: Strongly Favors topic 12 Against more H-1B visas: not a long-term solution: Opposes topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Free trade isn't opposite of protectionism; it's political: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NAFTA would be better with labor & environment standards: Opposes topic 13 Share benefits of globalization; lower import trade barriers: Favors topic 13 Backlash against globalization is growing, because of jobs: Opposes topic 13 Urges worldwide campaign against child labor: Opposes topic 13
No opinion on topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+5 points on Social scale)	Shift spending from defense to social investment: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Money corrupts politics subtly: Favors topic 16 Clean Elections is old politics against reformers: Strongly Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+5 points on Social scale)	It’s time to advocate strongly for Palestinian state: Favors topic 17 We’re too stingy with our foreign aid: Strongly Favors topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	We should tax fossil fuels based on CO2 content: Strongly Favors topic 18 Encourage low-emissions and hybrid vehicles: Strongly Favors topic 18 Jump-start renewable energy & reduce power-plant emissions: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports Smart Growth and protecting open space: Favors topic 18 World environmental agency should impose emissions rules: Strongly Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+5 points on Social scale)	End sentencing disparity of powder cocaine vs. crack: Opposes topic 19 Prohibition failed in 1920s; marijuana ban fails now: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Legalize the medical use of marijuana: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	Focus stimulus bill on minority jobs, not just white males: Favors topic 20 Bush tax cuts for rich are bad for the economy: Strongly Favors topic 20 Ask rich to bear the burden before cutting education: Strongly Favors topic 20 Consider tax breaks for hiring & retaining workers: Favors topic 20

Robert Reich is a Hard-Core Liberal
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