For voters looking for a straight-up comparison of the positions of the two major U.S. political parties this election season, the 2012 Party Platform Comparison Guide is a valuable resource.
The Party Platform Comparison Guide, which covers a wide range of issues, is comprised of selected excerpts from both the Democratic Party Platform and the platform adopted by the Republicans at their convention in September. The resource contains excerpts from the parties’ position papers on the issues of civil rights, human trafficking, immigration, justice and the environment, among others.
This nonpartisan resource contains no commentary or analysis. It utilizes the party platforms, not the voting records or comments of the particular candidates, for its content. In developing this resource, we attempted to pull only position statements, avoiding political rhetoric and attacks. Yet by no means is this a comprehensive or complete accounting of the policy positions contained within the respective party platforms.
While we are not qualified to give legal advice, we consider this publication as “safe” for distribution within a local church setting. It is a good alternative to so-called “voting guides” that are cobbled together by handpicking quotes from the candidates found in news reports.
You may view and download a low-res version of the 2012 Party Platform Comparison or you can download a hi-res version of the 2012 Party Platform Comparison Guide. We encourage to copy and share this resource.
While we believe this resource presents an honest accounting of the positions presented by the Democratic and Republican parties in their platforms, nothing can substitute for your careful reading of the platforms in their entirety.
You may view the two major political parties’ entire platforms online at democrats.org/democratic-national-platform and gop.com/2012-republican-platform_home.
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission believes that the Lord alone is the Lord of the conscience and that voters should cast their ballot according to the dictates of their conscience. We are committed to helping Christ-followers engage the culture as “salt” and “light” by the educating them on the importance of connecting biblical values with their civic behavior. We do not affiliate with any party or candidate, nor do we seek to influence voting habits. Rather, the ERLC is dedicated to encouraging all Americans of faith to exercise their political rights and scriptural responsibilities.
