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)
Opposes topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (-3 points on Social scale)	Parental consent over government intrusions into families: Opposes topic 1 Restrict abortions to incest, rape, & health: Opposes topic 1 No need to teach about abortion if we have moral absolutes: Opposes topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	Provide licensure exams in Spanish, for free: Favors topic 2 Supports Affirmative Action; against quotas: Opposes topic 2 Gay rights & feminism are “modern victim movements”: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Support principles embodied in the Equal Rights Amendment: Favors topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-5 points on Social scale)	No hate-crimes status for gays; no gay marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Focus on abstinence; end social promotion: Favors topic 4 Focus on virtue & character, not values: Favors topic 4 Pass moral judgement & teach virtue to our children: Strongly Favors topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-5 points on Social scale)	Fewer death-row appeals; faster executions: Strongly Favors topic 8 Supports death penalty: Favors topic 8
Favors topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (-3 points on Social scale)	Adopted Three-Strike Violent Felony Offender Act: Strongly Favors topic 9 10-20-Life: Increase mandatory minimum sentences: Strongly Favors topic 9 Longer prison terms for gun-toting criminals: Favors topic 9 Build more prisons; private contracts OK: Strongly Favors topic 9 Alternative sentencing & rehabiliation acceptable: Opposes topic 9 Stricter penalties for drug, sex, & gun offenses: Favors topic 9 Supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs: Neutral on topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	Use a Gun and You’re Done: Opposes topic 10 Concealed carry OK; supports instant background check: Strongly Favors topic 10
Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-3 points on Economic scale)	Ensure access for children & adults; Medicaid for immigrants: Favors topic 5 No physician-assisted suicide: Neutral on topic 5 Protect state tobacco settlement funds from federal seizure: Neutral on topic 5
No opinion on topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	Maintain federal Social Services Block Grant funding: Favors topic 6 Maintain long-term solvency of Social Security and Medicare: Opposes topic 6
Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+2 points on Economic scale)	More funding for schools; merit pay for teachers: Opposes topic 7 Instituted school voucher plan: Strongly Favors topic 7 Supports charter schools & vouchers: Strongly Favors topic 7
No opinion on topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (0 points on Economic scale)	Drilling in Gulf of Mexico hurts Florida tourism industry: Favors topic 18 Let industries “self-audit”; compensate for “takings”: Opposes topic 18 Voluntary partnerships reduce greenhouse gases economically: Neutral on topic 18 Kyoto Treaty must include reductions by all countries: Opposes topic 18 More funding to develop domestic energy supplies: Opposes topic 18 Share offshore oil development revenue with states: Neutral on topic 18 Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025: Strongly Favors topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-5 points on Social scale)	Mandatory prison sentences for drug offenses: Strongly Favors topic 19 Reduce drug use by 50% by prevention & enforcement: Favors topic 19 More federal funding for all aspects of Drug War: Favors topic 19
Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+2 points on Economic scale)	Replace AFDC with limited temporary assistance: Favors topic 20 Limit welfare benefits; supports welfare-to-work: Favors topic 20 Help welfare recipients into workforce: Favors topic 20 Taking welfare should be more shameful than working: Favors topic 20 Maintain flexibility & funding levels for TANF block grants: Favors topic 20 More federal funding for Low-income energy assistance: Neutral on topic 20 Supports TANF grants to states: Favors topic 20
Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+2 points on Economic scale)	Supports estate tax repeal, but not at states’ expense: Opposes topic 11 Don’t broaden county & city taxing authority: Opposes topic 11 Voter approval of tax increases; cut taxes by $1B: Strongly Opposes topic 11 No national sales tax or VAT: Neutral on topic 11
Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+2 points on Social scale)	Share costs of legal immigration between states & federal: Neutral on topic 12 Federal government should deal with criminal repatriation: Neutral on topic 12 Import farm workers from Mexico: Favors topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	Enforce trade law against subsidized Canadian lumber imports: Favors topic 13
No opinion on topic 15: Expand the armed forces (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Opposes topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (+5 points on Economic scale)	No campaign spending limits; no public financing: Strongly Opposes topic 16
No opinion on topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Opposes topic 17: US out of Iraq (-3 points on Social scale)	Easy to criticize Iraq war after the fact: Opposes topic 17 Include states in anti-terrorism planning: Neutral on topic 17