CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Handout 1
Selecting the Next President
Side-By-Side Comparison
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE
Barack Obama
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE
Mitt Romney
Abortion
Supports abortion rights. His signature
legislation, the Affordable Care Act, requires
health insurance companies to provide free
contraceptives to women enrolled in workplace
health plans.
Abortion
Says state law should control abortion rights,
and that a future Supreme Court ruling should
reverse Roe v. Wade.
Afghanistan
Initially increased the number of troops in
Afghanistan but has committed to pulling
23,000 troops out of the country by the end of
summer 2012 and sticking to the 2014
deadline to turn security fully over to the
Afghan government.
Afghanistan
Endorses 2014 end to U.S. combat in
Afghanistan, subject to conditions at the time.
China
Wants to deepen cooperation on economy and
trade and expand consultations on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons.
China
Wants to increase regulations on Chinese
businesses involved in the U.S.- China trading
relationship. Condemns China's one-child
policy.
Cuba
Is willing to consider changing the current
Cuba policy and embargo if and when we start
seeing a serious intention on the part of the
Cuban government to provide liberty for its
people.
Cuba
Has articulated a clear policy toward the
Cuban regime: no accommodation, no
appeasement. US should not relent until the
day when the Castros’ regime meets its end
and there is a free Cuba.
Death Penalty
Supports death penalty for crimes for which
the "community is justified in expressing the
full measure of its outrage." As Illinois
lawmaker, wrote bill mandating videotaping of
interrogations and confessions in capital cases
and sought other changes in system that had
produced wrongful convictions.
Death Penalty
Supports the use of the death penalty.
Debt
Defended 2008 bailout of financial institutions
as a necessary step to avoid the system's
collapse, opposed the auto bailout. Would cap
federal spending at 20 percent of gross
domestic product by end of first term, down
from 23.5 percent now, with largely
unspecified spending cuts. Favors
constitutional balanced budget amendment.
Debt
Fourth-straight year of trillion-dollar deficits is
projected. Won approval to raise debt limit to
avoid default. Calls for tackling the debt with a
mix of spending cuts and revenue increases.
Central to Obama's plan is to let Bush-era tax
cuts expire for couples making more than
$250,000.
LESSON 2
4
CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Handout 1
Selecting the Next President
Side-By-Side Comparison
Obama; cont'd.,
Romney; cont'd.,
Education
Has approved waivers freeing states from the
most onerous requirements of the Bush-era
No Child Left Behind law. "Race to the Top"
competition has rewarded winning states with
billions of dollars for pursuing education
policies Obama supports.
Education
Supported the federal accountability standards
of No Child Left Behind law. Has said the
student testing, charter-school incentives and
teacher evaluation standards of Obama's
"Race to the Top" competition "make sense"
although the federal government should have
less control of education.
Energy
Ordered temporary moratorium on deep-water
drilling after the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf
of Mexico and increased average approval
period for drilling permits from 61 to 118 days.
Achieved historic increases in fuel economy
standards that will save money at the pump
while raising the cost of new vehicles. Spent
heavily on green energy and has embraced
nuclear power as a clean source. Failed to
persuade a Democratic Congress to pass
limits he promised on carbon emissions.
Energy
Supports opening the Atlantic and Pacific
outer continental shelves to drilling, as well as
Western lands, the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge and offshore Alaska. Wants to reduce
obstacles to coal, natural gas and nuclear
energy development, and accelerate drilling
permits in areas where exploration has already
been approved for developers with good
safety records. Says green power has yet to
become viable and points to the government’s
failed $535 million Solyndra loan as an
example.
Gay Rights
Supports legal recognition of same-sex
marriage, a matter decided by states. Recently
became first President to announce support of
same sex marriage. Achieved repeal of the
military ban on openly gay members. Has not
achieved repeal of the Defense of Marriage
Act, which denies federal recognition of samesex marriages and affirms the right of states to
refuse to recognize such marriages.
Administration has ceased defending the law
in court but it remains on the books.
Gay Rights
Opposes legal recognition of same-sex
marriage and says it should be banned with a
constitutional amendment, not left to states.
"Marriage is not an activity that goes on within
the walls of a state." Also opposes civil unions
"if they are identical to marriage other than by
name," but says states should be left to decide
what rights and benefits should be allowed
under those unions. Says certain domestic
partnership benefits —largely unspecified —
as well as hospital visitation rights are
appropriate but "others are not." Says he
would not seek to restore the ban on openly
gay military members.
Global Warming
Global warming is real, is happening now and
is the result of human activities. Achieved firstever regulations on heat-trapping gases
blamed for global warming and on toxic
mercury pollution from power plants. Failed to
persuade a Democratic Congress to pass
limits he promised on carbon emissions.
Global Warming
Believes the world is getting warmer, but he is
not sure it is man-made. In Massachusetts, he
proposed plans for reducing carbon emissions,
and explored creation of a regional cap-andtrade program, an idea he now opposes.
Believes federal cap-and-trade system will put
U.S. corporations at a disadvantage when
compared to their foreign competitors.
LESSON 2
5
CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Handout 1
Selecting the Next President
Side-By-Side Comparison
Obama; cont'd.,
Romney; cont'd.,
Gun Control
Has not pushed for stricter gun laws as
president. Signed laws letting people carry
concealed weapons in national parks and in
checked bags on Amtrak trains. Favors "robust
steps, within existing law" to address gun
issues, White House says. Voices support for
renewed ban on assault-type weapons but has
not tried to get that done. Previously backed
stronger gun controls.
Gun Control
Opposes stricter gun control laws. Suggested
after the Colorado theater shooting that he
favors tougher enforcement of existing gun
laws. As Massachusetts governor, vowed in
2002 to protect the state's "tough gun laws,"
and in 2004 signed a Massachusetts ban on
assault weapons.
Health Care
Achieved landmark overhaul putting U.S. on
path to universal coverage now that Supreme
Court has upheld the law's mandate for almost
everyone to obtain insurance. Under the law,
insurers will be banned from denying coverage
to people with pre-existing illness, tax credits
will subsidize premiums, people without workbased insurance will have access to new
markets, small business gets help for offering
insurance and Medicaid will expand.
Health Care
Promises to work for repeal of the law
modeled largely after his universal health care
achievement in Massachusetts because he
says states, not Washington, should drive
policy on the uninsured. Proposes to
guarantee that people who are "continuously
covered" for a certain period be protected
against losing insurance if they get sick, leave
their job and need another policy. Would
expand individual tax-advantaged medical
savings accounts and let savings be used for
insurance premiums as well as personal
medical costs.
Immigration
Issued directive in June that immigrants
brought illegally to the United States as
children be exempted from deportation and
granted work permits if they apply and meet
requirements. Took the temporary step after
failing to deliver on promised immigration
overhaul, with the defeat of legislation that
would have created a path to citizenship for
young illegal immigrants enrolled in college or
enlisted in the armed forces (DREAM Act). US
has deported a record number of illegal
immigrants under Obama.
Immigration
Favors U.S.-Mexico border fence, opposes
education benefits to illegal immigrants.
Opposes offering legal status to illegal
immigrants who attend college, but would do
so for those who serve in the armed forces.
Establish an immigration-status verification
system for employers and punish them if they
hire non-citizens who do not prove their legal
status. Would end immigration caps for
spouses and minor children of legal
immigrants.
Iran
Opposes near-term military strike on Iran but
holds that option open if it proves the only way
to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons.
Iran
Supports presenting a clearer U.S. military
threat to Iran and to show that the United
States will take military action, if necessary, to
keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon
LESSON 2
6
CLASSROOM LAW PROJECT
Handout 1
Selecting the Next President
Side-By-Side Comparison
Obama; cont'd.,
Romney; cont'd.,
Social Security
Has not proposed a comprehensive plan to
address Social Security's long-term financial
problems. In 2011, proposed a new measure
of inflation that would reduce annual increases
in Social Security benefits. The proposal would
reduce the long-term financing shortfall by
about 25 percent, according to the Social
Security actuaries.
Social Security
Protect the status quo for people 55 and over
but, for the next generation of retirees, raise
the retirement age for full benefits by one or
two years and reduce inflation increases in
benefits for wealthier recipients.
Stem cell research
Doesn’t believe that somatic cell nuclear
transfer or cloning and embryo farming are
appropriate and would not pursue federal
funding of those forms of stem cell research
Stem cell research
Signed an executive order that lifted the ban
on federal funding for promising embryonic
stem cell research
Taxes
Wants to raise taxes on the wealthy and
ensure they pay 30 percent of their income at
minimum. Supports extending Bush-era tax
cuts for everyone making under $200,000, or
$250,000 for couples. But in 2010, agreed to a
two-year extension of the lower rates for all.
Wants to let the top two tax rates go back up 3
to 4 percentage points to 39.6 percent and 36
percent, and raise rates on capital gains and
dividends for the wealthy. Health care law
provides for tax on highest-value health
insurance plans. Together with Congress, built
a first-term record of significant tax cuts, some
temporary.
Taxes
Keep Bush-era tax cuts for all incomes and
drop all tax rates further, by 20 percent,
bringing the top rate, for example, down to 28
percent from 35 percent and the lowest rate to
8 percent instead of 10 percent. Curtail
deductions, credits and exemptions for the
wealthiest. End Alternative Minimum Tax for
individuals, eliminate capital gains tax for
families making below $200,000 and cut
corporate tax to 25 percent from 35 percent.
Does not specify which tax breaks or
programs he would curtail to help cover costs.
Trade
Doesn’t think NAFTA has been good for
America. During presidency signed free trade
agreements with South Korea, Panama, and
Colombia.
Trade
Free trade advocate.
Compiled from: Obama vs. Romney: Where they stand on 12 key issues, The Sacramento Bee,
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/01/4456551/obama-vs-romney-where-they-stand.html
Barack Obama, Procon.org, http://2012election.procon.org/view.source.election.php?sourceID=11134
Mitt Romney, Procon.org,
http://2012election.procon.org/view.source.election.php?sourceID=11142
LESSON 2
7