Role & Purpose of Government

The Party’s charter states that, under God:
– it seeks for the nation and hopes for all people individual freedom in the framework of a just society, political freedom in the framework of meaningful participation by all citizens
– bound by the United States Constitution, and aware that a party must be responsive to be worthy of responsibility, its members pledge themselves to open, honest endeavor and to the conduct of public affairs in a manner worthy of a society of free people

Stewardship of Office

Taxes
The party advocates:
– reinstating higher tax brackets for wealthy Americans
– closing tax loopholes and cracking down on overseas tax havens
– requiring investors to pay the same tax rates as workers

Accountability
The party advocates:
–  a federal ethics commission to aggressively enforce and strengthen federal ethics laws
– requiring all candidates for federal office to publicly disclose at least 10 years of tax returns
– reinstating merit-based federal contracting processes
– restoration of independent inspectors general
– banning of lobbying by foreign governments

Democratic Reform
To ensure that voting rights are available to all, the party advocates:
– full restoration of the Voting Rights Act
– full implementation of the Help America Vote Act, and accessible polling places
– mandatory, statistically meaningful post-election audits
– professional, well-trained election officials
– measures to ensure the integrity of the 2020 Census, in order to prevent gerrymandering of congressional districts
– increased investment in election technology, including cybersecurity
– a Constitutional amendment to eliminate all private financing of federal elections
– strengthening the public funding system, cracking down on foreign nationals who try to influence election
– eliminating ‘dark money’ by requiring disclosure of contributors who contribute for or against candidates or parties
– requiring all candidates for federal office to publicly disclose at least 10 years of tax returns

Peace & International Relations

The party states that:
– it will lead with diplomacy as its tool of first resort, and mobilize the nation’s allies and partners to meet the tests America cannot meet on its own
– it will stand up to the forces of authoritarianism
– it will speak and act with clarity and purpose on behalf of human rights wherever they are under threat

The party advocates:
– expanding the foreign service
– repairing alliances and reinventing them to advance mutual priorities
– rejoining and reforming WHO, the UN Human Rights Council, UN Population Fund
– ensure that the US Agency for International Development is fully funded, at about 1% of the federal budget
– making gender equality a key foreign policy priority
– implementing the Women, Peace and Security Act
– incorporating more women in the peace process
– promoting safe access to abortion to women and girls in other countries
– appointing senior leaders to drive and coordinate LGBTQ+ to amplify LGBTQ+ voices around the world
– supporting civil society around the world to promote democracy and the rule of law
– defending freedom of the press
– fighting human trafficking
– working to improve world labour standards, including elimination of child labor, slavery, rights of workers abroad to organize
– international promotion of freedom of conscience and religion

The Global Environment
The party advocates:
– reaffirming US commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
– rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, committing the US to capping global warming at 1.5 degrees C
– reviving and expanding climate related foreign assistance, including aid to the Green Climate Fund

Peacekeeping & Embargoes
The party advocates:
– developing shared responses to non-military threats like disinformation, corruption, and economic coercion
– improving interoperability with allies, and encouraging allies to build up their defense capabilities and take responsibility for regional conflicts
– enhanced cooperation in fisheries management

Refugees & Humanitarian Aid
The party advocates:
– addressing the root causes of forced migration, including violence, poverty, corruption, lack of opportunity, and climate change
– working with Central American and Caribbean governments to strengthen security and prosperity
– mobilizing allies, partners, and international institutions to develop a more robust and effective global public health system
– providing more and better disaster relief

International Finance
The party advocates:
– ensuring the US International Development Finance Corporation is successfully integrated into broader international and private-sector development efforts
– making anti-corruption efforts a foreign policy priority

Trade
The party states that:
– more products in homes, stores, workplaces, and communities should be stamped “Made in America”
– it will expand support for American manufacturing

The party advocates:
–  working with allies to shape global trade, so that China is not able to manipulate or distort world markets
– ensuring USMCA creates prosperity for American workers, and strictly enforce compliance with labor and environmental provisions
– enhanced Buy-America requirements in federal, state, and local procurement
– requiring US-made cargo to be carried on US-flagged ships
– dis-incentivizing off-shore manufacturing, and accelerated on-shoring of critical supply chains
– expansion of tax credits for domestic manufacturing
– putting American workers and unions first in trade agreements
– aggressive action against dumping and currency manipulations by China and others
– protection against theft of US intellectual property rights, and cyberespionage against American companies
– elimination of tax advantages for those who ship jobs overseas

Disarmament & Arms Sales
The party advocates:
–  maintaining a strong nuclear deterrent force while reducing over-reliance on nuclear weapons, and reducing new weapon expenditures
– strengthening the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
– maintaining a moratorium on explosive nuclear testing

National Defense & Security
The party advocates:
– ensuring that the US military has no peer
– spending defense dollars wisely, focused on a force that can deter and win the conflicts of the 21^st century
– reducing defense spending relative to diplomacy and foreign assistance
– reinstating national security policy processes that advance civilian control based on appropriate military advice
– using force as a last resort, with the informed consent of the people
– negotiating a durable and inclusive settlement in Afghanistan, ensuring that al-Qaeda is not allowed to reconstitute and ISIS is not allowed to grow
– ending support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, and helping to end the war
– seeking application of diplomacy, intelligence, and law enforcement to resolve conflicts, rather than open-ended military conflicts

Veterans and Personnel
The party advocates:
–  rebuilding trust and accountability in the Veterans Administration
– ensuring coverage for all veteran concerns, including reproductive services
– addressing high veteran suicide rates
– ensuring military pay keeps pace with economy
– increased time between deployments

Criminal Justice & Public Safety
The party states that:
– the nation needs to overhaul the criminal justice system from top to bottom. Police brutality is a stain on the soul of our nation.  It is unacceptable that more than 1,000 people, a quarter of them Black, have been killed by police every year since 2015
– it also recognizes that all too often, systematic cuts to public services have left police officers on the front lines of responding to social challenges for which they have not been trained, from homelessness to mental health crises to the opioid epidemic

The party advocates:
–  significant increases in funding the Legal Services Corporation, for those in need of criminal defense
– strict national standards barring police use of chokeholds and permitting deadly force only when necessary as a last resort to prevent an imminent threat to life
– rooting out structural and systemic racism in our criminal justice system and our society, and reimagining public safety
– ending the war on drugs, and focusing on prevention, decriminalization of marijuana
– reinvigorating community policing approaches
– expanding federal judiciary to keep up with population and crime
– ending use of private businesses to run detention facilities
– deepening commitment to redemption and rehabilitation
– fighting to repeal mandatory sentences
– strengthening police misconduct reviews by the Department of Justice
– re-issuing federal guidance from the Department of Education and the Department of Justice to prevent the disparate disciplinary treatment of children of color and children with disabilities

Guns & Gun Violence
To address the nearly 40,000 deaths each year by firearm in the US, the party advocates:
–  making mental health care more available and supporting suicide reduction initiatives
– funding interventions to reduce homicides and gun violence
– ensuring that the Center for Disease Control has sufficient funding to study gun violence as a public health issue
– universal background checks for gun purchases, and abolishment of online gun and ammunition sales
– closing loopholes that allow offenders to buy and posses firearms
– banning manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines
– legislation requiring safe gun storage at home
– liability for firearm manufacturers and distributors

Emergency Response
The party advocates:
– ensuring that FEMA has the experienced leadership, staff, and resources necessary to coordinate the federal response to climate change-influenced and other disasters, and is equipped to work in partnership with, and drive federal resources to, state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments.

Terrorism
The party advocates:
– sustaining the effort to defeat ISIA, al-Qaeda, and their affiliates
– addressing the conditions that allow violent extremism to flourish
– working with partners to prioritize diplomatic, low enforcement, and intelligence tools

Communications Security
The party advocates:
– mobilizing public and private actors to ensure that new communications products and discoveries are bound by law, ethics, and civil liberties
– recommit to open internet, including net neutrality

The Role & Purpose of Government
The party states, among its ten key values, that:
– all human beings must be allowed a say in decisions that affect their lives; no one should be subject to the will of another
– it works to improve public participation in every aspect of government and seek to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them
– it works to create new types of political organizations that expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in decision-making
– as a matter of right, all persons must have the opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment
– we must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, any discrimination by race, class, gender, sexual orientation, age, nationality, religion, or physical or mental ability that denies fair treatment and equal justice under the law

Democratic Reform
The party states that:
– It seeks to rescue that the nation’s proud democratic heritage from the erosion of citizen participation, and to refute ideologies holding that government is intrinsically undesirable and destructive of liberty, and that elected officials should slash spending on social programs in the name of freedom
– it challenges all Americans to think deeply about the meaning of government of the people, by the people, and for the people
– it seeks to repair U.S. electoral system, from how elections are financed, to conducting them in more fair and representative ways, to ensuring accountability and transparency on all levels of government
– We, the People, have a responsibility to participate in self-government through all the means that our Constitution provides

The party advocates:
– enactment of proportional representation voting systems for legislative seats on municipal, county, state and federal levels, so that people are represented in the proportion their views are held in society and are based on dividing seats proportionally within multi-seat districts, compared to the standard U.S. single-seat, winner-take-all districts
– enactment of instant run-off voting (IRV) for chief executive offices like mayor, governor and president and other single-seat elections, to enable voters to rank candidates in their order of preference (1,2,3, etc.)
– full public financing of federal, state and local elections, including free and equal radio and television time on the public airwaves for all ballot-qualified candidates and parties
– prohibiting corporations from spending to influence elections, preferably by constitutional amendment abolishing granting corporations constitutional rights guaranteed to natural persons, or as a condition of receipt of a corporate charter by federal chartering of corporations
– elimination of all ballot access laws and rules that discriminate against smaller parties and independents, and otherwise place undue burden on the right of citizens to run for office
– abolishment of the Electoral College in favor of direct national election of the president by Instant Runoff Voting
– creation of a new publicly-funded People’s Commission on Presidential Debates, and open its presidential debates to all candidates who appear on at least as many ballots as would represent a majority of the Electoral College and who raise enough funds to otherwise qualify for general election public financing
– repealing the federal the non-profit tax exemption status that allows corporations to fund the existing Commission on Presidential Debates and other such exclusive privately controlled debate entities
– lowering the percentage of the presidential popular vote required for a new party’s candidate to receive first time General Election public funding from 5% in the previous general election to 1%
– inclusion of an option to vote for a binding None of the Above (NOTA) on all party primary and general election ballots
– the right to initiative, referendum and recall at all levels of government
– a national “right to vote” law to guarantee universal, automatic, permanent voter registration, along with fail-safe voting procedures, so that eligible voters whose names are not on the voter rolls can correct the rolls and vote on the same day
– statehood for the District of Columbia, and ensuring that residents of the District of Columbia have the same rights and representation as all other U.S. citizens
– restoration of full citizenship rights to felons upon completion of their sentence, including the right to vote and to run for elected office
– greater enfranchisement of overseas voters
– strong enforcement of the Federal Voting Rights Act and state voting rights acts
– making Election Day a national holiday and/or weekend elections
– amending the U.S. Constitution to require that all vacancies in the U.S. Senate be filled by election rather than appointment
– development of publicly-owned, open source voting equipment and deployment across the nation to ensure high national standards, performance, transparency and accountability
– the use of verifiable paper ballots
– institution of mandatory automatic random precinct recounts to ensure a high level of accuracy in election results
– establishment of a National Elections Commission with the mandate to establish minimum national election standards and uniformity, partner with state and local election officials to ensure pre-election and post-election accountability for their election plans, require nonpartisan election boards, and depoliticize and professionalize election administration across the United States
– establishment of independent and transparent non-partisan redistricting processes to stop partisan gerrymandering and protect minority rights and representation
– increasing the number of polling places, and increase the pay for poll workers
– ensuring that all important federal, state and local government documents are on the Internet, especially texts of bills, searchable databases of voting records, draft committee and conference reports, and court decisions
– reinvigorating the independent investigative agencies, such as the General Accounting Office and the inspectors general
– enacting tough new federal anti-bribery and gratuity laws to stop corporations and the wealthy from purchasing government action, and vigorous enforcement of anti-corruption laws by the Justice Department
– prohibiting members of Congress, Governors, state legislators and their staffs from accepting for their own personal benefit any gifts of any amount from lobbyists or the general public
– requiring outside counsel to investigate ethics complaints against members of Congress, and toughening of punishments within the congressional ethics processes for corruption, abuse of power and other wrongdoing
– expansion of revolving-door lobbying “cooling off” periods for members of Congress and their top staff to at least two years
– allowing any member of Congress to require a floor vote on any congressional earmark, to stop wasteful spending

National Debt
The party states that:
– recent presidents have irresponsibly expanded our national debt by trillions of dollars to finance tax cuts for America’s wealthiest citizens, war, corporate welfare and bailouts of Wall Street and the automotive industry. This debt and the interest that must be paid on it is not sustainable
– working people and the small business community are bearing a disproportionate amount of the federal debt burden

The party advocates:
– reduce of the national debt by increasing taxes on large corporations, the super-rich and pollution; and decreasing expenditures in some areas, especially for war, armaments and corporate welfare
– opposing the privatization of Social Security
– increased funding for green jobs, Social Security, public housing, higher education, public transportation, environmental protection, renewable energy and energy conservation.

Taxes
The party states that:
– our current tax system is outrageously unjust. It is riddled with loopholes, subsidies and dodges for corporations and the super-rich
– federal and state taxes must be strongly progressive
– most working people pay too much in taxes compared to corporations, multi-millionaires and billionaires. Many of our biggest and most profitable corporations pay little or no tax
– much investment income is taxed at less than the rate workers pay
– we can afford to cut taxes for most people if we make corporations and the super-rich pay their fair share. Then we can cut them even more when we halt our nation’s wasteful spending on wars, weaponry and militarism

The party advocates:
– progressive taxation
– shifting tax from individuals to corporations
– taxing “bads” not “goods”
– taxing unearned income at the same rate as earned income, taxing speculation on Wall Street, and cutting corporate tax giveaways
– comprehensive tax reform to simplify the tax system
– small business, in particular, should not be penalized by a tax system which benefits those who can “work” the legislative tax committees for breaks and subsidies
– substantive and wide-ranging re- form of the tax system that helps create jobs, economic efficiencies and innovation within the small business community
– exempting people earning less than $25,000 per year and families earning less than $50,000 per year (adjusted for inflation) from the federal and state income taxes
– exempt food, clothing, prescription medications, other necessities and second-hand goods from sales taxes
– ending corporate welfare, including bailouts for Wall Street, the big bank and the automobile industry; subsidies for agribusiness, Export-Import Bank loan guarantees; tax abatements for big box stores; the tax loophole for “carried interest” from private equity and hedge fund managers; tax deductibility for advertising and business entertainment; offshore tax avoidance schemes; giveaways for new sports stadiums and casinos
– a financial transaction tax on trades of stocks, bonds, currency derivatives, and other financial instruments
– blocking financial transactions with tax havens, to stop tax evasion
– decreasing the $1 million home value cap on the mortgage interest tax deduction for federal income taxes, to reduce the tax subsidy provided to those living in the most expensive homes
– restoring the estate tax
– opposing the privatization of Social Security
– a wealth tax of 0.5% per year on an individual’s assets over $5 million
– establishment of a system of carbon taxes on all fossil fuels, to begin to reflect the real environmental cost of their extraction and use
– application of carbon taxes as far upstream as possible, preferably when possession of the carbon-bearing fuel passes from extraction (for ex- ample, coal mine; oil wellhead or tanker; gas wellhead) to the next entity in the supply chain
– eliminating tax subsidies for the oil, gas, coal, nuclear and timber and mining industries
– enacting a system of Community Ground Rent/Land Value Taxation that distinguishes between the socially and privately created wealth of land, by increasing the taxes on the former to retain for society the value that it collectively creates and lowers them on the latter to reward individuals for their initiative and work
– to ensure that prices reflect their true environmental cost, enacting a system of True Cost Pricing (TCP) for goods and services, including immediate or prolonged damage (pollution of air and water) and diminishment of natural resources
– raising taxes on tobacco, alcohol, soda pop and other junk food.

International Relations
The party states, among its ten key values, that:
– it is essential that the nation develop effective alternatives to society’s current patterns of violence
– it will work to demilitarize and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments
– it recognizes the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in danger
– it promotes non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide the country’s actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace
– public health agencies operating abroad should be allowed to offer family planning, contraception, and abortion in all countries that ask for those services. We oppose our government’s habit of cutting family planning funds when those funds go to agencies in foreign countries that give out contraceptive devices, offer advice on abortion, and perform abortions

The party further states that:
– the world and the nation stand poised between the geopolitical conflict of East versus West, marked by the aftermath of the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001; the dangers of global terrorism; the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq; the escalation of conflict in the Middle East; and continued research and development of nuclear weapons and the stockpiling of bio-chemical weapons
– third- and fourth-world economies and resources are being ravaged and the US’s economy
– global corporatization, concentrates greater power in the hands of fewer interests who are unaccountable to the vast majority of the world’s people threatens job security and other common goods

International Finance and Trade
The party advocates:
– re-formulation of all international trade relations and commerce as currently upheld by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) to protect the labor, human rights, economy, environment and domestic industry of partner and recipient nations so that the growth of local industry and agriculture has the advantage over foreign corporate domination
– re-structure the rules of performance of the IMF/WB to end the debts of recipient nations, prohibit the use of IMF/WB loans to impose structural adjustment programs that emphasize debt service and export-led development at the expense of social needs, and to install strict standards in the IMF/WB that control the use of grants or loans to prevent fraud, misuse, and subversion of funds by recipient governments
– re-writing the rules for investment of corporate capital in projects operated under the IMF/WB to guarantee the rights of the citizens of the nations receiving the investment and their right to public ownership and control of their own resources, including protections for labor’s right to organize, create unions and negotiate with management in all countries receiving U.S. investment, and require U.S. corporations that operate in other countries to adhere to the core labor standards established by the International Labor Organization (ILO) Declaration of the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
– secure the rights of all US states to establish stricter standards for health, safety, and for the environment than those of our national government, and to protect themselves against substandard, imported goods
– prohibiting U.S. corporations from avoiding or evading payment of their taxes by banking abroad or locating their charters offshore
– to restrict the unfettered flow of capital and currency trade, levying the Tobin tax of .05% on cross border currency transactions
– supporting the funding and expansion of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in their missions to educate and train people of less developed nations in initiating local business and economic development, and in providing health care and family planning
– demand that the US government renew and initiate government funding and support for family planning, contraception, and abortion in all countries that request it
– ending the U.S. government’s economic blockade of Cuba, lifting the embargo, and restoring normal diplomatic relations and respect for national sovereignty, and ending U.S. government veto of U.N. resolutions pertaining to Cuba
– imposing a Carbon Fee on imported fossil fuel, in order to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and reduce the impact of fuel importation on American foreign policy and the American economy

Peace and Demilitarization
The party states that:
– under the U.S. Constitution, ratified treaties such as the United Nations Charter hold the authority of U.S. law.  Thus the U.S. government is pledged to abide by its principles and guidelines in the conduct of foreign relations and affairs
– the US has an obligation to take disputes with other nations or foreign bodies to the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly forum for negotiation and resolution
– the U.N. and international laws, treaties and conventions that the U.S. has signed are the framework that controls U.S. military actions abroad
– the U.S. must recognize the sovereignty of nation-states and their right of self-determination
– it recognizes and supports the right of the U.N. to intervene in a nation-state engaged in genocidal acts or in its persistent violation and denial of the human rights of an ethnic or religious group within its boundaries, and the right to protect the victims of such acts
– the U.S. is obligated to render military assistance or service under U.N. command to enforce U.N. Security Council resolutions
– to act in a crisis situation, the US is obligated to obtain a UN resolution under the Uniting for Peace Procedure when the U.N. Security Council is stalemated by vetoes
– it seeks permanent repeal of the veto power enjoyed by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council
– it urges the US government to sign the International Criminal Court agreement and respect the authority of that institution
– the US has no moral or legal right, or any justification, to pre-emptively attack another nation. The only legitimate use of military force is to repel an actual attack on our nation
– it demands repeal – not amendment — of the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) passed by Congress in response to the attacks of September 11, 2001, and opposes any other measure purporting to ‘authorize’ pre-emptive or illegal military action.  In passing the AUMF, Congress abdicated its exclusive authority under the Constitution to declare war
– the Congress further violated the Constitution and betrayed its responsibility to the American people by delegating to the president – one person – virtually dictatorial power to commit acts of war whenever he or she chooses
– it supports abolishment of nuclear weapons, and calls upon the government to:
* declare a no-first-strike policy
* declare a no-pre-emptive strike policy
* declare that the U.S. will never threaten or use a nuclear weapon, regardless of size, on a non-nuclear nation
* sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and honor conditions set in the Non-Proliferation Treaty for nuclear nations
* reverse our withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and honor its stipulations
* end the research, testing and stockpiling of all nuclear weapons of any size
* dismantle all nuclear warheads from their missiles
– it supports signature of the Toronto treaty banning the production, stockpiling, use and sale of land mines, and assisting other nations in unearthing and disabling land mines buried in their lands
– it urges an end of US stockpiling of chemical and biological weapons and all research, use, and sale of such weapons; and signing of the convention that will establish the decrease and inspection of all nations’ stockpiles of such weapons
– it supports allowing foreign teams to visit the U.S. for verification purposes at least annually
– reduction of the US defense budget to half of its current size
– it supports phasing out all US bases on foreign soil not specifically functioning under a U.N. resolution to keep peace
– it supports repatriation of all US troops stationed abroad, except for the military assigned to protect a U.S. embassy
– closing the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, formerly known as the School of the Americas, in Ft. Benning
– prohibiting all US arms sales to foreign nations and likewise prohibiting grants to impoverished and undemocratic nations unless the money is targeted on domestic, non-military needs
– prohibiting all covert actions used to influence, destabilize or usurp the governments of other nations, or the assassination of, or assistance in any form for the assassination of, foreign government officials

Demilitarization and Exploration of Space
The party:
– recognizes a need for the inspiration and education that the peaceful exploration of Space provides; the need for space-based systems to monitor environmental conditions on Earth; the many advances in space technology that benefit all people on Earth; and the inspiration provided to children by Space exploration can prompt them to pursue math, science, and other important courses of study
– states that the last four U.S.—backed military conflicts have used space-based technology to disrupt the computer and communication systems of sovereign states
– funds required for continuing peaceful Space exploration have been used, instead, for the design, implementation and deployment of wasteful and dangerous space hardware, such as the Strategic Defense Initiative

The party advocates:
– ending of space militarization, and any form of space-based military aggression
– peaceful and sustainable exploration of Space, determined on a case-by-case, mission-specific basis, including the signing of the International Treaty for the Demilitarization of Space
– a reduction of human-staffed space flight due to the high cost and risk for human life and the availability of automated technology that can perform necessary functions in space-based research

Middle East
The party states that:
– its commitments to ecological wisdom, social justice, grass-roots democracy, and non-violence compel it to oppose U.S. government support for “friendly” regimes in the region when those regimes violate human rights, international law, and existing treaties
– it calls on congressional intelligence committees to conduct comprehensive public hearings on the development and deployment of weapons of mass destruction by all states in the Middle East region.  U.S. policy should support the removal and/or destruction of all such weapons wherever they are found there.
– it supports the “joint comprehensive plan of action” signed in July, 2015 by Iran and the P5+1 (five permanent members of the UN Security Council: China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States plus Germany), and the European Union, which confirms Iran’s status as a zone free of nuclear weapons
– Iran, which has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has consistently called for a nuclear-free zone in the entire Middle East
– it supports swift elimination of economic sanctions on Iran and looks to the normalization of relations between Iran and the United States
– in keeping with UN resolutions call for a nuclear-free Middle East, it calls on Israel, the only nuclear power in the Middle East with at least 200 nuclear warheads, to dismantle its nuclear weapons program and sign on to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty

Palestine
The party states that:
– its values oblige it to support popular movements for peace and demilitarization in Israel-Palestine, especially those that reach across the lines of conflict to engage both Palestinians and Israelis of good will
– it affirms the right of self-determination for both Palestinians and Israelis, which precludes the self-determination of one at the expense of the other
– it recognizes the historical and contemporary cultural diversity of Israeli-Palestinian society, including the religious heritage of Jews, Christians, Muslims and others, which is a significant part of the rich cultural legacy of all these peoples and must be respected
– its supports equality before international law rather than appeals to religious faith as the fair basis on which claims to the land of Palestine-Israel are resolved
– Jewish insecurity and fear of non-Jews are understandable in light of Jewish history of horrific oppression in Europe. However, it opposes as both discriminatory and ultimately self-defeating the position that Jews would be fundamentally threatened by the implementation of full rights to Palestinian-Israelis and Palestinian refugees who wish to return to their homes
– without wishing to impose US views on the people of the region, it would turn the U.S. government towards a new policy, which itself recognizes the equality, humanity, and civil rights of Jews, Muslims, Christians, and all others who live in the region, and which seeks to build confidence in prospects for secular democracy. – it reaffirms the right and feasibility of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in Israel
– it rejects U.S. unbalanced financial and military support of Israel while Israel occupies Palestinian lands and maintains an apartheid-like system in both the Occupied Palestinian Territories and in Israel toward its non-Jewish citizens. Therefore it calls on the U.S. President and Congress to suspend all military and foreign aid, including loans and grants, to Israel until Israel withdraws from the Occupied Territories, dismantles the separation wall in the Occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem, ends its siege of Gaza and its apartheid-like system both within the Occupied Palestinian Territories and in Israel toward its non-Jewish citizens
– it also rejects U.S. political support for Israel and demands that the U.S. government end its veto of Security Council resolutions pertaining to Israel
– decades of continuous diplomatic attempts by the international community have failed to bring about Israel’s compliance with international law or respect for basic Palestinian human rights.  Despite abundant condemnation of Israel’s policies by the UN, International Court of Justice, and all relevant international conventions, the international community of nations has failed to stop Israeli violations of Palestinian human rights in Israel and the OPT, while Israeli crimes continue with impunity
– ending institutionalized racism (apartheid) in South Africa demanded an unusual, cooperative action by the entire international community in the form of a boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign against apartheid South Africa, and that can become the most effective nonviolent means for achieving justice and genuine peace between Palestinians and Israelis
– Palestinian resistance to ongoing dispossession has mainly been nonviolent, including its most basic form—remaining in their homes, on their land; and that while Palestinian armed resistance is legitimate under international law when directed at non-civilian targets
– it believes that only nonviolent resistance will maintain the humanity of Palestinian society, elicit the greatest solidarity from others, and maximize the chance for future reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians

The party advocates:
– joining with the U.N. to secure Israel’s complete withdrawal to the 1967 boundaries and its compliance with international law.
– a much stronger and supportive U.S. position with respect to all United Nations, European Union, and Arab League initiatives that seek a negotiated peace
– and immediate U.N.-sponsored, multinational peacekeeping and protection force in the Palestinian territories with the mandate to initiate a conflict-resolution commission
– investigations by the foreign and military affairs committees of the U.S. House and Senate to conduct full hearings on the status of human rights and war crimes in Palestine-Israel, especially violations committed during Israel’s 2008-2009 invasion of Gaza (“Operation Cast Lead”) as documented in the 2009 “UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict”(“The Goldstone Report”) authorized by the UN Commission on Human Rights
– it supports a boycott and divestment strategy (BDS) against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era, which includes pressuring our government to impose embargoes and sanctions against Israel, until Israel meets its obligation to recognize the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and fully complies with the precepts of international law
– it views the proposed two-state solution as neither democratic nor viable in the face of international law, material conditions and “facts on the ground” that now exist in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Therefor it supports a U.S. foreign policy that promotes the creation of one secular, democratic state for Palestinians and Israelis on the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the River Jordan as the national home of both peoples, with Jerusalem as its capital
– as an integral part of peace negotiations and the transition to a peaceful democracy, it calls for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission whose inaugurating action would be mutual acknowledgement by Israelis and Palestinians that they have the same basic rights, including the right to exist in the same, secure place

Military Service
The party advocates:
– requiring full written disclosure of what is expected of military recruits and what they can expect in return from the government
– recognizing the practice of deceiving prospective service recruits about the truth of their service contract as fraudulent, and sufficient grounds for revoking an enlistment contract
– applying all terms of military service contracts to the government as well as recruits

Veterans
The party states that:
– support for men and women in the armed forces must go far beyond the rhetoric used to discredit the peace movement in the U.S. today
– the dangerous burden of fighting the war in Iraq is disproportionately borne by families of lesser means
– its first priority in foreign policy considerations is to creating a future without war

The party advocates:
– increased pay levels, including monthly combat pay, imminent danger pay and family separation allowances for those risking their lives in combat zones
– better care for the wounded, sick and injured soldiers, and restoration of full funding for veterans’ health programs
– full diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental health conditions resulting from service in combat zones, including post-traumatic stress disorder, including increased funding for additional clinics to provide services which now are too often delayed or denied because of over crowding and budget constraints
– honoring all laws concerning time limits on deployments
– to ensure a smooth transition from active military service to civilian life, providing counseling, housing, emergency management, job protection and other support systems
– a comprehensive program to survey Vets and the impacts of Gulf War Syndrome on them and their families and to provide the best possible medical treatment available to minimize the suffering of these men and women and their families
– establishment of a panel of independent medical doctors to examine and oversee military policies regarding forced vaccinations and shots, especially with experimental drugs
– ending the practice of testing experimental medicines and inoculations on service members without their consent
– a new GI Bill, similar to the one that began after World War II and ended in 1981, to provide tuition grants for four years of college or other educational opportunities, low-interest loans for housing or business start-ups, and free medical care for military personnel and their families for ten years following separation from the armed forces
– a transparent and democratic conscientious objection process free of harassment, imprisonment, or deployment to war zones for conscientious objectors
– the right of individuals in the military service to modify or completely separate from military involvement because of conscientious objection

Police & Public Safety

Terrorism
The party states that:
– since the attacks of September 11, 2001, there has been an erosion of freedom in the United States, from many sources and taking many forms, including the war on drugs and widespread imprisonment of nonviolent drug offenders; the increased use of personal identification, surveillance of employees at work, and the growing use of private security forces by corporations; restrictions on the speech of protesters and students; and random traffic stops of persons of color and the commonplace use of roadblocks

The party advocates:
– complete, thorough, impartial, and independent investigation of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, including the role of the administration of George W, Bush, various U.S. based corporations and interests, and other nations and third parties
– repeal of the USA PATRIOT Act, the provisions of which undermine and erode our Bill of Rights and contribute to the destruction of the democratic foundation of checks and balances between the branches of government
– strict enforcement of First Amendment rights of speech, assembly, association and petition, including the right to public, non-violent protest
– ending torture, such as in prisons like Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay and other U.S.-controlled facilities, and ensuring that those guilty of ordering or executing torture are held accountable for violations U.S. and international law
– restoration of the right of habeas corpus, a legal action to obtain relief from illegal detention, and ending indefinite detention without trial
– ending abuse of National Security Letters, which the FBI uses to force Internet service providers, libraries, banks, and credit reporting companies to reveal sensitive information about their patrons
– opposing the death penalty in the United States and worldwide
– strict application of Fourth Amendment protections against illegal search and seizure
– confirming that privacy protections of the 4th amendment extend to the Internet
– supporting the ability of cities to establish civilian police review boards to increase understanding between community members and police officers, provide a public forum to air concerns on policy matters and to ensure public oversight and accountability of their local police department
– stronger legislation, programs, and enforcement to address violence against women and all other forms of violence
– replacement of the term “domestic violence” with the term “violence,” because “domestic violence” is not perceived as real violence, which leads to it not being treated legally and practically for the violence that it is
– ending use of the term “sex work” in relation to prostitution. With the increasing conflation of trafficking (the violent and illegal trafficking in women and girls for forced sex) with prostitution, it is impossible to know which is which, and what violence the term “sex work” is masking. No source in existence knows which forms of prostitution comprise forced sex and which comprise free will or choice prostitution.

Corrections
The party states that:
– the United States has the highest incarceration and recidivism rates of industrialized countries, and its criminal justice system in general is too often inhumane, ineffective, and prohibitively expensive
– the current approach to law enforcement places too much emphasis on drug-related and petty, non-violent crimes, and not enough on prosecution of corporate, white collar, and environmental crime
– the poor, the under-educated and various racial and ethnic minorities are overrepresented in the prison population
– negative effects of imprisonment include isolation of prisoners from their communities, media, and education

The party advocates:
– reducing the prison population, investing in rehabilitation, and ending the war on drugs
– prioritizing efforts to prevent violent crime and address the legitimate needs of victims, while addressing the socio-economic root causes of crime and practicing policies that prevent recidivism
– ending the privatization of prison, as profits in such entitles are derived from understaffing, which severely reduces the quality of care for inmates
– an end to the “war on drugs”, legalization of drugs and treating drug abuse as a health issue
– as alternatives to encouraging and supporting positive approaches to punishment that build hope, responsibility and a sense of belonging, and use of prisons as a last resort, reserved for violent criminals
– handling non-violent offenses through alternative, community-based programs including halfway houses, work-furlough, community service, electronic monitoring, restitution, and rehabilitation programs
– releasing prisoners with diagnosed mental disorders to secure mental health treatment centers, and releasing prisoners who are too old and/or infirm to pose a threat to society to less expensive, community-based facilities
– treating parole as a time of reintegration into the community, not as a continuation of sentence
– providing counseling and other services to the members of a parolee’s family, to help them with the changes caused by the parolee’s return
-restoring the right to hold public office to felons who have completed their prison sentence
– repealing “three strikes” laws, and restoring judicial discretion in sentencing

Courts & Police
The party advocates:
– sharp restriction of police use of weapons and restraining techniques such as pepper spray, stun belts, tasers and choke holds
– prohibiting property forfeiture and denial of due process for unconvicted suspects
– establishing freedom on bail as a right of all defendants charged with non-violent crimes
– incorporating mental health and social services in bail agreements
– increased compensation for jurors and provision of childcare for those serving jury duty
– protection of victims’ rights, including the opportunity for victims to make victim-impact statements and consideration of restitution to victims
– gun control as is contained in the Brady Bill (1993)
– eliminating sale of weapons without background checks
– redirection of funds presently budgeted for the “war on drugs” toward expanded research, education, counseling and treatment
– amending the Controlled Substances Act to reflect that drug use in itself is not a crime
– legalizing the possession, sale, and cultivation of cannabis/marijuana, and striking from the record prior felony convictions for marijuana possession, sale, or cultivation, and amnesty for those who have been incarcerated for the use, sale, or cultivation of marijuana

Role & Purpose of Government
The party states that:
– it seeks a world of liberty: a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and are not forced to sacrifice their values for the benefit of others
– it believes that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, that force and fraud must be banished from human relationships, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized
– consequently, it defends each person’s right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest, and welcome the diversity that freedom brings
– it seeks to build a world in which individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government or any authoritarian power
– it holds that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose
– the only proper purpose of government is the protection of individual rights. Government is constitutionally limited so as to prevent the infringement of individual rights by the government itself
– governments throughout history have regularly operated on the opposite principle, that the State has the right to dispose of the lives of individuals and the fruits of their labor
– it denies the right of government to regulate the lives of individuals or seize the fruits of their labor without their consent
– where governments exist, they must not violate the rights of any individual: namely:
(1) the right to life, accordingly it supports prohibition of the initiation of physical force against others;
(2) the right to liberty of speech and action — accordingly it opposes all attempts by government to abridge the freedom of speech and press, as well as government censorship in any form; and
(3) the right to property — accordingly it opposes all government interference with private property, such as confiscation, nationalization, and eminent domain, and support the prohibition of robbery, trespass, fraud, and misrepresentation

Representative Government & Reform
The party states that:
– it supports election systems that are more representative of the electorate at the federal, state, and local levels
– as private voluntary groups, political parties should be free to establish their own rules for nomination procedures, primaries, and conventions
– it calls for an end to any tax-financed subsidies to candidates or parties and the repeal of all laws that restrict voluntary financing of election campaigns
– it opposes laws that effectively exclude alternative candidates and parties deny ballot access, gerrymander districts, or deny the voters their right to consider all legitimate alternatives
– it advocates initiative, referendum, recall, and repeal when used as popular checks on government
– whenever any form of government becomes destructive of individual liberty, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to agree to such new governance as to them shall seem most likely to protect their liberty

Government Finance and Spending
The party states that:
– all persons are entitled to keep the fruits of their labor. It calls for the repeal of the income tax, abolishment of the Internal Revenue Service, and all federal programs and services not required under the U.S. Constitution
– it opposes any legal requirements forcing employers to serve as tax collectors
– it supports any initiative to reduce or abolish any tax, and opposes any increase on any tax for any reason
– to the extent possible, it advocates that all public services be funded in a voluntary manner

Government Debt
The party states that:
– government should not incur debt, which burdens future generations without their consent
– it supports passage of a “Balanced Budget Amendment” to the U.S. Constitution, provided that the budget is balanced exclusively by cutting expenditures, and not by raising taxes

Government Employees
The party advocates:
– repeal of any requirement that one must join or pay dues to a union as a condition of government employment
– it advocates replacing defined-benefit pensions with defined contribution plans, as are commonly offered in the private sector, so as not to impose debt on future generations without their consent

Courts & Public Safety
The party states that:
– government force must be limited to the protection of the rights of individuals to life, liberty, and property, and governments must never be permitted to violate these rights
– laws should be limited in their application to violations of the rights of others through force or fraud, or to deliberate actions that place others involuntarily at significant risk of harm

The party advocates:
– repeal of all laws creating “crimes” without victims, such as gambling, the use of drugs for medicinal or recreational purposes, and consensual transactions involving sexual services
– restitution to the victim to the fullest degree possible at the expense of the criminal or the negligent wrongdoer
– preservation of the constitutional rights of the criminally accused, including due process, a speedy trial, legal counsel, trial by jury, and the legal presumption of innocence until proven guilty
– the common-law right of juries to judge not only the facts but also the justice of the law
– ending the prosecutorial practice of “over-charging” in criminal prosecutions so as to avoid jury trials by intimidating defendants into accepting plea bargains

– ending administration of the death penalty by the state

Self-Defense
The party states that:
– the only legitimate use of force is in defense of individual rights — life, liberty, and justly acquired property — against aggression
– this right inheres in the individual, who may agree to be aided by any other individual or group
– it affirms the individual right recognized by the Second Amendment to keep and bear arms, and opposes the prosecution of individuals for exercising their rights of self-defense
– private property owners should be free to establish their own conditions regarding the presence of personal defense weapons on their own property
– it opposes all laws at any level of government restricting, registering, or monitoring the ownership, manufacture, or transfer of firearms or ammunition

International Relations & Defense
The party states that:
– the principle of non-initiation of force should guide the relationships between governments.

National Defense
The party advocates:
– maintenance of a sufficient military to defend the United States against aggression
– avoidance of entangling alliances and abandonment of national attempts to act as policeman for the world
– ending of all forms of compulsory national service.

Internal Security and Individual Rights
The party states that:
– national defense requires that the nation have adequate intelligence to detect and to counter threats to domestic security. This requirement must not take priority over maintaining the civil liberties of our citizens
– the Constitution and Bill of Rights should not be suspended even during time of war. Intelligence agencies that legitimately seek to preserve the security of the nation must be subject to oversight and transparency
– it opposes governmental use of secret classifications to keep from the public information that it should have, especially that which shows that the government has violated the law
– it opposes the use of torture and other cruel and unusual punishments, without exception

International Affairs
The party states that
– American foreign policy should seek an America at peace with the world. Our foreign policy should emphasize defense against attack from abroad and enhance the likelihood of peace by avoiding foreign entanglements
– it would end the current U.S. government policy of foreign intervention, including military and economic aid
– it recognizes the right of all people to resist tyranny and defend themselves and their rights.
– it condemns the use of force, and especially the use of terrorism, against the innocent, regardless of whether such acts are committed by governments or by political or revolutionary groups

Free Trade and Migration
The party states that:
– it supports removal of governmental impediments to free trade
– political freedom and escape from tyranny demand that individuals not be unreasonably constrained by government in the crossing of political boundaries
– economic freedom demands the unrestricted movement of human as well as financial capital across national border

The proper role of Government
The party states:
– that all are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
– the Constitution is not a flexible document, but an enduring covenant, and that the constitutional system of limited government, separation of powers, federalism, and the rights of the people must be preserved uncompromised for future generations
– that political and economic freedom are indivisible
– that Government cannot create prosperity, but can limit or destroy it; that prosperity is the product of self-discipline, enterprise, saving and investment by individuals, but it is not an end in itself, but the means by which citizens and their families can maintain their independence from government, raise their children by their own values, practice their faith, and build communities of cooperation and mutual respect

Stewardship of Office

Taxes & Budget
The party states that the federal debt threatens the security, liberty, and independence of the nation

The party advocates:
– a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget, with exceptions only for war and legitimate emergencies
– application of the following test in budgeting:  is a proposed expenditure a constitutional federal expense?  Has it been effective in the past?  Is it so important as to justify borrowing?
– re-writing the tax code anew, to simplify it and to include a common-sense approach
– lowering of any tax rates that penalize thrift or discourage investment, including corporate income tax rates
– elimination of special-interest provisions and loopholes, and corporate welfare
– being mindful of the burdens on families with children, and the impact on an aging population
– because of the vital role of religious organizations, charities, and fraternal benevolent societies in fostering generosity and patriotism, they should not be subject to taxation and donations to them should remain deductible.

Programs
– in order to put them on a secure financial footing, modernizing Medicare and Medicaid, and empowering their participants
– reviewing all proposals for modernizing Social Security
– based on the belief that non-cash benefits provided to federal workers cost three times as much as those in the private sector, bringing compensation, including benefits of federal employees into line with compensation in the private sector
– streamlining procedures to fire bad federal workers

Accountability
The party advocates:
– reform of the IRS, to curb internal abuses and improper denial of charitable status to organizations with conservative and pro-life agendas

Democratic Reform
The party states that it:
– opposes the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact and all other schemes to abolish or distort the procedures of the Electoral College
– advocates term limits for Members of Congress, by Constitutional Amendment
– pledges to protect citizens’ rights of conscience when the are harassed or denied jobs because of support for candidates or causes
– supports state and local efforts to ensure ballot access for the elderly, the handicapped and all other legitimate voters
– support requirements for proof of citizenship when registering to vote, and secure ID when voting
– advocate voter-verified paper voting trails, for audits and vigilance regarding online credit card contributions to campaigns or candidates, to guard against foreign involvement in elections
– advocates legislation to apportion representatives according to citizen population, rather than resident population

Peace & International Relations
The party states that it:
– wishes for peace, and so insists on strength.  It seeks friendship with all peoples and nations, but recognizes and is prepared to deal with evil in the world
– affirms the wisdom of President Washington’s warning against foreign entanglements and unnecessary alliances, and the necessity of senate approval for treaties
– advocates strict compliance with Constitutional Senate ratification of treaties, including retroactively

United Nations
The party advocates:
– continued participation in the UN, contingent on enactment of reforms, including transparency in UN salaries; membership of the Human Rights Council; equitable treatment of Israel
– refusal of participation in UN agreements, including UN conventions on women’s rights, children’s rights, persons with disabilities, arms trade and UN conference on Environment and Development
– rejection of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court

Middle East
The party advocates:
– unequivocal support for Israel, including commitment to Israel’s security
– isolating Hezbollah and destroying ISIS, and restoring Lebanon’s independence
– transition to a post-Assad Syria
– remaining allied with Iraq so long as ISIS survives; supporting the Kurdish people

Asian Pacific
The party advocates:
– North Korean nuclear disarmament
– defense of Taiwan against Chinese attack
– caution in relations with China
– supporting democracy in India, and expanded foreign investment and trade
– caution in continued relations with Pakistan

Europe
The party advocates:
– increased European support for NATO
– cooperation with Russia to end terrorism, support personal liberty, combat nuclear proliferation, and promote trade
– caution with respect to Russian militarism, and repudiation of Russian expansion in Ukraine or elsewhere

Americas
The party advocates:
– continued cooperation with United States and Mexico
– resistance against Marxist dictators in Venezuela and elsewhere
– reconciliation with Cuba following regime change

Africa
The party states that:
– both the United States and its many African allies will become stronger through investment, trade, and promotion of the democratic and free market principles that have brought prosperity around the world. We pledge to be the best partner of all African nations in their pursuit of economic freedom and human rights
– it supports closer cooperation in both military and economic matters with those fighting Boko Haram and al-Shabaab

Global Environment
The party:
– rejects the Paris Climate Accord and Kyoto Agreements

Peacekeeping & Embargoes
The party advocates:
– maintaining and increasing, if appropriate, sanctions against Russia until Ukraine’s territory and sovereignty are restored
– greater coordination with NATO defense planning

Refugees & Humanitarian Aid
The party states that:
– foreign aid must serve America’s interests first. In today’s world of complex challenges, international assistance is a critical tool for advancing America’s security and economic interests by preventing conflict, building stability, opening markets for private investment, and responding to suffering and need with the compassion that is at the heart of our country’s values
– the advance of political freedom and entrepreneurial capitalism drives economic growth, catalyzes private sector development, and is the only sustainable solution to poverty
– the US needs a radical rethinking of its human rights diplomacy

The party advocates:
– adopting a “whole of government” approach to protect fundamental freedoms globally, to integrate pressing human rights and rule of law issues at every appropriate level of bilateral relationships and strategic decision making
– ensuring that polices reflect the increasing dependency of the health of the U.S. economy and environment, the safety of the nation’s food and drug supplies, the security of  its investments and personal information in cyberspace, and the stability and security of the oceans on allowing the free flow  of news and information and developing  an independent judiciary and civil society in countries with repressive governments such as China, Russia, and many nations in the Middle East and Africa

Trade
The party advocates:
– better negotiated trade agreements that put America first, to foster job creation
– broadening of trade agreements which share American values and commitments to fairness and transparency
– rejection of trade agreements that do not adequately protect US sovereignty or interests, or which have been dishonored
– stricter trade reciprocity, particularly with China

Arms Sales
The party advocates refusal of participation in UN agreements, including UN arms trade agreement

National Defense & Security
The party regards itself as the party of peace through strength. It believes that American exceptionalism -the notion that American ideas and principles give the nation a unique place of moral leadership in the world

The party advocates:
– rebuilding the US military to the mightiest on earth, with vast superiority over any other nation or group of nations
– nuclear rearmament
– abandoning arms-control treaties
– funding and development of a multi-layered missile defense system
– development of a balanced force to meet diverse threats, including a Reagan-era force that can fight and win two-and one-half wars ranging from counterterrorism to deterring major power aggressors
– responding to cyber attacks with diplomatic, financial, and legal pain, including curtailment of visas, freezing of assets, and criminal prosecution
– preparation for defense against an electromagnetic pulse attack
– promotion of a free and open internet based on principles of free expression and universal values, and support of citizens and companies fighting authoritarian countries to circumvent internet firewalls

Criminal Justice & Public Safety
The party advocates:
– caution in the making of new federal crimes, by statute or regulation, and mens rea requirements
– codification of the Common Law rule of Lenity, requiring courts to interpret unclear statutes in favor of defendants
– proper focusing of federal law enforcement on the protection of federal property and interstate crime, rather than matters best handled by states
– states’ rights to enact capital punishment
– competitive acquisition of defense requirements
– continued use of mandatory sentences
– enhancement of victims’ rights, including information pertaining to sentencing and parole hearings, access to legal and social services, restitution
– increased educational opportunities for incarcerated offenders