Investigate what the two major political parties have to say about a political issue that is important

Overview

As you are likely aware, political parties draft and ratify platforms during their quadrennial conventions. These platforms outline the positions that parties take on the political issues of the day. Candidates whom the parties nominate are not obliged to agree with the party platforms or to pursue policies that the platforms advocate. Nevertheless, the platforms provide insights into what is important to the political parties as a whole.

This assignment calls upon you to investigate what the two major political parties have to say about a political issue that is important to you as well as to reflect on how the parties’ positions on that issue have evolved over recent election cycles.

To begin, select a political issue that matters to you. It could be abortion, minimum wage, climate change, immigration, taxes, etc. Then, search through the following documents to find out how the two political parties approach these issues. Pay close attention not only to what the documents say but also to how much they emphasize the issue you selected and the extent to which their positions have evolved.

Recent Democratic Party Platforms

2020 Democratic Party Platform

2016 Democratic Party Platform

2012 Democratic Party Platform

Recent Republican Party Platforms

2020 Republican Party Platform (Note: the Republicans voted to re-adopt their 2016 platform)

2012 Republican Party Platform

Assignment

After reading the above commentaries, please write a 4-6 page paper that addresses the following questions: What positions have the parties taken on your chosen issue? To what extent have the parties’ positions evolved over time? Why do you think that the parties have changed their position (or not changed it)? You might also comment on how heavily the two parties emphasize (or don’t emphasize) your issue. However, please remember that you should NOT comment on your personal views.

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