Policy+Research+Team

=Policy Research Team=

Issue Analysis
Odyssey students in 5-3 have been working hard to understand the 6 big issues facing their candidate and where their candidate stands on each issue.
 * ~ Issue ||~ John McCain ||~ Barack Obama ||
 * < Education ||< * Likes 'No Child Left Behind' Act.
 * Believes schools should be flexible, innovative and student centered.
 * Believes parents should be able to choose what school their child goes to.
 * Would like a defined idea of home schooling.
 * Reward good teachers and schools, offer bad teachers another career choice, put poor performing schools out of business. ||< * Believes in early childhood education.
 * "Zero to Five Plan" - would educate parents on early care for infants; would like a universal preschool program in U.S.
 * Would like to reform 'No Child Left Behind' Act
 * Support poorly performing schools
 * Make math and science national priorities
 * Hire qualified teachers and reward those who made progress with students. ||
 * < Environment ||< * Would like to use alternative energy sources, like nuclear power.
 * Believes we should use less oil from other countries.
 * Support mandatory systems to reduce pollution and the amount of air pollution from companies. ||< * Create a government program which would share climate friendly technology with other countries.
 * Clean up at home - put in place a mandatory system that would reduce carbon emissions.
 * Give incentives to automotive companies to create more fuel efficient vehicles.
 * Believes the U.S. should lead a global effort to reduce emissions - since we are one of the largest producers of greenhouse gases. ||
 * < Health Care ||< * Would like the patients to be the center of care and help them more than disease prevention.
 * Give more money to research for diseases.
 * Promote competition throughout the health care system, between providers and among alternative treatments.
 * Would like to make health insurance more affordable. ||< * Would like to lower costs and have insurance coverage for all children.
 * Make insurance spend more on patient care.
 * Expand eligibility to more people for government funded health care programs.
 * Would like to give the public the option to choose health care plans that are similar to government employees. ||
 * < Iraq ||< * Believes that it is essential for the U.S. to support Iraq.
 * Believes there should be more troops sent to Iraq.
 * Troops should stay in Iraq until there is everlasting peace. ||< * Opposes sending more troops to Iraq.
 * Has a plan to withdraw all troops in 16 months.
 * Feels that the future of Iraq is up to them.
 * Would talk to Iraqi government about peace.
 * Would give $2 billion to Iraq to expand services to Iraqi refugees,
 * Would like to keep neighboring countries out of Iraq. ||
 * < Jobs and the Economy ||< * Keep tax rates low for everyone.
 * Cut back on wasteful government spending.
 * Teach and train Americans so they don't lose their jobs to foreign workers. ||< * Raise minimum wage to help workers pay for cost of living.
 * Create new laws to protect people who take out loans to own their home.
 * Work to keep local businesses successful. ||
 * < Terrorism and National Security ||< * Would like to strengthen the amount of men and women in the armed forces.
 * Wants to expand the knowledge of terrorist groups - while protecting the rights of U.S. citizens and following international rules for treating enemy combatants.
 * Expand missile defense - unmanned weapons - that can respond to an attack from hostile countries instead of sending troops. ||< * Would increase security at chemical plants and hazardous sites, especially near highly populated areas.
 * Would make formal, nationwide systems for the evacuation of people and reuniting of families in the event of an emergency.
 * Allocate money for anti-terrorism and security for highly populated areas. ||