The Platform of the American People

Go to AmericanSolutions.com/research for the results of the six polls which helped us understand the key concerns of the American people.

This version includes the percent support for each item. They are listed as percent support first and then percent opposed.

The two political parties can find many issues on which to disagree and fight.

It would be a healthy change if they could begin by recognizing the values and concerns of the vast majority of Americans and jointly agree to a core platform which could bring us together before turning to divisive issues which polarize people into separate camps.

We call these unifying issues the “Platform of the American People.”

Our hope is that beginning with local conventions up through district, state and the national conventions both political parties will consider adopting this “Platform of the American People” as the foundation from which they can then pick other topics on which to disagree.

Imagine how much healthier America would be if in January 2009 both parties were committed to adopting a series of issues the American people favored by large majorities.

THE PLATFORM OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

AMERICAN VALUES AND AMERICAN SOLUTIONS

There are values which unite a large majority of Americans. (86 to 10)
We want to strengthen and revitalize America’s core values. (80 to 9)

Our goal should be to provide long-term solutions instead of short-term fixes. (92 to 5)

Government clearly has to change the way it operates and bring in ideas and systems currently employed to increase productivity and effectiveness in the private sector. (74 to 16)

The changes we need in government have to occur in all 513,000 elected offices throughout the country and cannot be achieved by focusing only on Washington. (84 to 12)

ENGLISH AND AMERICAN CIVILIZATION

click here for complete data – PDF file
ENGLISH

• English should be the official language of government. (87 to 11)
• All election ballots and other government documents should be printed in English. (74 to 23)
• New immigrants should be required to learn English. (83 to 17)
• Government should offer intensive English language instruction to all who need it, including stipends to help immigrants attend the programs. (83 to 15)
• Businesses should be able to require employees to speak the English language while on the job. (80 to 17)

 

AMERICAN CIVILIZATION

• The United States should only grant citizenship to those who want to embrace American values and culture. (68 to 29)
• It is important to have references to God in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Declaration of Independence-that we are endowed by our Creator with the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness-because they make clear that certain rights can’t be taken away by government. (84 to 13)
• Statements regarding religion and morality made by the Founding Fathers are just as important today as they were 200 years ago. (86to 12)
• We reject the idea that the times change and the language in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Declaration of Independence must change with the times. The language in the Pledge and the Declaration are very important and must be protected. (86 to 12)
• Public schools should teach more American history. (56 to 35)

 

IMMIGRATION, THE BORDER, AND ASSIMILATION

 

The American people favor legal immigration, control of the border, ending illegal immigration with an emphasis on employer responsibility, immediate deportation of felons who are here illegally, a requirement to return home to become legal temporary workers, assimilation of those who sincerely want to become American, and a sophisticated, technologically advanced temporary worker system.

 

Specifically:

• The American people want to increase the number of visas for highly-educated immigrants or those with special skills, the so-called H1B and H2B visas. (63 to 29)
• The American people believe border control is a security issue. Terrorists are trying to enter the United States illegally. (86 to 12)
• Illegal immigrants who commit felonies should be deported. (88 to 10)
• There should be a worker visa program making it easier for people to work legally in the United States. (83 to 16)
• Allowing illegal immigrants to remain in this country undermines respect for the law. Therefore to join a worker visa program workers must apply from their own country. They could not apply from the United States and must return home first. (69 to 27)
• When applying for a temporary worker visa each worker should take an oath to obey American law and be deported if they commit a crime while in the United States. (93 to 8)
• In a worker visa program each worker will receive a tamper-proof identification card that will allow the government to track him or her. (89 to 11)
• Each worker will go to immigration centers in their home country that will help them find jobs in the United States so they apply for a visa with a job in hand. (84 to 14)
• A real time verification system should be established to verify immigration status and it should be outsourced to companies like American Express, Visa, or MasterCard so businesses can immediately identify whether or not someone has forged papers. (73 to 20)
• No company should market services such as credit cards or bank accounts specifically to people who are in the United States illegally. (78 to 18)
• There should be heavy monetary fines against employers and businesses who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. (78 to 20)
• The Internal Revenue Service should conduct audits of companies who hire illegal immigrants to determine if those companies have paid the taxes they owe. (83 to 15)

 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• There will be incredible possibilities to meet our country’s challenges in a variety of fields because in the next 25 years there will be four to seven times the amount of new science and technology in the world as in the last 25 years. (88 to7)
• Therefore we should dramatically increase our investment in math and science education. (91 to 8)

PRIZES

• Prizes should be given to companies and individuals that invent creative ways to solve problems.
• We support giving large financial prizes to companies and individuals who invent an affordable car that gets 100 miles to the gallon. (77 to 15)
  • We support giving a large financial prize to the first company or individual who invents new ways to successfully cut pollution. (79to 18)
  • We support giving a large financial prize to the first company or individual who invents a new, safer way to dispose of nuclear waste products. (79 to 16)

   

   

ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

(click here for complete data – PDF file)

TAXES AND JOBS

(click here for complete data – PDF file)

• The federal income tax system is unfair. (69 to 27)
• The death tax should be abolished. (65 to 32)
• We favor tax incentives for companies who keep their headquarters in the United States. (70 to 26)
• Taxpayers should be given the option of a single income tax rate of 17%. Taxpayers would still have the option of filing their taxes in the current system if they choose to do so. (61 to 32)
• The option of a single rate system should give taxpayers the convenience of filing their taxes with just a single sheet of paper. (82 to 15)
• We favor the option of a single corporate tax rate of 17% that would lower taxes for some businesses that pay up to 38% while also closing loopholes that some corporations use to pay less in taxes. (74 to 22)
• The United States has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the industrialized world making it difficult for U.S. corporations to compete internationally which gives incentives for companies to move overseas. This plan will make America a more attractive place for businesses that provide good paying jobs. (68 to 14)

SOCIAL SECURITY AND RETIREMENT

It is important for the President and Congress to address the issue of Social Security in the next few years. (96 to 2)

• The current Social Security systems is broken and, if it isn’t reformed, future generations will no longer have it as a safety net for retirement.
  (80 to 19)
• We favor a Social Security proposal in which Personal Social Security Savings Accounts would be optional, with workers given the choice of continuing to depend on the current system with current benefits. (64 to 31)
• We favor a Social Security proposal in which, when a worker retires, he or she would use the money in the account to buy an annuity, which is a type of financial benefit that will give monthly payments for the rest of the worker’s life. The annuity will pay at least the same amount as traditional Social Security would. (67 to 27)
• We favor this Social Security proposal because in the current system, workers cannot pass onto their family members the money they paid into Social Security. This would not be the case in this new plan. (59 to 23)
• We favor a Social Security proposal in which any money in the account left after the purchase of an annuity would be the property of the worker and the extra money can be left to family members at death. (80 to 17)

 

 

FREEDOM OF RELIGION
(click here for complete data – PDF file)

• References to the Creator in the Declaration of Independence are very important. (87 to 9)
• Keeping the reference to “One Nation Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance is very important. (88 to 11)
• We reject the Ninth Federal Circuit Court declaring the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional because the Court believes the Pledge’s reference to “God” violates the separation of Church and State. (82 to 15)
• The phrase “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance is perfectly in line with the United States Constitution. We reject that this phrase violates the separation of Church and State. (82 to 15)
• Separation between Church and State does not mean there can be no references to God in government sanctioned activities or public buildings. (81 to 16)
• The best way to ensure religious freedom is to protect ALL religious references and symbols; including those on public buildings, lands, or documents. (83 to 16)
• It is important to acknowledge today that the references to God in the Declaration of Independence -that we are endowed by our Creator with the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (93 to 6)
• Children should be allowed a moment of silence to pray for themselves in public school if they desire. (94 to 5)
• We reject banning all prayer in public schools. (82 to 16)
• We support the right of high schools students saying thanks to God in a graduation speech. (79to 20)
• We approve of a Christmas tree or a Menorah being placed on public property during the holiday season. (90 to 7)
• We favor a law to protect city, county, and state lands that have crosses or other religious symbols from being removed. (68 to 28)
• Many of the problems our country faces are because America is no longer as religious and moral as it once was and are not a result of changes in the economy, war, public education and other issues. (65 to 30)
• The Founding Fathers understood that religion and morality were important to creating and building this country and talked about it regularly. This was understood throughout American history and is central to America’s success today. We reject those who say that just because America has a 200 year history of religion in government doesn’t make it right. We reject that this violates the U.S. Constitution and discriminates against those who are of other faiths or are not religious. (79 to 17)
• Statements regarding religion and morality made by the Founding Fathers are just as important today as they were 200 years ago. (86 to 12)

DEFENDING AMERICA
(click here for complete data – PDF file)

• We must help defend America and her allies. (85 to 10)
• We must defeat America’s enemies. (75 to 16)
• We have to be prepared to survive an attack by a nuclear, biological, or chemical weapon. (83 to 17)
• Al Qaeda poses a very serious threat for the United States. (93 to 5)
• It will not be possible to negotiate with terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. (79 to 19)
• America should take the threat of terror by fanatical religious groups more seriously. (83 to 13)
• Iran poses a serious threat to the United States. (85 to 14)
• Hezbollah and Hamas pose a serious threat to the United States. (67 to 17)
• There should be a death penalty for someone caught and convicted of carrying out a terrorist attack in the United States. (79 to 18)
• Congress should make it a crime to advocate acts of terrorism or violent conduct or the killing of innocent people in the United States. (83 to 12)
• The Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies should develop programs to teach Americans what they can do as individuals to help in the fight against terror. (82 to 13)
• Terrorist websites at home and abroad should be closed down using computer warfare. (77 to 16)
  
  
  
  

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