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Alfred Sharpton, Jr.'s Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Key

Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.
What is the Political Courage Test?

Presidential Election 2004 National Political Awareness Test

The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

a) Abortions should always be illegal.
X b) Abortions should always be legal.
c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
f) Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and notification requirements as decided by each state government.
g) Prohibit the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as "partial-birth" abortion.
h) Prohibit public funding of abortions and of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
i) Provide funding for family planning programs as a means to decrease the number of abortions.
j) Other or expanded principles

Budget PrioritiesUsing the key below, indicate what levels of federal funding you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category.

Greatly Increase Funding a) Agriculture
Slightly Increase Funding b) Arts
Maintain Funding Status c) Defense
Greatly Increase Funding d) Education
Greatly Increase Funding e) Environment
Slightly Increase Funding f) Homeland security
Greatly Increase Funding g) International aid
Maintain Funding Status h) Law enforcement
Greatly Increase Funding i) Medical research
Greatly Increase Funding j) National parks
Greatly Increase Funding k) Public health services
Greatly Increase Funding l) Scientific research
m) Space exploration programs
Greatly Increase Funding n) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Greatly Increase Funding o) Welfare
p) Other
q) Other

Defense SpendingUsing the key below, indicate what levels of federal funding you support for the following categories. Select one number per category.

Greatly Increase Funding a) Armed Forces personnel training
Maintain Funding Status b) Intelligence operations
Maintain Funding Status c) Military hardware
Maintain Funding Status d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment
Eliminate Funding e) National missile defense
Greatly Increase Funding f) Pay for active duty personnel
Slightly Increase Funding g) Programs to improve troop retention rates
Slightly Decrease Funding h) Research and development of new weapons
Maintain Funding Status i) Troop and equipment readiness
j) Other
k) Other

TaxesUsing the key below, indicate what levels you support regarding taxes, deductions, and tax credits in the following categories. Select one number per category.Income Taxes:Family IncomeRetiree IncomeOther Taxes:Deductions/Credits:

Eliminate a) Less than $25,000
Greatly Decrease b) $25,000-$75,000
Maintain Status c) $75,000-$150,000
Slightly Increase d) Over $150,000
e) Other
Maintain Status f) Over $40,000
g) Other
Slightly Increase a) Alcohol taxes
Slightly Increase b) Capital gains taxes
Slightly Increase c) Cigarette taxes
Greatly Increase d) Corporate taxes
Slightly Decrease e) Gasoline taxes
Slightly Increase f) Inheritance taxes
g) Other
Slightly Increase a) Charitable contributions
Greatly Increase b) Child tax credit
Greatly Increase c) Earned income tax credit
Greatly Increase d) Medical expense deduction
Maintain Status e) Mortgage deduction
Greatly Increase f) Student loan credit
g) Other
No 4) Do you support permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
No 5) Do you support eliminating taxes on dividends paid to individual investors?
Yes 6) Should a married couple filing jointly pay the same taxes as if they were an unmarried couple filing separately?
7) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.

X a) Support public taxpayer funding for federal candidates who comply with campaign spending limits.
b) Eliminate publicly financed matching funds for presidential campaigns.
X c) Raise campaign spending limits for presidential candidates who wish to receive matching funds.
d) Increase the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
e) Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
f) Ban unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
g) Ban ads paid for by soft money that support or attack a candidate for federal office.
h) Ban issue advocacy commercials by corporations, labor unions, and non-profit groups which appear within 60 days of a general election and within 30 days of a primary election.
i) Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
j) Require unions to give members the option of not having dues used for political purposes.
k) Do you support instant run-off voting (IRV)?
Yes l) Should Election Day be a national holiday?
Yes m) Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
No n) Should marriage be restricted to a union only between a man and a woman?
o) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

a) Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
X b) Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
c) Impose "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve full sentences with no chance of parole.
X d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X e) Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
f) Increase funding for community policing programs.
X g) Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
h) Support additional criminal penalties if a fetus is killed in the commission of a federal crime against a pregnant woman.
X i) Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
X j) Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth.
X k) Impose stricter penalties for those convicted of white-collar crimes.
X l) Enforcement of civil rights should primarily be the responsibility of the federal government.
m) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
n) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding drugs.

a) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
X b) Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs.
X c) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
X d) Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
e) Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S.
f) Eliminate federal funding for programs associated with the "war on drugs."
g) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

a) Support national standards for and testing of public school students.
b) Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any public school.
c) Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any private school.
d) Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any religious school.
e) Allow teachers and professionals to receive authorization and funding to establish charter schools.
X f) Increase funding for block grants to states to help them hire additional teachers.
g) Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
X h) Increase funding for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings, infrastructure, and technology).
X i) Eliminate restrictions on federal education funding, giving educators or local school districts more flexibility to design and to implement programs.
X j) Support granting states limited control over Head Start programs.
X k) Support changing the mission of Head Start to improving the math and reading skills of disadvantaged children.
l) Providing education is not a responsibility of the federal government.
X m) Support affirmative action in public college admissions.
X n) Increase funding of programs such as Pell grants and Stafford loans to help students pay for college.
X o) Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
p) Other or expanded principles

1) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.2) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action.

X a) Increase funding for national job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
b) Reduce government regulation of the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
X c) Provide tax credits or grants to businesses that offer employee child care services.
X d) Encourage employers to offer flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
e) Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
X f) Increase the federal minimum wage.
X g) Support the right of workers to strike without fear of being permanently replaced.
X h) Allow workers to sell company stock and to diversify their company retirement funds into other investment options.
i) Other or expanded principles
X a) The federal government should consider race and gender in government contracting decisions.
b) The federal government should discontinue affirmative action programs.
X c) The federal government should continue affirmative action programs.
X d) Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
e) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

X a) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
X b) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
X c) Require states to compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses of privately-owned land.
X d) Exempt the military from some environmental regulations.
e) Relax logging restrictions on federal lands.
f) Relax standards on federal lands to allow increased recreational usage.
g) Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
X h) Strengthen emission controls and fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
i) Support opening a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration.
X j) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
X k) Support use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
l) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits.
X m) Support the U.S. re-entering the Kyoto treaty process to limit global warming.
n) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.

X a) Renew the ban on the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
X b) Maintain the current level of enforcement of existing federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
X c) Strengthen the enforcement of existing federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
d) Ease federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
e) Repeal federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
f) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
X g) Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
X h) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
X i) Require a license for gun possession.
X j) Establish a national database of ballistic "fingerprints" to track guns used in criminal activities.
k) Support legislation that would protect manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers of firearms from civil lawsuits by crime victims.
l) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health care.

a) Providing health care is not a responsibility of the federal government.
X b) Implement a universal health care program to guarantee coverage to all Americans regardless of income.
X c) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes appeal mechanisms when claims are denied.
X d) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes the right to sue when claims are denied.
e) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
f) Establish limits on the amount of punitive damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
X g) Support prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
X h) Support prescription drug coverage under private managed care plans.
X i) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
X j) Support automatic enrollment of children in federal health care programs such as CHIP and Medicaid.
k) Allow 55-65 year-olds to buy into Medicare.
X l) Support stem cell research on existing lines of stem cells.
X m) Allow laboratories to create lines of stem cells for additional research.
n) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.

a) Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
b) Establish English as the official national language.
c) Increase the number of visas issued for agricultural workers.
X d) Relax restrictions barring legal immigrants from using social programs (e.g. public housing, food stamps).
X e) Support amnesty for certain illegal immigrants who already reside in the United States.
f) Support the detention of asylum seekers from countries known to sponsor terrorism.
g) Other or expanded principles

International AidIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding U.S. economic assistance.

X a) Aid should be granted to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
X b) Aid should be granted to countries when it is in the security interests of the U.S.
X c) Aid should be eliminated for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
d) Aid programs should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
e) Other or expanded principles

International Policy1) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the Middle East.2) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Central and East Asia.3) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the United Nations.

Yes a) Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
Yes b) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
Yes c) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
d) Discuss your proposals for the reconstruction of Iraq. What funding sources would you use to implement these proposals? (100 words or less. Please use an attached page if the space below is not adequate.)
e) Other or expanded principles
Yes a) Should the U.S. use diplomatic pressure to encourage North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program?
Yes b) Should the U.S. use economic pressure to encourage North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program?
No c) Should the U.S. use military force to destroy the North Korean nuclear weapons program?
No d) Should the U.S. remove the North Korean government from power?
Yes e) Should the U.S. increase financial support to Afghanistan?
f) Should the U.S. increase military support to Afghanistan?
g) Other or expanded principles
Yes a) Should the U.S. increase participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions?
Yes b) Should the U.S. commit military troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions?
No c) Should the U.S. withdraw completely from the United Nations?
d) Other or expanded principles
Yes 4) Should the U.S. have full diplomatic relations with Cuba?
Yes 5) Should the U.S increase its financial support to Colombia to combat "the War on Drugs"?
Yes 6) Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs fund abstinence education and distribution of contraceptives?
No 7) Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention fund abstinence education only?
8) Other or expanded principles

International TradeIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.

No 1) Do you support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
No 2) Do you support the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)?
No 3) Do you support continued U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO)?
4) Should a nation's human rights record affect its normal trade relations (most favored nation) status with the United States?
No 5) Do you support the trade embargo against Cuba?
Yes 6) Should trade agreements include provisions to protect workers' rights and to address environmental concerns?
7) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding national security.

No a) Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civil courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
No b) Should the U.S. adopt stricter rules for student visa applications from nations known to sponsor terrorism?
No c) Should the U.S. grant law enforcement agencies greater discretion to read mail and email, tap phones, and conduct random searches to prevent future terrorist attacks?
Yes d) Should the U.S. hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?
Yes e) Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security?
No f) Do you support a policy of pre-emptive strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to national security?
g) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Social Security.

a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts which they manage themselves.
b) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts managed by private firms contracted by the government.
c) Invest a portion of Social Security's assets collectively in stocks and bonds instead of U.S. Treasury securities.
X d) Increase the payroll tax to better finance Social Security in its current form.
e) Lower Social Security's annual cost-of-living increases.
f) Raise the retirement age for when individuals are eligible to receive full Social Security benefits.
g) Other of expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding technology and communication.

X a) Collect taxes on commercial Internet transactions.
b) Continue the moratorium on Internet taxation.
c) Implement regulation of Internet content.
d) Support government mandates to curtail violent and sexual content on television.
X e) Support strict penalties for Internet crimes such as hacking.
X f) Support legislation to detail how personal information can be collected and used on the Internet.
g) Regulating the Internet is not a responsibility of the federal government.
X h) Impose regulations on "spam" emails.
i) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.

a) Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs.
X b) Increase funding for child care programs.
c) Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
d) Direct federal poverty aid through religious, community-based, or other non-profit organizations.
e) Abolish all federal welfare programs.
X f) Support housing assistance for low-income families.
g) Support funding for programs to promote marriage.
h) Other or expanded principles
Explain in a total of 200 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected President of the United States. If these priorities require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.

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