Ronald Reagan on VoteMatch

VoteMatch Responses (Click here for VoteMatch quiz)
VoteMatch Question & Answer (Click on question for explanation and background)	Based on these stances: (Click on topic for excerpt & citation)
Opposes topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (-3 points on Social scale)	Instituted global gag order on family planning: Opposes topic 1 Opposed abortion, on fundamentalist grounds: Opposes topic 1 Allowed abortion as CA Gov.; didn’t push pro-life as Pres.: Favors topic 1 Abortion on demand must be outlawed: Opposes topic 1 Abortion on demand does emotional harm: Strongly Opposes topic 1 As CA governor, reluctantly signed Therapeutic Abortion bill: Favors topic 1
No opinion on topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (0 points on Economic scale)	Supported Bob Jones Univ.’s miscegeny policy, inadvertently: Neutral on topic 2 Promised to appoint a female Justice; O’Connor was the first: Favors topic 2 Opposed Voting Rights Act of 1965 as “humiliating to South”: Opposes topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-5 points on Social scale)	Slow to fight AIDS; focused on prevention: Opposes topic 3 Viewed AIDS biblically, like sins of sex & abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Gay teachers should not advocate their lifestyle to students: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant: Favors topic 4 Supported mandatory prayer in the public schools: Strongly Favors topic 4 Supported school prayer but didn’t push it: Favors topic 4 Supports constitutional amendment to allow prayer in schools: Strongly Favors topic 4
Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-3 points on Social scale)	Oversaw one execution as CA Gov., supported death penalty: Favors topic 8
Favors topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (-3 points on Social scale)	Approved three new prisons and 6% growth in law enforcement: Favors topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	Carried a pistol as president on his ranch & to the USSR: Favors topic 10
Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (+2 points on Economic scale)	Despite accusations, didn’t much cut Medicare: Opposes topic 5
No opinion on topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	1983: Ironclad commitment to Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Wanted to privatize retirement, but never had opportunity: Strongly Favors topic 6
Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+2 points on Economic scale)	Targeted Dept. of Education to be abolished, but failed: Favors topic 7
No opinion on topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (0 points on Economic scale)	Decontrolled oil prices, but didn’t fill oil reserves: Neutral on topic 18 Dismissed acid rain proposals as burdensome to industry: Opposes topic 18 Western enviro ethic: pro-development, common-sense: Favors topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-5 points on Social scale)	Fought drugs beyond “Just Say No”: Strongly Favors topic 19
Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+2 points on Economic scale)	Cut back AFDC & other targeted poverty programs: Favors topic 20 Championed “workfare” as California Governor: Favors topic 20
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+5 points on Economic scale)	OpEd: Cut capital gains to end worse recession than 2008's: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Reaganomics: generate growth by stimulating the supply side: Strongly Opposes topic 11 25% tax cut early, then overhaul tax system & reduce rates: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Serious on tax simplification; mocked as “secret tax plan”: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Tax reform's goal: replace incomprehensible system: Opposes topic 11 1986 Tax Reform: reduce top rate from 50% to 28%: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Success should not be penalized by high taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+5 points on Social scale)	1986 reform legalized 3 million undocumented immigrants: Strongly Favors topic 12 1986: One-time amnesty for illegal aliens: Strongly Favors topic 12 Allow free movement of people from Mexico & Canada: Favors topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	1985: Vetoed import tariffs on textile goods: Strongly Favors topic 13 U.S. economy does not need master planners, just freedom: Favors topic 13 Proposed concept behind NAFTA in 1979: Strongly Favors topic 13
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the armed forces (-5 points on Social scale)	Build morale & increase fire power to combat Communism: Strongly Favors topic 15 1985: $68B in spending cuts; but SDI funding doubled: Strongly Favors topic 15 SDI: intercept and destroy ballistic missiles: Favors topic 15 Defense is not a budget issue; do B-1, MX, Trident & Stealth: Strongly Favors topic 15
No opinion on topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Opposes topic 17: US out of Iraq & Afghanistan (-3 points on Social scale)	Strong support for Saddam Hussein throughout 1980s: Opposes topic 17 Supported Saddam in Iraq against Iran: Opposes topic 17 Called USSR “Evil Empire,” but signed an anti-nuke deal: Opposes topic 17 Ignored ICJ ruling against mining Nicaraguan harbors: Opposes topic 17