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)
Strongly Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (+5 points on Social scale)	Strongly pro-choice; fight for contraceptive equality: Strongly Favors topic 1 Let military perform abortions in cases of rape or incest: Favors topic 1 Endorsed by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice stance: Strongly Favors topic 1 Ban anti-abortion limitations on abortion services: Strongly Favors topic 1 Access safe, legal abortion without restrictions: Strongly Favors topic 1 Focus on preventing pregnancy, plus emergency contraception: Favors topic 1 Endorsed Endorsed by EMILY's list for pro-choice Democratic women: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on banning federal health coverage that includes abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Work towards pay equity for women: Strongly Favors topic 2 Constitutional Amendment for women's equal rights: Strongly Favors topic 2 Increase funding for occupational & physical therapy: Favors topic 2 Endorsed as "preferred" by The Feminist Majority indicating pro-women's rights: Strongly Favors topic 2 Sponsored removing deadline for ratification of the ERA: Strongly Favors topic 2 More funding & services for victims of domestic violence: Strongly Favors topic 2 Enforce against wage discrimination based on gender: Strongly Favors topic 2 Recognize 1961 Freedom Riders against segregated buses: Strongly Favors topic 2 Ban discriminatory compensation; allow 2 years to sue: Favors topic 2 Stronger enforcement against gender-based pay discrimination: Favors topic 2 YES on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	No discrimination based on gender identity & orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3 ENDA: prohibit employment discrimination for gays: Favors topic 3 Repeal Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell, and reinstate discharged gays: Favors topic 3 Prohibit sexual-identity discrimination at schools: Strongly Favors topic 3 Enforce against anti-gay discrimination in public schools: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on enforcing against anti-gay hate crimes: Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (+2 points on Social scale)	Comprehensive sex ed for sexually-active adolescents: Opposes topic 4
Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-3 points on Economic scale)	Require insurers to cover breast cancer treatment: Strongly Favors topic 5 Establish a public insurance option via healthcare Exchanges: Strongly Favors topic 5 Sponsored merging Alzheimers diagnosis and care benefit: Favors topic 5 Religious exemption from ObamaCare individual mandate: Strongly Opposes topic 5 NO on repealing the "Prevention and Public Health" slush fund: Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts: Favors topic 5 YES on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program: Favors topic 5 YES on regulating tobacco as a drug: Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Oppose any effort to weaken or privatize vital program: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Reject privatization; don't raise the retirement age: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Exclude Medicare and Social Security from deficit reduction: Opposes topic 6 Sponsored keeping CPI for benefits instead of lower "Chained CPI": Strongly Opposes topic 6 Rated 100% by ARA, indicating a pro-Trust Fund stance: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Reform schools through increased funding: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Sponsored extending subsidized federal student loan rates until 2015: Opposes topic 7 NO on reauthorizing the DC opportunity scholarship program: Strongly Opposes topic 7 YES on $40B for green public schools: Opposes topic 7
Opposes topic 8: Society bears cost of pollution (+2 points on Social scale)	Make tax deduction permanent for conservation easements: Opposes topic 8 Regulate all dog breeders down to kennels of 50 dogs: Opposes topic 8 Prohibits breeding or possessing Big Cat species: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Establish an International Conservation Strategy: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Sponsored tightening restrictions on hydrogen sulfide emissions: Favors topic 8 Require labeling genetically engineered food: Opposes topic 8 YES on protecting free-roaming horses and burros: Opposes topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	Rated 85% by the NAPO, indicating a tough-on-crime stance: Favors topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	Close the Gun Show Loophole; restrict show sales: Opposes topic 10 Ban large-capacity ammunition: Opposes topic 10 Stricter regulation on gun show firearm sales: Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Repeal Bush tax cuts; close tax loopholes: Strongly Favors topic 11 Minimum tax rate of 30% for those earning over $1 million: Strongly Favors topic 11
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	Protect LGBT families from illegal immigrant deportation: Favors topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Review free trade agreements biennially for rights violation: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Impose tariffs against countries which manipulate currency: Opposes topic 13 Require open markets for US goods in all trade agreements: Opposes topic 13 $25B more loans from Export-Import Bank: Strongly Favors topic 13 Rated 38% by the USAE, indicating support for trade sanctions: Opposes topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-5 points on Economic scale)	Integrate gender into diplomatic and foreign aid processes: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Condemn China's organ harvesting from Falun Gong prisoners: Opposes topic 14 Allow travel between the United States and Cuba: Opposes topic 14
Neutral on topic 15: Expand the military (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Ban stock trading based on Congressional insider knowledge: Strongly Favors topic 16 Require full disclosure of independent campaign expenditures: Strongly Favors topic 16 Establish 15 days of early voting in all states: Favors topic 16 Full disclosure of campaign spending: Strongly Favors topic 16 Matching fund for small donors, with debate requirements: Favors topic 16 No photo IDs to vote; they suppress the vote: Favors topic 16 Corporate political spending is not free speech: Favors topic 16 Establish "My Voice Voucher" small campaign contributions: Strongly Favors topic 16 Public financing of federal campaigns by voter vouchers: Favors topic 16 No separate contribution limits for party activities: Favors topic 16 Automatic voter registration for all citizens: Strongly Favors topic 16 Repeal automatic Congressional pay raises: Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+5 points on Social scale)	Congress should deauthorize & stop funding the war: Strongly Favors topic 17 Terminate funding for Iraq War on Dec. 31, 2011: Strongly Favors topic 17 Defund US military presence in Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 17 YES on removing US armed forces from Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on banning armed forces in Libya without Congressional approval: Opposes topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Require portion of electricity come from clean energy source: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports clean environment; $50M for public land: Strongly Favors topic 18 50% clean and carbon free electricity by 2030: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: Favors topic 18 NO on opening Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on enforcing limits on CO2 global warming pollution: Favors topic 18 YES on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program: Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+5 points on Social scale)	Exclude industrial hemp from definition of marijuana: Opposes topic 19 Exempt industrial hemp from marijuana laws: Opposes topic 19 Rated A+ by NORML, indicating a pro-drug-reform stance: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Distribute sterile syringes to reduce AIDS and hepatitis: Opposes topic 19
Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-3 points on Economic scale)	Close corporate tax loopholes: Favors topic 20 Increase debt limit from $14.3 trillion to $16.7 trillion: Favors topic 20 Expand lending caps for credit unions to small business: Favors topic 20 Sponsored investing $1 billion in transportation projects: Favors topic 20 Audit the Federal Reserve & its actions on mortgage loans: Opposes topic 20 Raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2016: Favors topic 20 NO on prioritizing spending in case debt limit is reached: Favors topic 20 YES on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending: Strongly Favors topic 20