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Affirmative Action

The Democratic Party is committed to ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to achieve the American dream. We strongly support local, state, and federal laws which promote equal opportunity for all Americans by prohibiting discrimination based on race, gender, religion, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation. We recognize, however, that systematic discrimination against women and minorities continues to plague our country -- even in our current era of economic prosperity. For this reason, we strongly support affirmative action programs which meet the four standards of fairness President Clinton outlined in 1995: (1) no quotas in theory or in practice; (2) no illegal discrimination of any kind, including reverse discrimination; (3) no preference for people who are not qualified; and (4) as soon as a program has succeeded, it must be retired.

Education

Democrats strongly support the ten education principles which President Clinton outlined in his 1997 State of the Union Address:

national reading and math standards for all 4th and 8th graders;

early childhood education for all children under 5;

reading tutors for all students who need them;

professional development opportunities for all teachers;

high quality school facilities for all students;

public school choice for all students and parents;

character education for all students in order to teach them how to be good citizens;

Internet access for every classroom in America;

Hope Scholarships, education tax deductions, increased Pell Grants, and expanded IRAs to help make the first two years of post-secondary education available to all Americans; and

life-long learning for all adults.

Gays and Lesbians

Democrats supported the Appointment of Bill Lann Lee: On December 15, 1997, President Clinton appointed Bill Lann Lee, former Western Region Director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, to serve as the Acting U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.

Democrats supported the Nomination of James Hormel: On October 6, 1997, President Clinton nominated businessman James Hormel, a member of the U.S. Delegation to the 51st United Nations Human Rights Commission, to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg.

Democrats supported the Employment Non-Discrimination Act: The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) would prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. Since there is no federal law which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, it is currently legal to fire men and women in thirty-nine states solely because of their sexual orientation.

Federal Non-Discrimination Policies: The Clinton-Gore Administration has directed federal departments and agencies to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Democrats supported Political Party Non-Discrimination Policies: On August 27, 1996, Democratic National Convention delegates passed the 1996 Democratic Party Platform which opposes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Democrats supported Political Asylum for Persecuted Gays and Lesbians: The Clinton-Gore Administration grants political asylum to individuals who face persecution in their home countries because of their sexual orientation.

Crime / Illegal Drugs

The Democratic Party strongly believes that our government's primary responsibility is to promote law and order. We are committed to fighting crime and illegal drug use -- particularly among our nation's children -- by building a criminal justice system in which criminals are caught, the guilty are convicted, and the convicted serve their time. We agree with law enforcement officials, however, that the best way to reduce crime and illegal drug use is to prevent Americans from engaging in these activities in the first place.