[IzzyJohnson]

So like I am trying to study for my final and I cant find ANYTHING that is not biased or twisted in one way or the other. I keep finding stupid things like
"has dents in their car, give me a dollar, white or blue collar" stuff like this chart that seem very wrong?

[ɕıɴɢıϵ]

I would help, but I am unfortunately very biased. I am part of the Independent Party, but I can not stand the Liberal party. They always ask for free hand outs and when asked questions, they act as though they are being abused.

[Blacklisted]

In a nutshell,
Conservatives typically value traditions, customs and norms, Like the church working hand in hand with the government.
They believe in limited government, free markets, and strong defense spending. They believe the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals. Conservative policies generally emphasize empowerment of the individual to solve problems.

Liberals believe in government action. They believe that it is the governments duty to provide equal opportunity and equality for all. "It is the duty of the government to alleviate social ills and to protect civil liberties and individual and human rights. Believe the role of the government should be to guarantee that no one is in need. Liberal policies generally emphasize the need for the government to solve problems."

[R3VOLT]

Liberals value equality as their "key component" whereas conservatives tend to value fairness. The words liberal and conservative generally come from an economic stand point. Economically conservative people prefer to save money (ie. lower taxes, decrease spending on social services, etc.). Economically liberal people are generally in favor in spending money (higher taxes on the rich, more social programs, increased government budgets). Let me know if you need me to elaborate more.

[Confound]

You're right, it's not easy finding unbiased articles/information. Hopefully this information will clear up some uncertainty.

Liberals believe in government action to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all. It is the duty of the government to alleviate social ills and to protect civil liberties and individual and human rights. Liberals believe the role of the government should be to guarantee that no one is in need. Liberal policies generally emphasize the need for the government to solve problems.

Conservatives believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense. Conservatives believe the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals. Conservative policies generally emphasize empowerment of the individual to solve problems.

There are some key issues in American politics that liberals and conservatives often disagree on. I'll go through them below.

Abortion:
Liberals believe a woman has the right to decide what happens with her body. A fetus is not a human life, so it does not have separate individual rights. The government should provide taxpayer funded abortions for women who cannot afford them. The decision to have an abortion is a personal choice of a woman regarding her own body and the government must protect this right. Women have the right to affordable, safe and legal abortions, including partial birth abortion.

Conservatives believe human life begins at conception. Abortion is the murder of a human being. An unborn baby, as a living human being, has separate rights from those of the mother. They oppose taxpayer-funded abortion. Taxpayer dollars should not be used for the government to provide abortions.

Affirmative Action:
Liberals believe that due to prevalent racism in the past, minorities were deprived of the same education and employment opportunities as whites. The government must work to make up for that. America is still a racist society, therefore a federal affirmative action law is necessary. Due to unequal opportunity, minorities still lag behind whites in all statistical measurements of success.

Conservatives believe that individuals should be admitted to schools and hired for jobs based on their ability. It is unfair to use race as a factor in the selection process. Reverse-discrimination is not a solution for racism. Some individuals in society are racist, but American society as a whole is not. Preferential treatment of certain races through affirmative action is wrong.

Death Penalty:
Liberals believe that the death penalty should be abolished, and that execution is not a fair form of punishment, but imprisonment is.

Conservatives believe that the death penalty is a punishment that fits the crime of murder; it is neither ‘cruel’ nor ‘unusual.’ Executing a murderer is the appropriate punishment for taking an innocent life.

Economy:
Liberals believe that a market system in which government regulates the economy is best. The Government must protect citizens from the greed of big business. Unlike the private sector, the government is motivated by public interest. Government regulation in all areas of the economy is needed to level the playing field, otherwise, people will cut corners and take advantage of the system, which only benefits the few, not the many.

Conservatives believe that a free market system, competitive capitalism, and private enterprise create the greatest opportunity and the highest standard of living for all. Free markets produce more economic growth, more jobs and higher standards of living than those systems burdened by excessive government regulation.

Education:
Liberals believe that public schools are the best way to educate students. Vouchers take money away from public schools. The Government should focus additional funds on existing public schools, raising teacher salaries and reducing class size.

Conservatives believe that school vouchers create competition and therefore encourage schools to improve performance. Vouchers will give all parents the right to choose good schools for their children, not just those who can afford private schools. Unfortunately, with this system, this doesn't account for under privileged people who cannot choose to put their children in better schools.

Energy:
Liberals believe that oil is a depleting resource. Other sources of energy must be explored. The government must produce a national plan for all energy resources and subsidize (partially pay for) alternative energy research and production. Support increased exploration of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power. Support government control of gas and electric industries.

Conservatives believe that oil, gas, and coal are all good sources of energy and are abundant in the U.S. Oil drilling should be increased both on land and at sea. Increased domestic production creates lower prices and less dependence on other countries for oil. Support increased production of nuclear energy. Wind and solar sources will never provide plentiful, affordable sources of power. Support private ownership of gas and electric industries.

Global Warming/Climate Change:
Liberals believe that global warming is caused by an increased production of carbon dioxide through the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas). The U.S. is a major contributor to global warming because it produces 25% of the world’s carbon dioxide. Proposed laws to reduce carbon emissions in the U.S. are urgently needed and should be enacted immediately to save the planet. Many reputable scientists support this theory.

Conservatives believe that Change in global temperature is natural over long periods of time. Science has not shown that humans can affect permanent change in the earth’s temperature. Proposed laws to reduce carbon emissions will do nothing to help the environment and will cause significant price increases for all. Scientific data to back this theory is scarce.

Gun Control:
Liberals believe that additional gun control laws are necessary to stop gun violence and limit the ability of criminals to obtain guns. More guns mean more violence. They are more interested in seeing new regulation that prevents people who are mentally unstable from obtaining guns, and they want it to be harder for average Americans to obtain higher caliber weapons.

Conservatives believe that The Second Amendment gives citizens the right to keep and bear arms. Individuals have the right to defend themselves. There are too many gun control laws – additional laws will not lower gun crime rates. What is needed is enforcement of current laws. Gun control laws do not prevent criminals from obtaining guns. More guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens mean less crime.

Healthcare:
Liberals support free or low-cost government controlled health care. There are millions of Americans who can’t afford health care and are deprived of this basic right. Every American has a right to affordable health care. The government should provide equal health care benefits for all, regardless of their ability to pay.

Conservatives support a competitive, free market health care system. They believe that all Americans have access to health care, which is untrue. The debate is about who should pay for it. Free and low-cost government-run programs (socialized medicine) result in higher costs and everyone receiving the same poor-quality health care. Health care should remain privatized. The problem of uninsured individuals should be addressed and solved within the free market healthcare system – the government should not control healthcare. This is problematic, because as we know, capitalistic conglomerates like to increase prices to line their pockets, thus disabling less privileged people from affording healthcare in the private sector.

Homeland Security:
Liberals believe that with airport security – Passenger profiling is wrong, period. Selection of passengers for extra security screening should be random. Using other criteria (such as ethnicity) is discriminatory and offensive to Arabs and Muslims, who are generally innocent and law-abiding. Terrorists don’t fit a profile.

Conservatives believe that with airport security – Choosing passengers randomly for extra security searches is not effective. Rather, profiling and intelligence data should be used to single out passengers for extra screening. Those who do not meet the criteria for suspicion should not be subjected to intense screening. The terrorists currently posing a threat to the U.S. are primarily Islamic/Muslim men between the ages of 18 and 38. Our resources should be focused on this group. Profiling is good logical police work.

{The debate over Homeland Security is complicated because yes, after 9/11, and with other more recent events, we like to think that we can safely categorize all terorrists as Muslim. Although, for the more educated person, we can dig deeper and see very very clear statistics that suggest there have been more mass killings (defined as four or more persons) in the last 10 years by white American citizens than any other demographic. It's easy to point fingers, but when you look, there are more white people killing people than non-white people killing people.}

Immigration:
Liberals support legal immigration. They support amnesty for those who enter the U.S. illegally (undocumented immigrants). Liberals also believe that undocumented immigrants have a right to:
— all educational and health benefits that citizens receive (financial aid, welfare, social security and Medicaid), regardless of legal status.
— the same rights as American citizens. It is unfair to arrest millions of undocumented immigrants.

(A more conservative liberal wants undocumented immigrants to become documented first, and go through a process of becoming legal, before receiving social benefits. Thus, many modern liberals want to make the illegal immigrants legal, instead of kicking them out of the country. However, they DO NOT SUPPORT illegal immigration).

Conservatives support legal immigration only. They oppose amnesty for those who enter the U.S. illegally (illegal immigrants). Those who break the law by entering the U.S. illegally do not have the same rights as those who obey the law and enter legally. The borders should be secured before addressing the problem of the illegal immigrants currently in the country. The Federal Government should secure the borders and enforce current immigration law.

Religion & Government (Separation between Church and State):
Liberals support the separation of church and state. The Bill of Rights implies a separation of church and state. Religious expression has no place in government. The two should be completely separate. Government should not support religious expression in any way. All reference to God in public and government spaces should be removed (eg., the Ten Commandments should not be displayed in Federal buildings). Religious expression has no place in government.

Conservatives believe the phrase “separation of church and state” is not in the Constitution. The First Amendment to the Constitution states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” This prevents the government from establishing a national church/denomination. However, it does not prohibit God from being acknowledged in schools and government buildings. Symbols of Christian heritage should not be removed from public and government spaces (eg., the Ten Commandments should continue to be displayed in Federal buildings). Government should not interfere with religion and religious freedom.

Same-sex Marriage:
Liberals obviously believe that marriage can be the union and love between any two individuals. They support same sex marriage. We know that.

Conservatives, traditionally, do not support same-sex marriage and only believe that marriage is the bond between a man and a woman, and that is it. As of recent times, this older belief is slowly changing, because conservatives are starting to realize that they won't be able to win any elections if they keep up with this old belief. More and more conservatives in government are starting to adopt a more liberal belief when it comes to homosexuality and marriage. That said, there are still plenty of office-holding politicians who do not believe in the separation between Church and State, thus not believing in same sex marriage.

Social Security:
Liberals believe that The Social Security system should be protected at all costs. Reduction in future benefits is not a reasonable option. [Opinions vary on the extent of the current system’s financial stability.] Social Security provides a safety net for the nation’s poor and needy. Changing the system would cause a reduction in benefits and many people would suffer as a result.

Conservatives believe that The Social Security system is in serious financial trouble. Major changes to the current system are urgently needed. In its current state, the Social Security system is not financially sustainable. It will collapse if nothing is done to address the problems. Many will suffer as a result. Social Security must be made more efficient through privatization and/or allowing individuals to manage their own savings.

Taxes:
Liberals believe that higher taxes (primarily for the wealthy) and a larger government are necessary to address inequity/injustice in society (government should help the poor and needy using tax dollars from the rich). Support a large government to provide for the needs of the people and create equality. Taxes enable the government to create jobs and provide welfare programs for those in need. Government programs are a caring way to provide for the poor and needy in society.

Conservatives believe that lower taxes and a smaller government with limited power will improve the standard of living for all. Support lower taxes and a smaller government. Lower taxes create more incentive for people to work, save, invest, and engage in entrepreneurial endeavors. Money is best spent by those who earn it, not the government. Government programs encourage people to become dependent and lazy, rather than encouraging work and independence.

Terrorism:
Liberals believe that Global warming, not terrorism, poses the greatest threat to the U.S., according to Democrats in Congress. Terrorism is a result of arrogant U.S. foreign policy. Good diplomacy is the best way to deal with terrorism. Relying on military force to defeat terrorism creates hatred that leads to more terrorism. Captured terrorists should be handled by law enforcement and tried in civilian courts.

Conservatives believe that terrorism poses one of the greatest threats to the U.S. The world toward which the militant Islamists strive cannot peacefully co-exist with the Western world. In the last decade, militant Islamists have repeatedly attacked Americans and American interests here and abroad. Terrorists must be stopped and destroyed. The use of intelligence-gathering and military force are the best ways to defeat terrorism around the world. Captured terrorists should be treated as enemy combatants and tried in military courts.

Welfare:
Liberals support welfare, including long-term welfare. Welfare is a safety net which provides for the needs of the poor. Welfare is necessary to bring fairness to American economic life. It is a device for protecting the poor.

Conservatives oppose long-term welfare. Opportunities should be provided to make it possible for those in need to become self-reliant. It is far more compassionate and effective to encourage people to become self-reliant, rather than allowing them to remain dependent on the government for provisions.

Hopefully, this helps. I may turn this into a long, more comprehensive thread later on. Thanks.