Party Platform Comparison - Part 2
Labor and Economy
Party Platform Comparison Part 2: Labor and Economy
We continue this series with a look at a topic that hits close to home for nearly everyone. Whether or not you are interested in politics, the laws that govern your workplace and finances are most likely important to you. So in this article we will help you better understand where each party stands on this crucial area of Labor and Economy.
There’s one thing to mention before we jump into the article. Throughout this series, you will notice quite a disparity between the parties in the amount of information provided under each topic. This is due to a fundamental difference in each parties’ approach to government in general.
Libertarians, broadly speaking, believe that as long as you don’t cause harm to anyone else, the government shouldn’t have a say in what you do. Because of this, they don’t state an opinion on every topic, with the default being freedom for citizens to act as they please. The Nebraska Republican party generally leans in the direction of more individual liberty as well (or, at least, less government involvement in a citizen's day-to-day life). Nebraska Democrats generally believe that the government should have a much larger role in everyday life than the other parties. This is evidenced by the fact that their platform includes comments on many more topics, and they go into much more policy detail than the other platforms. The Legal Marijuana Now party has no platform other than the US Bill of Rights.
Democratic Party:
Two of the main takeaways from the Democratic platform in this area are their support of labor unions and a higher minimum wage. Nebraska Democrats believe that labor unions “protect and empower the workforce.” They are against all “anti-union labor practices, policies, and … legislation or court judgments” (pg. 24). They also believe that the amount of paid leave allowed for workers should be greatly increased (pg. 25).
Nebraska Democrats …
- Support forming new unions as well as “collective action to further the rights of employees” (pg. 24)
- Oppose Right-to-Work laws and at-will employment* (pg. 24)
- Desire to strengthen the Community Reinvestment Act, increase access to credit for women-and minority-owned small businesses, and expand the New Markets Tax Credit and the Community Development Financial Institution (pg. 24)
- Support incentivizing companies to recruit and promote certain minorities by the use of federal government funds (pg. 24)
- “Call for improvements to worker safety, working conditions, protections, and benefits across all categories and classes of employment” (pg. 24)
- Advocate for employers to provide at least one week of paid sick leave per year for all workers, as well as a minimum of twelve weeks of paid family leave per year (pg. 25)
- Support the minimum wage being raised to $15 per hour by 2024, and “assuring a living wage beyond then” (pg. 25)
- Support providing stimulus and tax breaks for startups and small businesses (pg. 25)
- Believe that the majority of the tax burden “should not be shouldered by working, middle-class families and individuals,” but that “corporations should pay their fair share of taxes” (pg. 25)
- Support child care centers that are publicly funded (pg. 25)
- Support increases to Social Security to better meet the needs of seniors (pg. 25)
- Commit to eliminate tax breaks for large companies (pg. 25)
- Will fight to no longer allow American corporations to “defer” and “escape” the payment of US taxes on foreign profits (pg. 25)
*Right-to-Work laws allow workers to choose whether or not to join the union in their workplace. If a state has no Right-to-Work laws, then workers are often required to pay union dues in order to be employed. Currently, Nebraska is a Right-to-Work state. At-will employment means that both employers and employees may terminate employment at any time for any reason as long as it does not violate anti-discrimination laws.
Republican Party:
The main points of the Nebraska Republican platform are their support of the free market (or “free enterprise system”), and the desire to lower taxes. They “strongly support the free enterprise system as the best path to prosperity” and believe that “burdensome taxes and regulations…impede free market economics…” (pg. 3).
Nebraska Republicans …
- Are dedicated to creating more economic opportunities for Nebraska citizens through the free market (pg. 3)
- Believe that a free market is the best way to achieve a prosperous society (pg. 3)
- Oppose taxes and regulations that “unduly interfere with” the free market (pg. 3)
- Believe that such taxes and regulations increase suffering and decrease opportunity (pg. 3)
- Encourage the increased use of “electronic commerce” to create more opportunities for economic growth, especially in rural areas (pg. 4)
- Support a lower capital gains rate (pg. 4)
- Believe that homeownership is key to building communities and allowing Americans to build wealth (pg. 4)
Libertarian Party:
Libertarians desire that all citizens have abundant economic opportunities. They believe that a free market is the best way to achieve that. They believe that everyone should have a “right to offer goods and services to others” through the free market. They state that the government’s only roles in the realm of economics are the protection of property rights, arbitration of disputes, and providing “a legal framework in which voluntary trade is protected.” They believe that it is improper for the government to control or manage trade, or redistribute wealth. (section 2.0)
Nebraska Libertarians …
- Believe that everyone is entitled to the fruits of their labor, and therefore oppose all forced collection of citizens’ goods or money by the government (section 2.4)
- Strive to eventually repeal all taxation (section 2.4)
- Call for the income tax to be repealed, the IRS to be abolished, and the end of all federal government services and programs that are not required by the US Constitution (section 2.4)
- Oppose requiring employers to collect income tax from employees (section 2.4)
- Believe that “government should not incur debt” because of the burden it places on future generations (section 2.5)
- Support the end of federal guarantees for student loans, as well as “special treatment of student loan debt” in regards to the bankruptcy process (section 2.7)
- Defend the right of citizens to start businesses in the free market (section 2.8)
- Oppose all bailouts and subsidies by the government (section 2.8)
- Believe that private employers and employees have the right to choose to (or not to) negotiate through a union (section 2.11)
Legal Marijuana Now:
The official platform of the Legal Marijuana Now party is the U.S. Bill of Rights. They have not stated an official opinion on this issue.
There is much more information from each party on this topic, so we encourage you to read the official platforms to learn more. We have included links to the party websites below. The series will continue next month, with a look at the different stances on education.
Official party platforms:
Democratic Party:
Republican Party:
https://ne.gop/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NEGOP-Platform-2021.pdf
Libertarian Party:
Legal Marijuana Now Party:
https://www.legalmarijuananowparty.com/party-constitution