Voting Guide

Why should Christians care about a document that few non-politicians will ever read? Because of the influence the two major party platforms have on public policy. While the platform is not binding on the presidential nominee or any other politicians, political scientists have found that over the past 30 years lawmakers in Congress tend to vote in line with their party’s platform: 89 percent of the time for Republicans and 79 percent of the time for Democrats. For this reason we should be aware of what is proposed in these documents and how they may affect the welfare of our nation (Jer. 29:7).

These articles will provide, without commentary, an outline of both platforms as they relate to several social issues. Every statement is either a direct quote or a summary of the platform’s position. Because politicians vote in line with their party platform almost all the time, the policy issues they stand for matter when it comes to voting. The platforms are typically updated and released every four years and guide each party during that period.