1980 Democratic Party (38,443 words, 128 pages) return to Menu
PREAMBLE
In its third century, America faces great challenges and an uncertain future.The decade that America now enters presents us with decisions as monumentaland fundamental as those we faced during the Civil War, during two WorldWars, and during the Great Depression. Our current task is different fromeach of these historic challenges. But in many ways the challenge is thesame: to marshall the talents and spirit of the American people, to harnessour enormous resources, and to face the future with confidence and hope.
The task now before us is as global as the worldwide energy shortage,and as local as the plight of children in Appalachia. It reaches from thecondition of older Eastern cities and the industries of the snowbelt, tothe complex new demands of our sunbelt region and the special needs of ourWestern states. It is as basic as the entitlement of minorities and womento real equality in every aspect of the nation's life. It is as immediateas the refugee crisis in Miami and the natural disaster at Mount St. Helens.It is as futuristic as the exploration of space and the oceans. It is asidealistic as the spirit of liberty which imbues our Constitution. It requiresnothing less than a continued dedication to Democratic principles by eachelement in our society -- government, business, labor, and every citizen-- to the promise and potential of our nation.
We live in a time when effective policy requires an understanding ofthe web of competing values and interests which exist in our country. Wemust combine compassion with self-discipline. We must forego simplisticanswers for long-term solutions to our problems.
With the Republican leadership closing its eyes to the realities of ourtime and running for the Presidency on a program of the easy answer of thepleasant-sounding political promise, it is time to take a page from AdlaiStevenson's 1952 presidential campaign -- it is time "to talk senseto the American people." It is time to talk bluntly and candidly aboutour problems and our proposed solutions; to face up to our problems andrespond to them.
If we fail in this important task ... if we fail to lay the issues squarelybefore the American people, we could well allow the federal government torevert to four years of Republicanism -- neglect of the poor and disadvantaged,disdain for working men and women, compassion only for the rich and theprivileged, failure to meet the challenges of energy, inflation and unemployment,and a breakdown of the partnership among local, state and federal governments.We as Democrats must not let this happen.
After nearly four years in office, we Democrats have not solved all ofAmerica's problems .
Most of these problems we inherited. Eight years of Republican politicsleft this nation weak, rudderless, unrespected and deeply divided.
As a result of this legacy, despite our progress, inflation still erodesthe standard of living of every American.
As a result of this legacy, despite our progress, too many Americansare out of work.
As a result of this legacy, despite our progress, complete equality forall citizens has yet to be achieved.
As a result of this legacy, despite our progress, we still live in avery dangerous world, where competing ideologies and age-old animositiesdaily threaten the peace.
As a result of this legacy, our nation is still subject to the oil pricingand production decisions of foreign countries.
We will not run from these problems, nor will we fail. The record ofthe past four years is a testament to what the Democrats can do workingtogether.
Time and time again in these past four years, a Democratic Congress anda Democratic President proved that they were willing to make the tough decisions.
Today, because of that Democratic partnership, we are a stronger nation.
Today, because of that Democratic partnership, we are at peace.
Today, because of that Democratic partnership, we are a more just nation.
Today, because of that Democratic partnership, honor and truth and integrityhave been restored to our government and to our political process.
And so this party looks to the future with determination and confidence.
We have been and we shall remain the party of all Americans. We seeksolutions that not only meet the needs of the many, but reaffirm our commitmentto improve the conditions of the least fortunate in our society.
In this platform we offer programs and solutions that represent our dedicationto Democratic principles. They define a spirit as well as a program ...a set of beliefs as well as a set of ideas. Time and events may alter theirpriority or prospects. But nothing will alter the defining spirit and valuesof the Democratic Party.
The platform of the Democratic Party is a contract with the people. Webelieve that accountability for Democratic principles goes hand in handwith dedication to those principles. The Democratic Party is proud of itshistoric heritage of commitment to the people of America. Fulfilling thisplatform will permit us to keep faith with that tradition.
Chapter 1: The Economy
A Commitment to Economic Fairness
The Democratic Party will take no action whose effect will be a significantincrease in unemployment -- no fiscal action, no monetary action, no budgetaryaction -- if it is the assessment of either the Council of Economic Advisersor the Congressional Budget Office that such action will cause significantlygreater unemployment.
In all of our economic programs, the one overriding principle must befairness. All Americans must bear a fair share of our economic burdens andreap a fair share of our economic benefits. High interest rates impose anunfair burden -- on farmers, small businesses, and younger families buyinghomes. Recession imposes an unfair burden on those least able to bear it.Democratic economic policy must assure fairness for workers, the elderly,women, the poor, minorities and the majority who are middle income Americans.In 1980, we pledge a truly Democratic economic policy to secure a prosperouseconomic future.
ECONOMIC STRENGTH
While the past three and a half years of Democratic leadership have beenyears of growth for our economy, we now find ourselves in a recession.
The Democratic Party is committed to taking the necessary steps to combatthe current recession. However, we cannot abandon our fight against inflation.We must fight both of these problems at the same time; we are committedto do so. We will continue to pursue the fight against inflation in waysnot designed or intended to increase unemployment.
In all of our economic programs, the one overriding principle must befairness. All Americans must bear a fair share of our economic burdens andreap a fair share of our economic benefits. High interest rates impose anunfair burden -- on farmers, small businesses, and younger families buyinghomes. Recession imposes an unfair burden on those least able to bear it.Democratic economic policy must continue to assure fairness for workers,the elderly, the poor, minorities and the majority who are middle incomeAmericans. In 1980, we pledge to continue a truly Democratic economic policyto secure a prosperous economic future.
Our current economic situation is unique. In 1977, we inherited a severerecession from the Republicans. The Democratic Administration and the DemocraticCongress acted quickly to reduce the unacceptably high levels of unemploymentand to stimulate the economy. And we succeeded. We recovered from that deeprecession and our economy was strengthened and revitalized. As that fightwas won, the enormous increases in foreign oil prices -- 120% last year-- and declining productivity fueled an inflationary spiral that also hadto be fought. The Democrats did that, and inflation has begun to recede.In working to combat these dual problems, significant economic actions havebeen taken.
Two tax cuts have been enacted, in 1977 and 1978, reducing taxes on individualsand business by an amount equal, this year, to about $40 billion.
While meeting our national security and pressing domestic needs, theDemocratic Partnership has restrained the increase in government spendingin ways which have steadily reduced the deficit we inherited.
Airline and banking regulatory reforms have been enacted; further regulatoryreforms are now under consideration.
In the effort to restrain inflation, a voluntary pay advisory committeehas been established with labor, business, and public representatives pursuantto a National Accord.
The first national export policy was developed; export and trade responsibilitieswere reorganized and strengthened; the Multilateral Trade Negotiations werecompleted; and the MTN Agreement was approved by the Congress.
To ensure a greater impact for scarce federal dollars, grant and loanprograms have been redirected to the areas of greatest need, and the formulaprograms have been redesigned to target the areas with the most seriousproblems.
As a result of these economic actions:
Employment -- More than 8.5 million new jobs have been added to the workforce;about 1 million of those jobs are held by Blacks and nearly an additional1 million are held by Hispanics. Gains have been made by all groups -- moremen, more women, more minorities, and more young people are working thanever before in our history. Despite these gains, current unemployment istoo high and must be lowered.
Inflation -- A strong anti-inflation program has been initiated and pursuedaggressively, to deal both with the short-term inflation problem and withthe long-term causes of inflation. The effects of the short-term effortare now evident: inflation is beginning to come down. Although some interestrates remain high, they are falling at record rates. This progress willcontinue as short-term actions continue to work and long-term initiativesbegin to take hold.
Economic Growth -- Despite the economic declines of the past few months,for the first three years of the Carter Administration our economy was strong.For the 1977-1979 period:
Energy -- Our dependence on foreign oil has decreased -- in 1977 we imported8.8 million barrels of oil per day, and our nation is now importing approximately6.5 million per day, a decline of 26%.
Solving Economic Problems
The Democratic Party commits itself to a strong economic program--onethat builds on the progress we have made to date, one that corrects thevery real problems we face now, one that is responsible, one that offersrealistic hope, and one that can unify our Party. Such a Democratic programwould contrast dramatically with the simplistic rhetoric and the traditionaleconomic policies of the Republican Party.
Full Employment -- We specifically reaffirm our commitment to achieveall the goals of the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act within the currentlyprescribed dates in the Act, especially those relating to a joint reductionin unemployment and inflation. Full employment is important to the achievementof a rising standard of living, to the pursuit of sound justice, and tothe strength and vitality of America.
Anti-Recession Assistance. Immediately, we must undertake a short-termanti-recession program to reverse the tide of deepening recession and risingunemployment. Each percentage point increase in the unemployment rate adds$25 billion to the federal deficit.
A Democratic anti-recession program must recognize that Blacks, Hispanics,other minorities, women, and older workers bear the brunt of recession.We pledge a $12 billion anti-recession jobs program, providing at least800,000 additional jobs, including full funding of the counter-cyclicalassistance program for the cities, a major expansion of the youth employmentand training program to give young people in our inner cities new hope,expanded training programs for women and displaced homemakers to give theseworkers a fair chance in the workplace, and new opportunities for the elderlyto contribute their talents and skills.
Coupling our need to rehabilitate our railroads with the need to createnew job opportunities, we must commit ourselves to a $1 billion railroadrenewal program which can employ 20,000 workers.
We must take steps to restore the housing industry, including effectiveimplementation of the Brooke-Cranston program, and the addition of 200,000new units a year for low and moderate income families.
National Accord -- The National Accord with Labor must be strengthenedand continued. This enhances the unique opportunity afforded by a DemocraticAdministration for government, labor and business to work together to solveour inflationary and other economic problems
Tax Reductions -- We commit ourselves to targeted tax reductions designedto stimulate production and combat recession as soon as it appears so thattax reductions will not have a disproportionately inflationary effect. Wemust avoid untargeted tax cuts which would increase inflation. Any tax reductionmust, if it is to help solve pressing economic problems follow certain guidingprinciples:
Federal Spending -- Spending restraint must be sensitive to those wholook to the federal government for aid and assistance, especially to ournation's workers in times of high unemployment. At the same time, as longas inflationary pressures remain strong, fiscal prudence is essential toavoid destroying the progress made to date in reducing the inflation rate.
Fiscal policy must remain a flexible economic tool. We oppose a Constitutionalamendment requiring a balanced budget.
Interest Rates -- The Democratic Party has historically been committedto policies that result in low interest rates in order to help our nation'sworkers, small businesses, farmers and homeowners. Therefore, we must continueto pursue s tough anti-inflationary policy which will lead to an across-the-boardreduction in interest rates on loans.
In using monetary policy to fight inflation, the government should besensitive to the special needs of areas of our economy most affected byhigh interest rates. The Federal Reserve shall use the tool of reserve requirementscreatively in its effort to fight inflation The Federal Reserve should alsotake particular care to make certain the it is aware of the concerns oflabor, agriculture, housing, consumers and small business in its decision-makingprocess. Finally, its Open Market Committee should continue to provide regularinformation to the public about its activities.
Regulatory Reform -- Consistent with our basic health, safety, and environmentalgoals we must continue to deregulate overregulated industries and to removeother necessary regulatory burdens on state and local governments and onthe private sector particularly those which inhibit competition.
Targeting and Regional Balance -- From the time of Franklin Roosevelt,the Democratic Party has dedicated itself to the principle that the federalgovernment has a duty to ensure that all regions, states and localitiesshare in the benefits of national economic prosperity and that none bearsmore than its share of economic adversity.
Our 1976 platform stated: Even during periods of normal economic growththere are communities and regions of the country -- particularly centralcities and urban areas -- that do not fully participate in national economicprosperity. The Democratic Party has supported national economic policieswhich have conscientiously sought to aid regions in the nation which havebeen afflicted with poverty, or newer regions which have needed resourcesfor development. These policies were soundly conceived and have been successful.Today, we have different areas and regions in economic decline and onceagain face a problem of balanced economic growth. To restore balance, nationaleconomic policy should be designed to target federal resources in areasof greatest need.
A Democratic Administration has welcomed and encouraged the sustainedgrowth of the West and Southwest in recent years. Policies now in placeensure that this growth will continue and bring the greatest benefits tothe nation as a whole.
At the same time, a Democratic Administration will be committed to theeconomic growth and prosperity of the other regions of the nation. The eraof federal policies directed exclusively to the development of one regionor another should be succeeded by government-wide policies designed to bringabout balanced and shared growth in all regions.
To restore balance, we must continue to improve the targeting of federalprograms in order to maximize their benefit to those most in need. To involvethe private sector in solving our economic problems, and to reduce the burdenon governments we must leverage federal dollars with funds from the privatesector.
Rebuilding American Industry by Increasing Economic Productivity andCompetitiveness -- The Democratic Party has a long tradition of innovation,foresight, and flexibility in creating policies to solve the nation's mosturgent economic needs. We now stand at another watershed in our economichistory which demands our party's full attention, creative powers, resourcesand skills. To revive productivity and revitalize our economy, we need anational effort to strengthen the American economy. It must include newtax depreciation rules to stimulate selective capital investment; a simplifiedtax code to assist business planning; removal of governmental regulationswhich are unnecessary and stifle business initiative; effective incentivesfor saving that do not discriminate against low and middle income taxpayers;reform in patent rules and new incentives for research and development,especially by small business; cooperative efforts with labor and managementto retool the steel auto and shipbuilding industries; and strengthened workertraining programs to improve job opportunities and working skills.
Encouraging investment, innovation, efficiency and downward pressureon prices also requires new measures to increase competition in our economy.In regulated sectors of our economy, government serves too often to entrenchhigh price levels and stifle competition. Regulations must balance protectivebenefits against potentially adverse effects on competitiveness. Necessaryregulations should be achieved at minimum cost and at reduced burden toindustry. In unregulated sectors of the economy, we must increase antitrustenforcement; greatly improve the speed and efficiency of antitrust litigation;and renew efforts to prevent the concentration of economic power -- bothin specific industries and across the economy as a whole -- which operateto stifle growth and to fuel inflation .
United States non-farm exports have risen 50% in real terms in the lastthree years. A Democratic President and a Democratic Congress have recognizedand strengthened the export trade functions of the federal government. Tocreate new markets for American products and strengthen the dollar, we mustseek out new opportunities for American exports; help establish stable,long-term commercial relationships between nations; offer technical assistanceto firms competing in world markets; promote reciprocal trading terms fornations doing business here; and help ensure that America's domestic retoolingis consistent with new opportunities in foreign trade.
One of our main goals in this effort will be to enable American industryto compete more effectively with foreign products. We must intensify ourefforts to promote American exports and to ensure that our domestic industriesand workers are not affected adversely by unfair trade practices, such asdumping. We must make international trade a major focus of our domesticand international policy. We will continue to support the development oftrading companies which will compete more effectively in world markets.We must ensure that our efforts to lower tariff barriers are reciprocatedby our trading partners. We recognize the superior productivity of Americanagriculture and the importance of agricultural exports to the balance oftrade. We support continuing efforts to promote agricultural exports.
ENSURING ECONOMIC EQUITY
Budget
The budget policy that has been put forth by the Democratic Party traditionallyhas been based on providing adequate federal resources to meet our nation'surgent needs. The current Democratic Partnership has continued that traditionwhile restraining the growth of the federal budget.
We have increased support for vital domestic programs. We have increasedfunding for education by 75% over the Ford budget. We have increased HeadStart by 73%, basic skills programs by 233%, bilingual education by 113%,Native American education by 124%, summer jobs by 66%, Job Corps by 157%,employment and training programs by 115%, Medicare by 54%, National HealthService Corps by 179%, Child Nutrition by 43%, and Women, Infants and Children(WIC) Program by 300%.
We have been able to do this, while restraining the growth in federalspending, because the country has had a growing economy; tax cuts have beenmoderate; waste and fraud have been reduced; and aid has been targeted tothose most in need.
International events have required increased defense spending. The Sovietchallenge cannot be ignored. We have had to reverse the steady decline indefense spending that occurred under the Republican Administration. A DemocraticAdministration and a Democratic Congress have done this; real defense spendinghas increased, in part through the elimination of waste and the emphasison increased efficiency.
In the eight years preceding the first Carter budget, real federal spendinghad been growing at an average rate of 3% each year. By contrast, betweenFY 1978 and 1981, real federal spending will have declined at an averageannual rate of 0.6%.
The federal budget has not been and must not be permitted to be an inflationarynor a recessionary force in our economy, but it also must not be permittedto ignore pressing human needs.
We support the discipline of attempting to live within the limits ofour anticipated revenues. Government must set the example of fiscal responsibilityfor all our citizens who are helping in the fight against inflation. Spendingdiscipline allows us to concentrate our resources to meet our most pressinghuman needs.
We as Democrats will continue our policy of opposing drastic cuts insocial programs which impose unfair burdens on the poor and the aged, onwomen, on children and on minorities. We have always opposed and will continueto oppose imposition of ever greater burdens on the poor, who can leastafford them.
We also recommit ourselves to operating our government more efficiently,and concentrating our efforts on eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse ingovernment programs to make our tax dollars go further.
Worker Protection
The Democratic Administration has worked with Congress to take actionswhich protect our nation's workers from declining incomes, unsafe workingconditions, and threats to their basic rights. The Democratic Party willnot pursue a policy of high interest rates and unemployment as the meansto fight inflation. We will take no action whose effect will be a significantincrease in unemployment, no fiscal action, no monetary action, no budgetaryaction. The Democratic Party remains committed to policies that will notproduce high interest rates or high unemployment.
But much more needs to be done to protect our nation's workers. The DemocraticParty has a long and proud tradition in this area and we must pledge tocontinue our efforts over the next four years.
Over a generation ago this nation established a labor policy whose purposeis to encourage the practice and procedure of collective bargaining andthe right of workers to organize to obtain this goal. The Democratic Partyis committed to extending the benefit of this policy to all workers andto removing the barriers to its administration.
In the future the Democratic Party will concentrate on the followingareas.
Our labor laws should be reformed to permit better administration andenforcement, and particularly to prevent the inordinate delays and outrightdefiance by some employers of our labor laws. We can no longer toleratethe fact that certain employers are willing to bear the cost of sanctionswhich are in our current laws in order to violate the rights of those attemptingto organize.
OSHA protections should be properly administered, with the concern ofthe worker being the highest priority; legislative or administrative effortsto weaken OSHA's basic worker protection responsibilities are unacceptable.OSHA has significantly reduced workplace accidents and fatalities. We willnot limit its scope for any reason, including the size of business, sinceall workers face significant workplace dangers. The Democratic Party stronglyopposes and urges all actions to defeat legislation which weakens OSHA'scritical protections.
Hatch Act reforms should be enacted to give federal workers their basicFirst Amendment rights. We must protect federal workers from interruptionsin their pay due to delays in the federal appropriations process and mustseek ways to assure the comparability of pay scales between the federaland private sectors.
We support the right of public employees and agricultural workers toorganize and bargain collectively. We urge the adoption of appropriate federallegislation to ensure this goal.
Legislation must be enacted to allow building trades workers the samepeaceful picketing rights currently afforded industrial workers.
All fair labor standards acts, such as the minimum wage and Davis-Baconprotections, must continue to be effectively enforced against employersseeking to circumvent their worker protections.
Section 14-b of the Taft-Hartley Act should be repealed.
Special assistance should be made available for unemployed workers ina distressed industry, such as the automobile, steel, and shipbuilding industries.
We must improve and strengthen our trade adjustment assistance programs.
We support federal legislation designed to give protection and humanrights to those workers affected by plant closings.
Just as we must protect workers in their workplace, so must we protectthem when they are disabled by accidents or sicknesses resulting from theirwork. The Democratic Party supports federal legislation to assure adequateminimum benefit levels to those who are unemployed, including expansionof coverage to all wage and salary workers and extended benefits for thelong-term unemployed. It must not artificially disregard those who havealready been unemployed for a long time.
We will continue to oppose a sub-minimum wage for youth and other workersand to support increases in the minimum wage so as to ensure an adequateincome for all workers.
Small Business
The prosperity of small business is an important national priority. Overhalf of the major innovations in the past twenty years have come from firmswith less than 1,000 employees, and technological innovation has accountedfor nearly half of America's economic growth. Small firms have a cost-per-scientistor engineer half that of larger firms. Ninety-six percent of the six millionjobs created in the private sector between 1968 and 1976 came from smallbusinesses -- primarily firms in business less than four years, employingless than 20 workers. In contrast, the biggest 500 manufacturing companies-- accounting for 80% of national output -- employed precisely the samenumber of workers in 1968 as they did in 1976.
Of course, larger firms may offer other economic benefits to society,but the contribution of small business is vital and unique, and no overallprogram for economic recovery will succeed unless it relies heavily on smallbusinesses. For this reason, the Democratic Party commits itself to thefirst comprehensive program for small business in American history. Thatprogram will include the following measures.
A prompt review and response for the recommendations of the White HouseConference on Small Business.
Legislation to transfer from the SBA to the Farmers Home Administrationresponsibility for providing loans to farmers in financial need.
Allocation of a fair percentage of federal research funds to small business.
Protection of small and independent businesses against takeover by giantconglomerates.
Continued efforts to end federal regulations which reinforce barriersto entry by new and small firms, and which thereby entrench the dominanceof market leaders.
A review of regulations and requirements which impose unnecessary burdensupon smaller firms. Results should provide relief for smaller firms whichnow pay $12.7 billion a year to fill 850 million pages of government paperwork.We will adopt regulatory requirements to meet the needs of smaller firms,where such action will not interfere with the objectives of the regulation.
Minority Business
A Democratic Congress and a Democratic Administration have worked togetherto increase opportunities for minority businesses, which have suffered frominadequate capitalization. Enormous progress has been made in the last fouryears.
Federal procurement from minority owned firms has increased by nearlytwo and a half times.
Federal deposits in minority-owned banks have already doubled.
Minority ownership of radio and television stations has increased by65%.
Almost 15% of the funds spent under the Local Public Works Act went tominority-owned firms.
The Section 8(a) program operated by the Small Business Administrationhas been reformed and strengthened.
The Democratic Party pledges itself to advance minority businesses, includingBlack, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Americans, Native Americans and other minoritiesto:
Women in Business
The Democrats have exercised effective leadership in the field of supportto women-owned businesses. A national policy was developed to support women'sbusiness enterprises, and SBA created the first program to help women entrepreneurs.President Carter has issued an Executive Order creating a national women'sbusiness enterprise policy and prescribing arrangements for developing,coordinating, and implementing a national program for women's business enterprise.
Support of this program must be expanded through effective implementationof the Executive Order to ensure an equitable distribution of governmentprime and subcontracts to women business owners. Cabinet Secretaries andagency heads, working with the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, mustmonitor realistic goals established for the award of government businessand financial support to women-owned businesses.
As the key office within the federal government for these programs, theOffice of Women's Business Enterprise in SBA must be strengthened throughadequate staffing and funding, and should receive continued emphasis bykey White House and Office of Management and Budget personnel .
Women and The Economy
We pledge to secure the rights of working women, homemakers, minoritywomen and elderly women to a fair share of our economy. A sound economyin the next four years is of vital importance to women, who are often atthe bottom of the economic ladder. But if our economy is to be truly fair,additional steps are required to address the inequities that women now face.
Special attention must be paid to the employment needs of women. Today,women who can find work earn, on average, only 59 cents for every dollarearned by men.
The Democratic Party, therefore, commits itself to strong steps to closethe wage gap between men and women, to expand child care opportunities forfamilies with working parents, to end the tax discrimination that penalizesmarried working couples, and to ensure that women can retire in dignity.
We will strictly enforce existing anti-discrimination laws with respectto hiring, pay and promotions. We will adopt a full employment policy, withincreased possibilities for part-time work. Vocational programs for youngwomen in our high schools and colleges will be equalized and expanded. Fieldstraditionally reserved to men ... from construction to engineering ... mustbe opened to women, a goal which must be promoted through government incentivesand federally-sponsored training programs.
Perhaps most important, the Democratic Party is committed to the principleof equal pay for work of comparable value. Through new job classificationstudies by the Department of Labor. job reclassification by the Office ofPersonnel Management and new legislation from Congress if necessary, wewill ensure that women in both the public and private sectors are not onlypaid equally for work which is identical to that performed by men, but arealso paid equally for work which is of comparable value to that performedby men.
The Democratic Party must lead the way in ensuring that women and minoritiesare afforded real equality in the workforce, neither displacing the other.As the nation's single largest employer, the hiring and promotion practicesof the federal government must set an example. Every branch of governmentwill be mandated not only to hire qualified women and minorities, but alsoaffirmatively to seek out able minorities and women within the governmentfor training and promotion. Opportunities for part-time work will be expandedand pay equalized to reflect the value of the work which is done.
Economic Inequities Facing Minorities
We must expand jobs and job training including apprenticeship trainingprograms for those who have special problems -- groups such as the young,veterans, older workers, minorities, those with limited fluency in English,and the handicapped. The Democratic Party pledges that anyone who wantsto learn the skills necessary to secure a job will be able to do so.
We also must improve the quality of the programs designed to help thestructurally unemployed. We must give trainees a better sense of what workwill be like, assure a higher level of training, and undertake greater effortsto place people in jobs and help them adjust to the world of work. We shouldexplore several methods for making such improvements, including performancefunding. More money should go to those training programs which prove mostsuccessful. Particular emphasis should be given to training programs runby community-based organizations which have a superior record of success.
Where public agencies have trouble reaching those who seem unemployable,and where the training they provide is not effective, we should assist businessto provide that training. We should ensure that business is not paid merelyfor hiring those that would be hired anyway, and that federal subsidiesare truly training subsidies and not disguised wage subsidies.
A major effort must be undertaken to address youth employment. Half theunemployed are under 25. Teenage inner city unemployment is at disastrouslevels of 50 percent or higher. The problem is one of both employment andemployability -- a lack of jobs and a lack of skills.
We need new combinations of work experience and training for young people,new links between schools and the workplace, new ways to reach out to thosewho are out of school and out of work, but who have special need for skilldevelopment and job experience.
Consumer Protection
Since the first administration of Franklin Roosevelt, the DemocraticParty has stood as the Party which championed consumer rights. It is ourtradition to support and enact policies which guarantee that the consumeris sovereign in the market place. It is our history to institute necessarygovernment programs to protect the health, safety and economic well-beingof the American consumer. And it is our way of governing to ensure thatconsumers have full opportunity to participate in the decision-making processesof government.
Working together, the Democratic Administration and Congress have maintainedthat tradition. Prominent consumer advocates have been appointed to keygovernment positions. A new National Consumer Cooperative Bank has beencreated, and a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act has been enacted. Eachfederal agency has been directed to establish procedures so that consumerneeds and interests are adequately considered and addressed on a continualbasis. The basic consumer protection authorities of the Federal Trade Commissionhave been preserved.
Over the next four years, we must continue to guarantee and enhance thebasic consumer rights to safety, to information, to choice and to a fairhearing.
Government must continue its efforts to create a strong independent voiceto ensure that the consumer's interest is considered in government proceedings.We pledge continued support for an independent consumer protection agencyto protect the rights and interests of consumers. Until one is created,we must ensure that each department and agency of the government has establishedand adequately funded a consumer program which complies with the requirementsof Executive Order 12160. Each agency must provide ample opportunity forpublic involvement in its proceedings and should strive to adopt a programto provide funds for consumers and small businesses to participate in thoseproceedings.
We must continue our support of basic health, safety, environmental andconsumer protection regulatory programs and must undertake the followingnew initiatives to provide additional basic protections to consumers:
While consumer regulatory programs are necessary to achieve social goals,we recognize that an effective competition policy frees the market placefrom regulation. Therefore, we support vigorous enforcement and strengtheningof the antitrust laws. Legislation should be enacted to overturn the IllinoisBrick case and allow consumers who are injured as a result of a violationof the antitrust laws to seek redress, whether or not they have dealt directlywith the violator.
We are committed to ensuring that America's poor do not suffer from lackof food. To this end, we support continued funding of the Food Stamp Programand expansion of the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program.
We support the efforts of the National Consumer Cooperative Bank to assistgrassroots consumer organizations to undertake self-help programs.
We support a nationwide program of consumer education to enable citizensto fully understand their rights in the market place, to be informed ofthe opportunities for participation in government decisionmaking, and tobe equipped to make intelligent, rational consumer decisions.
Antitrust Enforcement
America must commit itself to a free, open and competitive economy. Wepledge vigorous antitrust enforcement in those areas of the economy whichare not regulated by government and in those which are, we pledge an agency-by-agencyreview to prevent regulation from frustrating competition .
To accomplish these goals, we must:
Chapter II:
Government and Human Needs
The Democratic Party has properly been known as the Party of the people.We Democrats believe in making government responsive to the needs of thepeople ... making it work for the people. We do not claim that governmenthas all the answers to our problems, but we do believe that government hasa legitimate role to play in searching for those answers and in applyingthose answers.
The Democratic Party has a proud record of responding to the human needsof our citizens. After eight years of Republican government and systematicRepublican efforts to dismantle all of the hard-won New Frontier and GreatSociety social programs, the Carter Administration and the Democratic Congresshave resurrected, preserved and strengthened those programs which have proveneffective.
In the areas of health care, housing, education, welfare and social services,civil rights, and care for the disabled, elderly and veterans, a DemocraticPresident and a Democratic Congress have put the federal government backin the business of serving our people.
Our progress has been significant, and in many areas unprecedented. In1980, the people must decide whether our country will continue that progress,or whether we will allow the federal government to revert to four yearsof Republicanism -- which means neglect of the poor and disadvantaged, disdainfor working men and women, and compassion only for the rich and the privileged.
We will not allow this to happen. We pledge to build on the Democraticrecord of the past four years -- to continue the process we have begun.
While we recognize the need for fiscal restraint -- and have proposedspecific steps toward that goal -- we pledge as Democrats that for the soleand primary purpose of fiscal restraint alone, we will not support reductionsin the funding of any program whose purpose is to serve the basic humanneeds of the most needy in our society -- programs such as unemployment,income maintenance, food stamps and efforts to enhance the educational,nutritional or health needs of children.
Health
The Carter Administration and the Congress have worked closely togetherto improve the health care provided to all Americans. In many vital areas,there has been clear progress.
The United States spent over $200 billion for health care in 1979. Despitethese high expenditures and although we possess some of the finest hospitalsand health professionals in the world, millions of Americans have littleor no access to health care services. Incredibly, costs are predicted tosoar to $400 billion by 1984, without improvement in either access to careor coverage of costs. Health care costs already consume ten cents of everydollar spent for goods and services.
The answer to runaway medical costs is not, as Republicans propose, topour money into a wasteful and inefficient system. The answer is not tocut back on benefits for the elderly and eligibility for the poor. The answeris to enact a comprehensive, universal national health insurance plan.
To meet the goals of a program that will control costs and provide healthcoverage to every American, the Democratic Party pledges to seek a nationalhealth insurance program with the following features:
In the 1980s we must move beyond these existing health care initiativesand tackle other problems as well.
Long Term Care. We must develop a new policy on long-term care for ourelderly and disabled populations that controls the cost explosion and atthe same time provides more humane care. We must establish alternativesto the present provisions for long-term care, including adequate supportsystems and physical and occupational therapy in the home and the communityto make it unnecessary to institutionalize people who could lead productivelives at home.
We must support legislation to expand home health care services underMedicare and other health programs. Visits from doctors, nurses and otherhealth personnel are a cost-effective and necessary program for the elderlywho often cannot travel to medical facilities. Without home health servicesmany elderly citizens would be forced to give up their homes and shift theirlives to institutions.
Multilingual Needs. We must support the utilization of bilingual interpretersin English-Spanish and other appropriate languages at federal and state-supportedhealth care facilities. In addition, we support broader, more comprehensivehealth care for migrants.
Health Care Personnel. This nation must maintain an adequate supply ofhealth professionals and personnel. Particular emphasis should be givento programs which educate nurses and other health professionals and relatedpersonnel, especially for the traditionally underserved rural and innercity areas.
The rising cost of education in health fields bars many who wish to enterthese fields from doing so. In order to expand representation in the healthprofessions of traditionally underrepresented groups, we support programsof financial assistance such as capitation grants. These programs must increasethe presence of men and minorities in nursing, and must be targeted towardwomen and minorities in other health professions.
Minority and Women Health Care Professionals. We recognize the need fora significant increase in the number of minority and women health care professionals.We are committed to placing greater emphasis on enrollment and retentionof minorities and women in medical schools and related health educationprofessional programs.
We are also committed to placing a greater emphasis on medical researchand services to meet the needs of minorities, women and children.
Reproductive Rights. We fully recognize the religious and ethical concernswhich many Americans have about abortion. We also recognize the belief ofmany Americans that a woman has a right to choose whether and when to havea child.
The Democratic Party supports the 1973 Supreme Court decision on abortionfights as the law of the land and opposes any Constitutional amendment torestrict or overturn that decision.
Furthermore, we pledge to support the right to be free of environmentaland worksite hazards to reproductive health of women and men.
We further pledge to work for programs to improve the health and safetyof pregnancy and childbirth, including adequate prenatal care, family planning,counseling, and services, with special care to the needs of the poor, theisolated, the rural, and the young.
Financially Distressed Public Hospitals. Frequently, the only sourceof medical care for much of the inner city population is the public generalhospital. The ever-increasing costs of providing high quality hospital servicesand the lack of insurance coverage for many of the patients served havejeopardized the financial stability of these institutions. Immediate supportis required for financially distressed public hospitals that provide a majorcommunity service in urban and rural areas.
In underserved areas where public hospitals have already been closedbecause of financial difficulty, we must explore methods for returning theneeded hospitals to active service.
We must develop financial stability for these hospitals. Our approachshould stress system reforms to assure that more primary medical care isprovided in free-standing community centers, while the hospital is usedfor referral services and hospitalization.
Medicaid Reimbursement. The Democratic Party supports programs to makethe Medicaid reimbursement formulae more equitable.
Unnecessary Prescriptions. We must reduce unnecessary prescribing ofdrugs and guarantee the quality and safety of products that reach the marketthrough improved approval procedures.
Substance Abuse
Alcoholism and drug abuse are unique illnesses which not only impairthe health of those who abuse those products, but impose costs on societyas a whole -- in production losses, in crimes to supply habits, and in fatalitieson the highway.
The Democratic Partnership has worked to reduce the serious nationalproblem of substance abuse, and progress has been made.
As a result, in part, of a major adolescent drug abuse prevention campaign,levels of drug abuse among adolescents have begun to decline. However, aslong as abuse still exists, we consider it a major problem requiring ourattention.
Because of a coordinated, concerted attack on drug trafficking, heroinavailability in the U.S. over the past four years has decreased by 44%;heroin-related injuries have declined by 50%.
Progress made since 1977 must be continued.
We must continue to focus on preventing substance abuse in the earlyyears of adolescence by working with grassroots organizations and parentgroups throughout the country.
Special efforts must be made to strengthen prevention and rehabilitationresources in the major urban areas that are so acutely affected by drugand alcohol abuse problems because of the cumulative effect of joblessness,poor housing conditions and other factors.
We must provide adequate funding for alcohol and drug abuse researchand treatment centers designed to meet the special needs of women, and endthe currently widespread discrimination, based on sex, age, race, and ethnicity,in alcohol and drug abuse programs.
We must treat addiction as a health problem and seek flexibility in administeringMedicare and Medicaid for substance abuse treatment, especially alcoholand drug services.
We must reduce the availability of heroin and other illicit narcoticsin this country and in the source countries.
We must conduct investigations leading to the prosecution and convictionof drug traffickers and to the forfeiture of financial and other assetsacquired by their organizations.
Older Americans
In other sections of this platform (for example, health and the extensivesection on Social Security), we have listed programs and commitments forimproving the status of older Americans. As a Party, we are aware of thedemographic and biomedical developments that call for a high priority approachto the issues of retirement, work, and income maintenance for the growingnumber of older citizens.
The Democratic Party stands for the achievement and maintenance of thequality of life for Americans in their later years. We speak for our futureselves, as well as for the elderly of today.
There has been substantial progress, but much remains to be done. Toomany senior citizens (especially among minority groups) live close to orbelow the poverty line, in isolated conditions, and without access to neededservices.
The Democratic Party pledges to continue to improve the policies andprograms which ensure a high quality of life for older Americans. This includesthe following measures.
All Americans, regardless of age, must be afforded an opportunity toparticipate in the mainstream of society, and in activities at local andnational levels, as useful citizens. The 1967 Age Discrimination in EmploymentAct, and the milestone amendments to that Act in 1978, are concrete examplesof this principle. So are programs such as senior centers, nutrition services,and home attendants, as well as those programs under ACTION, the Administrationon Aging, and the Community Services Administration.
Such programs have helped to diminish the conditions of dependency, isolation,and unnecessary institutionalization. We propose to continue and expandthese programs to reach underserved areas and all segments of the elderly.
The Democratic Party is proud of the passage of legislation to protectand improve private pensions through the Employees Retirement Income SecurityAct (ERISA), as well as current proposals to extend such protection to largernumbers of workers. No worker, after long years of employment, should losehis or her pension rights because of mobility, poor management, or economicreasons.
Other priorities include working with the private sector to assure maintenanceand expansion of employer-employee pension systems and continuing supportof the federal-state partnership in SSI (Supplemental Security Income) forthe least fortunate.
A comprehensive program of long-term care services is a goal of the DemocraticParty. The fastest growing segment of our population is the "very old"and the "frail elderly." The Democratic Party will continue tobe concerned with the provision of services for these groups, increasinglycomposed of women without access to family care. This will include homeattendant care, day centers, and quality institutional care for those elderlywith functional disabilities who cannot rely on non-institutional alternatives.
For many older citizens, continuing participation in the mainstream meanscontinuing employment, or a return to the labor force as a result of widowhoodor the "empty nest." In addition to increasing employment opportunitiesby raising the allowable mandatory retirement age. we must continue existing,and create new, programs for the retention and re-entry of adult and olderAmericans in our labor force, including the private and community servicesectors.
The Democratic Party will encourage the development of services by thepublic and private sectors to provide meals-on-wheels for those who needthem; senior day centers; friendly visiting services; and similar supportive,educational-recreational, and outreach services.
We pledge to make the elderly secure in the necessities of life. TheDemocratic Party pledges that it will seek to increase the number of mealsserved under Title III of the Older Americans Act until it covers at leasta quarter of all older people at or near the poverty level while at leastmaintaining current services for those who are not in poverty. The DemocraticParty will seek expanded funding provided for the Section 202 housing programfor the elderly.
Social Security
No group in our society deserves the commitment and respect of the DemocraticParty more than the elderly. They have built the factories and mills ofthe nation. They have fought to defend our country. They have paid taxesto finance the growth of our cities and towns. They have worked and sacrificedfor a lifetime to give their children a better chance to achieve their dreams.They have a continuing reservoir of talent, skill and experience to contributeto our future.
The basic program and guarantee for older citizens is Social Security.It is the single most successful social program ever undertaken by the federalgovernment. 95% of those reaching 65 are eligible for this program; withoutit, 60% of the elderly would have incomes below the poverty level.
The Democratic Party will oppose any effort to tamper with the SocialSecurity system by cutting or taxing benefits as a violation of the contractthe American government has made with its people. We hereby make a covenantwith the elderly of America that as we have kept the Social Security trustfund sound and solvent in the past, we shall keep it sound and solvent inthe years ahead.
In 1977, the Social Security system faced bankruptcy. The Carter Administrationand the Congress enacted legislation ensuring the Social Security system'sfinancial stability and making certain that each of the 35 million recipientsreceived his or her monthly check without interruption. They also workedtogether to strengthen the benefits provided to Social Security recipients.As a result of our actions:
Despite our efforts, much remains to be done if the elderly are to receivethe respect and dignity they have earned. Elderly households have only halfthe income of younger households. For women, the annual median income ofthose over 65 is only $2,800. One out of seven persons over 65 lives inpoverty. Three quarters of all elderly unmarried, widowed, or divorced womenlive in poverty. Millions of elderly persons live in special fear of crime.Health care costs for the elderly are now three and a half times the levelfor younger people. Actual out-of-pocket health expenditures for the elderlytoday are greater in real dollars than when Medicare was enacted.
In the 1980s we must continue to work for a financially strong SocialSecurity system. The levels and types of benefits, as well as rates andsystems of financing, must be continually reviewed in light of current circumstances.Decisions affecting Social Security benefits should be measured by the standardsof Social Security's goals, not by the program's impact on the federal budget.
The Democratic Party is responsible for the adjustments of Social Securitybenefits to keep pace with increases in the cost of living. We remain committedto ensuring that these adjustments continue. We oppose any caps on SocialSecurity benefits. No change in the index which determines cost of livingadjustments should be made for the purpose of achieving smaller adjustmentsthan those granted under the current index.
We oppose efforts to raise the age at which Social Security benefitswill be provided. Our Party seeks to protect and assist those most in need.We continue to be sensitive to the economic and physical plight of the olderworker and the elderly. We therefore stand unalterably opposed to the taxationof any portion of Social Security benefits. Taxing Social Security benefitswould mean real hardship for millions of retired Americans. If governmentneeds to expand the tax base, additional taxation should be borne by thosemost able to pay.
While these steps are critically important, they will not, standing alone,secure adequate income for the elderly women of this nation. To reach thisgoal, we must also move immediately to eliminate all the gender-based classificationsin the Social Security system. We must consider the special needs of elderlywomen in future benefit increases. We must end the unfairness in the currentsystem that penalizes two-worker families. We must devise a practical wayfor the Social Security system to recognize the contributions of homemakers,and thus ensure the resources they need to live in dignity in old age.
Finally, the Democratic Party vehemently opposes all forms of age discriminationand commits itself to eliminating mandatory retirement. With the suretyof a guillotine, mandatory retirement severs productive persons from theirlivelihood, shears their sense of self-worth, and squanders their talents.
Pensions
Our nation's complex and uneven pension system is a continuing sourceof concern. To help address this important problem, President Carter createda Presidential Commission on Pension Policy, charged with developing recommendationsto improve public and private, federal state and local pension systems.We applaud this initiative. We must achieve an equitable pension systemwith improved benefit safeguards and adequate benefit levels.
We urge the Commission to give special attention to recommendations whichaddress the discrimination and hardships imposed on women in pension plans.Problem areas include pension rights in divorce proceedings, lack of pensionbenefits for survivors when a worker dies before retirement age, the rulesfor establishing Individual Retirement Accounts, the vesting rules and participationin pension plans.
We support strong programs of portability in teacher and other publicemployee retirement programs and private pension plans in order to offeremployees involved in geographic employment moves the opportunity to continueretirement security.
Welfare Reform
The nation's welfare system continues to be inequitable and archaic.The existing organization of our delivery system is chaotic. The roles ofthe federal, state, and local governments, and of the courts are scrambledwith each vying for power and control over delivery. This confusion lendscredence to public outrage.
States and cities which make an honest effort to meet the welfare crisisfind themselves in deepening fiscal difficulty. In the past few years, thefederal share of welfare costs in many of these states has actually declined.
The fiscal crisis of welfare recipients has also deepened, since statesand localities are unable or unwilling to adjust benefits to prevent inflationfrom robbing them of their worth.
The fiscal crisis for taxpayers continues, as states have little abilityor incentive to reduce welfare error rates.
Incentives continue that cause families to break apart and fathers toleave home so that children may survive. Disincentives continue for welfarefamilies to seek work on their own; no regular method links welfare recipientsto the work force.
We are at a crossroad in the delivery of welfare. Serious reform is necessaryif the inequities are to be remedied and administration improved.
The various components must be reorganized and simplified. with eachlevel of government performing those services most suited to its organizationalstructure, taking advantage of economies allowed by large-scale deliverwhere appropriate, and of customized services where they are required, alwaystreating each person with fairness and equity.
The components of an effective human service delivers system are these.
Employment -- We must require work or necessary training leading to workof every capable person. except for the elderly and those responsible forthe care of small children. However, we cannot make this requirement effectiveunless we can assure employment first through the private sector and, ifthat is insufficient. through public employment. We must provide an incomefloor both for the working poor and the poor not in the labor market. Wemust adopt a simple schedule of work incentives that guarantees equitablelevels of assistance to the working poor.
The training and job program must emphasize supported work programs,in which welfare recipients receive intensive training, personnel counselingand help in the job search. Such services can lead to large increases injob placement, lower government expenditures and more productive workers.
Income Transfer -- For those persons who cannot work and who have noindependent means of support, we must provide assistance in an integrated,humane, dignified, and simple manner. These problems are national in scopeand require a unified, national response.
Social Services -- As society becomes more complex and faster paced,people Such as senior citizens, handicapped, children, families and thosewho need protection are under greater pressure and find it more difficultto find the help they need. As these issues vary among communities, communitiesshould take the lead in design and provision of these services.
Social services must continue to be developed and operated at the locallevel, close to the users, with knowledge of and sensitivity to both theparticular problems of each case and the community's unique infrastructure,resources, and support networks.
We must develop a community-level system for coordinating existing publicand voluntary programs that support the family and individual initiative,and develop programs to fill existing gaps in order to provide the varietyand extent of social services appropriate for each locality.
Food Stamps -- Hunger is one of the most debilitating and urgently felthuman needs. A government pledged to a fairer distribution of wealth, income,and power, and to holding as a guiding concern the needs and aspirationsof all, must also be a government which seeks to alleviate the hunger thatresults from economic conditions or personal circumstances. Over the years,the Food Stamp Program. expanded and made more responsive by a DemocraticCongress and Administration, has become the bulwark of this nation's effortsto relieve hunger among its citizens.
The only form of assistance which is available to all those in financialneed -- food stamps -- provides an important cushion for poor people, includingthose whose incomes are temporarily disrupted by layoffs or regional unemployment,or whose age or physical handicap leaves them unable to work.
As state and local governments modify other benefit programs on whichlow-income people depend, the Food Stamp Program becomes increasingly important.We will continue to work toward full employment in recognition of the importanceof self-support. Until that goal can be attained, and for those who cannotbe self-supporting, we remain committed to our current policy of full fundingfor the Food Stamp Program.
Medical Care -- Provision of medical care for the poor remains essential.This is a critical part of the national health debate, and should be handledas such.
These reforms may require an additional investment, but they offer theprospect of stabilization of welfare costs over the long run, and the assurancethat the objective of this expenditure will be accomplished.
Toward these goals, President Carter proposed welfare reform to the Congressin the form of the Work and Training Opportunities Act and the Social WelfareReform Amendments Act. These two Acts would lift over two million peopleout of poverty by providing assistance to individuals and families to enablethem to meet minimum income standards and by providing employment to thoseable to work. We must continue to work to ensure the passage of these twovery important Acts.
As a means of providing immediate federal fiscal relief to state andlocal governments, the federal government will assume the local government'sburden of welfare costs. Further, there should be a phased reduction inthe states' share of welfare costs in the immediate future.
The Democratic Party pledges in the immediate future to introduce legislationto accomplish these purposes in the next year.
Welfare policies significantly affect families. Most persons receivingAid to Families with Dependent Children, for example, are children or themothers of young children. Many of these young mothers want to work. So,too, many others receiving welfare are well-suited to work and want to work.A companion to any effective welfare reform must be provision for adequateand available child care, so that parents can participate in training programsand in the work force.
Government should not encourage the break-up of intact families. On thecontrary, we must provide the help a family needs to survive a crisis together.In 1962, America took an action which has been one of the greatest contributorsto family stability in the history of federal policy. For the first time,states were permitted to provide assistance to families with both parents,and still be eligible for federal reimbursement. We reaffirm our supportfor the 1962 action and urge that states not providing assistance to unifiedfamilies begin to do so. We must treat stable and broken families equally.
The thirty-day waiting period for placement on the welfare rolls posesserious problems for individuals and families in dire need of assistance.We support efforts to streamline processing of new welfare recipients whichalso attempt to address the problem of administrative errors. Simplifiedrules and better administrative machinery would significantly improve theoperation of the welfare system.
We strongly reject the Republican Platform proposal to transfer the responsibilityfor funding welfare costs entirely to the states. Such a proposal wouldnot only worsen the fiscal situation of state and local governments, butwould also lead to reduced benefits and services to those dependent on welfareprograms. The Democratic policy is exactly the opposite -- to provide greaterassistance to state and local governments for their welfare costs and toimprove benefits and services for those dependent on welfare.
Low Income Energy Assistance
Our citizens see their family budgets stretched to the breaking pointby an explosion of energy costs, while the profits of oil companies multiplyto record levels. Last year's 120% increase in energy prices by OPEC ledto a drastic decrease in the ability of needy families to pay for othernecessities of life. The recently enacted low income energy assistance legislationis helping, but it is providing only $1 of help for every $4 in increasedcosts that have been imposed upon the poor. Significant expansion in thisprogram is urgently needed, and we support such action as a major priorityof our Party.
Veterans
This Administration has worked to strengthen the federal government'scommitment to our nation's veterans. The Veterans Administration has beengiven Cabinet-level participation. There have been three consecutive annualincreases in VA compensation. The Veterans' and Survivors' Pension ImprovementAct has assured veterans of an adequate minimum income. A treatment andrehabilitation program has been established for veterans with alcohol anddrug-dependency disabilities. G.I. educational benefits have been considerablyexpanded. Unemployment among Vietnam veterans has been reduced. Veterans'health care has been improved. A process has been initiated for veteransto upgrade less than honorable discharges from the Vietnam War era.
During the 1980s, we must commit ourselves to:
Education
Perhaps the single most important factor in spurring productivity inour society is a skilled work force. We must begin to think of federal expendituresas capital investments, favoring those which are productive and which reducefuture costs. In this context, education must be one of our highest priorities.Education is also the indispensable prerequisite for effective democracy.As Daniel Webster said, "On the diffusion of education among peoplerests the preservation and perpetuation of free institutions."
The Democratic Party is strongly committed to education as the best hopefor America's future. We applaud the leadership taken by a Democratic Presidentand a Democratic Congress in strengthening federal programs for education.
In the past four years:
Over the next four years, we pledge to continue our strong commitmentto education. We will continue to support the Department of Education andassist in its all-important educational enterprise that involves three outof ten Americans.
In this regard, we endorse the language of the legislation which emphasizedthe intent of Congress "to protect the rights of state and local governmentsand public and private institutions in the areas of educational policiesand administration of programs..."
It is now a decade and a half since the passage -- by a Democratic Congressat the behest of a Democratic Administration -- of the landmark Elementaryand Secondary Education Act of 1965. At the time, there were sound and compellingreasons to undergird all federal aid to education with specific purposes.The specific purposes remain compelling and the specific programs addressedto them must be maintained.
Federal aid to education plays a significant role in guaranteeing thatjurisdictions of differing financial capacity can spend equal amounts onschooling. We favor a steady increase in federal support with an emphasison reducing inter- and intra-state disparities in ability to support qualityeducation. The federal government and the states should be encouraged toequalize or take over educational expenses relieving the overburdened propertytaxpayer.
The Democratic Party renews its commitment to eliminating discriminationin education because of sex and demands full and expeditious enforcementof Title IX of the 1972 Education amendments
The Democratic Party strongly urges that the federal government be sensitiveto mandating state and local programs without adequate provision for fundingSuch mandates force the state and/or local governments to increase taxesto fund such required programs.
Equal educational opportunity is at the heart of the Democratic programfor education. Equality of opportunity must sometimes translate to compensatoryefforts. For the disadvantaged, the handicapped, those with limited Englishlanguage skills, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, andother minorities, compensatory programs require concentrated federal spending.
The Democratic Administration and Congress have supported a comprehensiveprogram of compensatory education and have expanded it to include secondaryeducation. We will continue to target categorical assistance to low incomeand low achieving students.
We reaffirm our strong support for Title I concentration grants for remedialinstruction for low income students. The Democratic Party pledges to achievefull funding of concentration grants under Title I and to expand the Headstartand follow-through programs.
The Democratic Party will continue to advocate quality education in theBureau of Indian affairs and in tribally contracted schools to meet AmericanIndian educational needs. The Democratic Party opposes the closing of schoolsserving American Indians and Alaska Natives without consultation with thetribes involved.
The Democratic Party recognizes the need to maintain quality educationfor children in school districts affected by federal activities and installationsWe therefore will continue to be sensitive to the financial problems ofthese school districts.
School desegregation is an important tool in the effort to give all childrenequal educational opportunity. The Democratic Party continues to supportprograms aimed at achieving communities integrated both in terms of raceand economic class through constitutional means. We encourage redrawingof attendance lines, pairing of schools, utilizing the "magnet schoolconcept" as much as possible, and enforcing fair housing standards.Mandatory transportation of students beyond their neighborhoods for thepurpose of desegregation remains a judicial tool of last resort.
We call for strict compliance with civil rights requirements in hiringand promotion in school systems.
We support an effective bilingual program to reach all limited English-proficiencypeople who need such assistance.
The Democratic Party supports efforts to broaden students' knowledgeand appreciation of other cultures, languages and countries.
We also support vocational and technical education through increasedsupport for teacher training, personnel development. and upgrading and modernizingequipment and facilities to provide the skill and technical training tomeet the workforce needs for business, industry, and government services.Increased emphasis on basic skills is essential to the success of vocationaland technical training. Vocational and technical education is a viable toolfor establishing people in their own business through entrepreneurship programs.Vocational and technical education contributes to the economic developmentand productivity of our nation by offering every person an opportunity todevelop a marketable skill.
The Party reaffirms its support of public school education and wouldnot support any program or legislation that would create or promote economic,sociological or racial segregation. Our primary purpose in assisting elementaryand secondary education must be to assure a quality public school systemfor all students.
Private schools, particularly parochial schools, are also an importantpart of our diverse educational system. The Party accepts its commitmentto the support of a constitutionally acceptable method of providing taxaid for the education of all pupils in schools which do not racially discriminate,and excluding so-called segregation academies. Specifically, the Party willcontinue to advocate constitutionally permissible federal education legislationwhich provides for the equitable participation in federal programs of alllow and moderate income pupils.
The Democratic Party reaffirms its commitment to the concept and promisethat every handicapped child should have a full and appropriate public educationin the least restrictive environment. To assure the best placement and programfor handicapped students, we support maximum involvement of the regularclassroom teacher m placement planning for handicapped students with assuranceof barrier-free access. We further support increasing the federal shareof the costs of education for the handicapped .
We applaud the actions taken by the government in strengthening federalprograms for higher education The nation must continue to ensure that ourcolleges and universities can provide quality higher education in the comingperiod of declining enrollment and rising operating costs.
We are especially interested in extending post-secondary opportunitiesto students from low and middle income families, older students, and minorities.We believe that no able student should be denied a college education forreasons of cost.
The Democratic Party is committed to a federal scholarship program adequateto meet the needs of all the underprivileged who could benefit from a collegeeducation. When those who are qualified for post-secondary education cannotafford to enter college, the nation ignores talent we cannot afford to lose.Basic Education Opportunity Grants, which offer both access to a collegeeducation and the choice of a college, must continue to be strengthenedand should be funded at full payment schedule.
Likewise, campus-based programs of aid must be supported. With a coordinatedand reliable system of grants, loans and work study, we can relieve thecrisis in costs that could close all but the affluent colleges and universities.
Since entry to institutions of higher learning is dependent upon a student'sscore on a standardized test, we support testing legislation which willassure that students will receive sufficient information relative to theirperformance on the test to determine their strengths and weaknesses on thetests.
Our institutions of higher education deserve both public and privatebacking. The Party supports the continuation of tax deductions for charitablegifts, recognizing that such gifts represent the margin of excellence inhigher education and foster scholarly independence within our institutionsof higher learning.
The Democratic Party commits itself to the strengthening of graduateeducation and the support of basic and applied research. Graduate education,scholarship and research are of immense importance to the nation's economicand cultural development. Universities conduct most of the nation's basicresearch. Their graduate and research programs are the training groundsfor the research personnel and professionals who discover knowledge andtranslate that knowledge into action.
The federal role is critical to the quality of these endeavors. We reaffirmthe federal responsibility for stable support of knowledge production anddevelopment of highly trained personnel in all areas of fundamental scientificand intellectual knowledge to meet social needs.
High priority should be assigned to strengthening the national structurefor graduate education, scholarship and research and ensuring that the mosttalented students, especially women and minorities, can gain access to theseprograms.
Historically Black colleges and universities have played a pivotal rolein educating minority students. The Democratic Party affirms its commitmentto ensuring the financial viability and independence of these worthy institutionsand supports expanded funding for Black institutions. The Democratic Partypledges to work vigorously for significant increases in programs which havetraditionally provided funding for historically Black colleges and universities.Particular attention should be given to substantially increasing the shareof funding Black colleges receive. We will substantially increase the levelof participation of Black colleges in all federal programs for which theyare eligible. In addition, we urge the establishment of an office withinthe Office of the Secretary of Education to ensure full executive implementationof the President's Black college directive. Similarly, colleges servingHispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander studentsshould receive equal consideration in federal policies affecting their survival.
Finally, educational quality should be strengthened through adequatesupport for libraries, federal leadership in educational research and development,and improved teacher training.
The Democratic Party further urges the federal government to take intoaccount the geographical barriers to access to educational and library materialswhich particularly affect the non-contiguous territories of the United States.A study should be conducted to review the possibility of sending airmail,at surface mail rates, said materials to and from the mainland U.S. andthe non-contiguous territories of the U.S.
The Party believes that improved teacher in-service training, buildingupon the successful "Teacher Center Model" implemented under thisAdministration, could contribute substantially to educational quality. Wesupport the establishment of federally funded teacher centers in every stateand will work toward a steady increase in the number of teachers served.Teacher centers should address such issues as bilingual, multicultural,non-racist, and non-sexist curricula.
The Party continues to support adult education and training to upgradebasic skills.
We propose federally financed family-centered developmental and educationalchild care programs available to all who need and desire them.
We support efforts to provide for the basic nutritional needs of students.We support the availability of nutritious school breakfast, milk and lunchprograms. Students who are hungry or malnourished can experience seriouslearning difficulties. The Democratic Party affirms its commitment to restorefair eligibility requirements for this program and to set fees at a levelwhich does not unfairly deny students the ability to participate.
The Democratic Party recognizes the importance of family and communityinvolvement in public schools, and the impact their involvement can haveon the quality of a child's educational environment. We support initiativesthat will encourage parents and all members of the community to take anactive interest in the educational future of our children.
Child Care
While the American family structure has changed radically in recent years,the family remains the key unit of our society. When the needs of familiesand children are ignored, the nation as a whole ultimately suffers. It isnot only morally right, but also far less expensive, for government to assistchildren in growing up whole, strong and able, than to pay the bill laterfor children and adults with health, social and educational problems. Governmentcannot and should not attempt to displace the responsibilities of the family;to the contrary, the challenge is to formulate policies which will strengthenthe family.
The Democratic Party shall seek vigorously to enact an adequately funded,comprehensive quality child-care program based upon a national commitmentto meet the health, safety, and educational needs of ale children. Sucha program shall provide for alternative low-cost child care arrangementsso that parents may decide what is in the best interests of their children.To ensure the availability of choices, the Child Care Tax Credit shall berevised to benefit low and moderate income families. National policies shallensure the availability of child care services for all parents. Our programsshall also address themselves vigorously to the issues of flextime workprograms, job sharing, and incentives for child care in private industry,in recognition of the social responsibilities of all citizens to childrenand their parents as the guardians of our future.
Juvenile Justice
Juvenile delinquency and other problems of young people, like truancyand running away, are often manifestations of serious problems in otherareas -- family, school, employment, or emotional disturbance. We are committedto maintaining and strengthening the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency PreventionAct of 1974 and the Runaway Youth Act to help deal with these problems.In particular, we reaffirm our commitment to ending unnecessary institutionalizationof young people who have not committed serious crimes and strengtheningpreventive efforts and other services at the community level to help youngpeople and their families in the sometimes difficult transition to adulthood.Equally important, we are committed to continuing reform in the juvenilecourts to assure right of due process and adequate counsel to young peoplewho become enmeshed in the juvenile justice system.
We must continue and strengthen efforts at prison reform to upgrade thesafety of our penal institutions. Our penal institutions enhance rehabilitationto offenders, and lower the recidivism level.
Families
The Democratic Party supports efforts to make federal programs more sensitiveto the needs of the family, in all its diverse forms.
Housing
Since 1976, the Administration's efforts in the area of housing haveconcentrated on achieving an adequate housing supply. From 1977-1979, housingstarts increased substantially over the level of the prior Republican Administration.Additionally, increased emphasis has been placed on saving our existinghousing stock through rehabilitation.
But the momentum to increase the housing supply for the 1980s has beenthreatened by the high rate of inflation. The downturn in economic activityduring the first half of 1980 has created a period of severe difficultyfor the housing industry and for those Americans in need of housing. Thesecircumstances make it imperative that the Democratic Party redouble itsefforts to meet the goal of a decent home in a suitable environment forevery citizen. It is essential that we expand the construction and availabilityof affordable housing in order to match the growing needs of Americans duringthe 1980s and to help stabilize housing costs.
Housing shortages and deterioration and the need for economic development,are among the most critical problems facing local government today.
Through a patchwork of programs and tax incentives developed over thepast fifty years, this nation is now spending between $25 and $30 billioneach year on housing and economic development. These funds must be redirectedin a cogent manner, to provide a comprehensive response to the housing problemThis effort should be pressed forward with the same national will that puta man on the moon, and will be a major step toward the revitalization ofour local economies.
During the 1980s, we must work to meet the nation's need for available,affordable housing by:
Transportation
Since 1977, the Carter Administration has worked closely with the Congressto improve all the transportation modes so essential to our nation. Theseefforts have resulted in the elimination of unnecessary regulations, theexpansion of the federal commitment to mass transit, and the savings ofbillions of dollars for consumers In the 1980s we must continue our effortsin the same direction.
The Democratic Party commits itself to a balanced, competitive transportationsystem for the efficient movement of people and goods.
The trucking industry must be deregulated, and legislation to do thatis now in place. This legislation would open entry to new truckers, liftrestrictions on the goods truckers may haul and the routes they may use,promote vigorous price competition, reduce regulatory delays and improveroad safety.
To improve their long-term viability, we must give railroads more flexibilityin setting rates, without burdening excessively shippers dependent on railservice. Congress is now progressing on comprehensive legislation in thisarea. We expect regulatory reform of the railroad industry to speed theelimination of wasteful regulations and improve the facilities and equipmentof railroads.
Coal is a centerpiece of our nation's energy policy. We are concernedabout the cost of transporting coal to its markets, particularly the costof rail transportation. Within the context of regulatory reform, we musttherefore be especially sensitive to the effects of railroad rates on coal.A healthy rail industry is of critical importance to our economy and oursociety.
We must ensure, through such efforts as completion of high speed railpassenger service in the Northeast Corridor, that railroads are an efficientmeans for personal travel. The decline in the nation's railroad system mustbe reversed. Tracks must be rehabilitated, equipment modernized and maintenanceimproved if the nation is to have a rail system that adequately meets theneeds of passengers and shippers. We must ensure that flexibility in settingrates does not become a license either for anti-competitive pricing at theexpense of consumers, or for anti-competitive mergers that create or maintaininordinate market power at the expense of consumers.
The vital artery of urban America is mass transit. It saves energy byproviding fuel-efficient alternatives to the automobile. For the poor, theelderly, the disabled, and many other city dwellers, there is no other transportation.If they are to travel at all, to go to work or to shop, they must rely onmass transit. Mass transit serves them, as well as the employers for whomthey work and the businesses where they shop. It aids all of us, by uncloggingour cities, cleansing our air, and increasing the economic health of oururban areas.
The Democratic Party pledges to strengthen the nation's mass transitsystems. Federal funds must be provided for maintenance and repair of deterioratingsystems, and for new equipment purchases for growing systems. Federal aidformulae should be amended to give greater weight to ridership in the allocationof dollars. Reasonable operating subsidies must be provided to help subsidizerider fares.
Mass transit is a high priority in our national transportation policy.We pledge support for significant increases in capital and operating subsidiesfor mass transit to enhance the reliability, safety, and affordability ofexisting and expanding systems.
The auto industry and its workers must be assisted during this difficulttime. We are committed to an intensive review of the automobile industry'sfundamental problems, and to prompt, effective action to help amelioratethose problems. We are also committed to a strong trade adjustment programto help currently unemployed auto workers.
To meet the needs of international commerce and national security, thisnation must have a strong, competitive and efficient American-flag oceantransportation system. In recent years, there has been a significant reductionin the ability of our merchant marine to compete for the carriage of worldcommerce because of economic policies pursued by other nations. Action mustbe taken to revitalize our merchant marine.
To achieve this objective, we must develop a coherent, consistent, andresponsive maritime policy which will encourage the development and maintenanceof an American flag ocean transportation system, staffed with trained andefficient American personnel, and capable of carrying a substantial portionof our international trade in a competitive and efficient manner. Our maritimepolicy must also lead to the development and maintenance of a domestic shipbuildingand ship repair mobilization base adequate to satisfy the commercial andnational security requirements of the United States Furthermore we pledgecontinued commitment to the Merchant Marine Act of 1970 and greater utilizationof the private merchant marine by the Navy for its support functions.
Urban Policy
During the campaign of 1975-1976, our nation's great cities and urbancounties were mired in a depression. Unemployment was well above ten percentin many cities and counties; private sector investment and jobs were leavingthe great urban centers; poverty and other serious social problems wereleft unattended; a severe budget squeeze was causing layoffs and cutbacksin essential city services; and the public works of our cities had beenallowed to decay. The nation's mayors spent a portion of the year urgingCongress to override the Republican Administration's veto of vitally importantanti-recession programs. Most seriously, the leadership and citizens ofour great urban centers had lost the hope that the future would be better.
Upon taking office, the Democratic Administration responded to theseconditions immediately with an $11 billion anti-recession package and, oneyear later, with the nation's first comprehensive urban policy. The urbanpolicy was the product of a unique effort which actively involved the electedofficials of state and local government, representatives of labor, neighborhoodorganizations, civil rights groups and the members of Congress.
These deliberations produced a blueprint to guide federal action towardcities. The Democratic Administration, in partnership with the DemocraticCongress, has moved aggressively to implement parts of the urban policy.Some of these programs have already begun to contribute to the revitalizationof the nation's older cities and to assure the continued health of the nation'sgrowing cities. For example, the urban policy has:
Although many gains have been made, we recognize that a great deal moreremains to be done. This is especially true in those cities which have bornethe brunt of the current recession. We recognize that no urban policy cancompletely succeed in a period of high inflation and deepening recession.
In this platform, the Democratic Party dedicates itself to the strengthand survival of urban America. We are committed to developing imaginative,compassionate steps to deal with the causes and effects of rising unemployment,to make our cities fiscally strong, to provide jobs and economic growth,to preserve neighborhoods and communities and to meet the basic human needsof urban residents.
Our policies must include the following features:
This jobs policy -- and the need to guarantee a job for every Americanwho is able to work -- is our single highest domestic priority, and willtake precedence over all other domestic priorities.
In the last analysis, we must recognize that America's cities are centersof people with needs ... needs for jobs, decent housing and health care,affordable mass transit, quality education and streets where they can walkin safety. Each is a crucial part of any effective urban program. The DemocraticParty is committed to placing the highest priority in our budgets and ourprograms on meeting these needs of city-dwellers.
Neighborhoods
From the beginning of the Carter Administration, the government has workedto revitalize neighborhoods and to make them a central component of urbanlife. As a result of these efforts, the federal government now has a strongneighborhoods policy.
During the 1980s we must continue to strengthen neighborhoods by:
Small Community and Rural Development
This Democratic Administration instituted the nation's first comprehensivesmall community and rural development policy. This policy establishes specificgoals, directs numerous organizational and management changes, and initiatesan extensive program of action to improve the quality of life for all ruralAmericans including American Indians/Alaska Natives rural Hispanics, ruralBlacks, and other minorities. Its principles emphasize the need for a strongpartnership between the public and private sectors and among all levelsof government. Recognizing rural America's great diversity and the limitsof the federal role, the Administration's policy invites the nation's governorsto establish rural affairs councils to define state rural development strategiesand to advance federal-state coordination in addressing priority needs.
Since assuming office in 1977, the Democratic Administration has actedto increase rural access to credit and capital, expand job opportunities,alleviate persistent rural poverty, rehabilitate substandard housing, addressthe shortage of health professionals in rural areas, improve the mobilityof the rural transportation disadvantaged, and enhance educational and trainingopportunities for disadvantaged rural youth. For example, we have:
For the future, we must move aggressively to address longstanding ruralproblems and to implement fully the Administration's small community andrural development policy, with emphasis on:
Science and Technology
The Nixon-Ford Administration permitted serious decline in the stateof science and technology in our country.
There had been a decade of erosion of federal support of research anddevelopment. The funding of basic research in particular was far below itspeak level of the mid-1960s.
Science and technology advice had been seriously downgraded and removedfrom the White House, until pressures from the science and engineering communityhad it restored through an act of Congress.
The previous decline in support had affected opportunities in scienceand engineering. It had resulted in the inadequate replacement of facilitiesand instrumentation and their growing obsolescence in the face of new scientificadvances and needs.
Not only the work of our academic research centers, but also our technologicalinnovation and economic competitiveness were impaired by this erosion offederal support.
To counter these conditions and help revitalize the country's scienceand technology, the Carter Administration, working with Congress, has takena number of steps. The Office of Science and Technology Policy has beenstrengthened and upgraded. Growth has been restored in the budgets for federalresearch and development activities. Basic biomedical research has beenstrengthened to increase our fundamental knowledge of health and disease.
These are just a few of the innovations that have been made. Our scientificand technological agenda remains unfinished The 1980s offer great promise.During the next four years, we will work to:
In sum, we must continue to expand our scientific and technological capabilitiesand apply them to the needs of people everywhere.
The Arts and the Humanities
The arts and humanities are a precious national resource.
Federal commitment to the arts and humanities has been strengthened since1977 by expanding government funding and services to arts institutions,individual artists, scholars, and teachers. The budgets for the NationalEndowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities haveincreased substantially. The Federal Council on the Arts and Humanitieshas been reactivated. Policies of the Carter Administration have fosteredhigh standards of creativity across our nation. The Administration has encouragedthe arts and humanities through appropriate federal programs for the citizensof our smallest communities, as well as those of our largest cities. Duringthe 1980s, the Party is committed to:
ENSURING BASIC RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES
Equal Rights Amendment
The Democratic Party recognizes that every issue of importance to thisnation and its future concerns women as well as men. As workers and consumers,as parents and heads of households, women are vitally concerned with theeconomy, energy, foreign policy, and every other issue addressed in thisplatform The concerns of women cannot be limited to a portion of the platform;they must be reflected in every section of our Party's policy.
There is, however, a particular concern of women which deserves specialemphasis -- their entitlement to full equality in our society.
Women are a majority of the population. Yet their equality is not recognizedin the Constitution or enforced as the law of the land. The choices facedby women -- such as whether to seek employment or work at home, what careeror profession to enter, and how to combine employment and family responsibilities-- continue to be circumscribed by stereotypes and prejudices. Minoritywomen face the dual discrimination of racism and sexism.
In the 1980s, the Democratic Party commits itself to a Constitution,economy, and society open to women on an equal basis with men.
The primary route to that new horizon is ratification of the Equal RightsAmendment. A Democratic Congress, working with women's leaders, labor, civiland religious organizations, first enacted ERA in Congress and later extendedthe deadline for ratification. Now, the Democratic Party must ensure thatERA at last becomes the 27th Amendment to the Constitution. We Oppose effortsto rescind ERA in states which have already ratified the amendment, andwe shall insist that past rescissions are invalid.
In view of the high priority which the Democratic Party places on ratificationof the ERA, the Democratic National Committee renews its commitment notto hold national or multi-state meetings, conferences, of conventions instates which have not yet ratified the ERA. The Democratic Party shall withholdfinancial support and technical campaign assistance from candidates whodo not support the ERA. The Democratic Party further urges all nationalorganizations to support the boycott of the unratified states by not holdingnational meetings conferences, or conventions in those states.
Furthermore, the Democratic Party shall seek to eliminate sex-based discriminationand inequities from all aspects of our society.
Civil Rights
The Democratic Party firmly commits itself to protect the civil rightsof every citizen and to pursue justice-and equal treatment under the lawfor all citizens.
In the 1960s, enormous progress was made in authorizing civil rightsfor all our citizens. In many areas, the promises of the civil rights effortsof the 1960s have been met, but much more remains to be done.
An effective affirmative action program is an essential component ofour commitment to expanding civil rights protections. The federal governmentmust be a model for private employers, making special efforts in recruitment,training, and promotion to aid minority Americans in overcoming both thehistoric patterns and the historic burdens of discrimination.
We call on the public and private sectors to live up to and enforce allcivil rights laws and regulations, i.e., Equal Employment Opportunity Programs,Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Laws, andaffirmative action requirements.
We advocate strengthening the Office of Civil Rights in the Departmentof Education and in the Department of Health and Human Resources.
We oppose efforts to undermine the Supreme Court's historic mandate ofschool desegregation, and we support affirmative action goals to overturnpatterns of discrimination in education and employment.
Ethnic, racial and other minorities continue to be victims of policeabuse, persistent harassment and excessive use of force. In 1979, the CommunityRelations Service of the Department of Justice noted that "allegeduse of deadly force by police and the reaction of minorities was a majorforce of racial unrest in the nation in 1978." In response to thisfinding:
The Democratic Party strongly condemns the Ku Klux Klan and the AmericanNazi Party. We pledge vigorous federal prosecution of actions by the Klanand American Nazi Party that violate federal law, including the creationof such laws in jurisdictions where they do not exist. We further condemnthose acts, symbols, and rituals, including cross-burnings, associated withanti-civil rights activities. We urge every state and local government topursue vigorous prosecution of actions by the Klan and Nazi party that violatestate or local law.
The Democratic Party asserts that the Immigration and NaturalizationService, in enforcing the immigration laws, must recognize its obligationto respect fully the human and constitutional rights of all within our borders.Such respect must include an end to practices affecting Hispanic, Caribbean,and Asian/Pacific American communities such as "neighborhood sweeps"and stop and search procedures which are discriminatory or without probablecause.
Our commitment to civil rights embraces not only a commitment to legalequality, but a commitment to economic justice as well. It embraces a recognitionof the right of every citizen -- Black and Hispanic, American Indian andAlaska Naive, Asian/Pacific Americans, and the majority who are women --to a fair share in our economy. When that opportunity is denied, and thepromise of social justice is unfulfilled, the risks of tension and disorderin our cities are increased. The Democratic Party condemns violence andcivil disorder wherever they occur. But, we also pledge to attack the underlyinginjustices that contribute to such violence so that no person need feelcondemned to a life of poverty and despair.
The Democratic record provides a solid basis for future progress. Thereshould be little doubt that virtually no progress would occur under a RepublicanAdministration. Over the next four years, our Party must strengthen andimprove what has already been accomplished.
Both the ERA and District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendments to theConstitution must be ratified and our full commitment must be given to thoseefforts.
The Fair Housing Act must be amended to give the Department of Housingand Urban Development greater enforcement ability, including cease and desistauthority.
The Equal Pay and the Age Discrimination Acts must be strongly and effectivelyenforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
To end discrimination against language minorities, we must enforce vigorouslythe amendments to the Voting Rights Act of 1975 to assist Hispanic citizens.We must recognize the value of cultural diversity in education, expand bilingualfacilities, and guarantee full protection of the civil and human rightsof all workers.
We must affirm the dignity of all people and the right of each individualto have equal access to and participation in the institutions and servicesof our society. All groups must be protected from discrimination based onrace, color, religion, national origin, language, age, sex or sexual orientation.This includes specifically the right of foreign citizens to enter this country.Appropriate legislative and administrative actions to achieve these goalsshould be undertaken.
We are concerned about the opportunity for minorities to be adequatelyrepresented on trial juries if the trend toward smaller juries continues.Efforts must be initiated to correct this possible underrepresentation .
Civil Liberties
The Democratic Party has been actively committed to protecting fundamentalcivil liberties. Toward that end, over the past four years, the Carter Administrationand the Democratic Congress have enacted legislation to control the useof wiretaps by the government in the pursuit of foreign intelligence; developedthe government's first comprehensive program to protect privacy; and workedto enact a criminal code which scrupulously protects civil liberties.
As we enter the 1980s, we must enact grand jury reform; revise the UniformCode of Military Justice; enact charters for the FBI and the intelligenceagencies which recognize vital civil liberty concerns while enabling thoseagencies to perform their important national security tasks; shape legislationto overturn the Supreme Court Stanford Daily decision; and enact a criminalcode which meets the very real concerns about protecting civil liberties,and which does not interfere with existing workers' rights.
We call for passage of legislation to charter the purposes, prerogatives,and restraints on the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central IntelligenceAgency, and other intelligence agencies of government with full protectionfor the civil rights and liberties of American citizens living at home orabroad. Under no circumstances should American citizens be investigatedbecause of their beliefs.
We support the concept that no employee should be discharged withoutjust cause .
Privacy
Social and technological changes are threatening our citizens' privacy.To meet this challenge, the Carter Administration has developed the firstcomprehensive privacy policy. Under this policy, administrative action hasbeen taken to cut the number of federal files on individuals and legislationhas been passed to protect the privacy of telephone conversations and bankaccounts.
In the 1980s we must complete this privacy agenda. Broad legislationmust be enacted to protect financial, insurance medical, and research records.We must have these safeguards to preserve a healthy balance between efficiencyand privacy.
The Democratic Party recognizes reproductive freedom as a fundamentalhuman right. We therefore oppose government interference in the reproductivedecisions of Americans, especially those government programs or legislativerestrictions that deny poor Americans their right to privacy by fundingor advocating one or a limited number of reproductive choices only.
Specifically, the Democratic Party opposes involuntary or uninformedsterilization for women and men, and opposes restrictions on funding forhealth services for the poor that deny poor women especially the right toexercise a constitutionally-guaranteed right to privacy.
Federal legislation is also necessary to protect workers from the abuseof their rights and invasion of their privacy resulting from increased employeruse of polygraphs and other so-called "truth test" devices. Workersshould have the right to review all records retained by their employersrelating to medical and employment information.
Appointments
One of President Carter's highest priorities has been to increase significantlythe number of women, Blacks, Hispanics and other minorities in the federalgovernment. That has been done.
More women, Blacks and Hispanics have been appointed to senior governmentpositions than during any other Administration in history.
Of the six women who have served in Cabinet positions, three have beenCarter appointees .
More women, Blacks and Hispanics have been appointed to federal judgeshipsduring the Carter Administration than during all previous Administrationsin history.
Of the 39 women federal judges, 35 have been Carter appointees, of the38 Black federal judges, 19 have been Carter appointees; of the 14 Hispanicjudges, 5 have been Carter appointees.
This record must be continued. The Democratic Party is committed to continueand strengthen the policy of appointing more women and minorities to federalpositions at all levels including the Supreme Court.
Handicapped
Great strides have been made toward ending discrimination against thehandicapped, through increased employment and education opportunities andgreater access to public facilities and services.
In the 1980s, we must continue to work towards the goals of eliminatingdiscrimination and opening opportunities.
All federal agencies must complete their Section 504 regulations andimplement them effectively.
We must continue to expand opportunities for independent living.
The Fair Housing Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act must be amendedto include the handicapped.
We must face the task of making federal facilities and modes of transportationfully accessible.
Job opportunities and job training for the handicapped, including apprenticeshiptraining programs, must be expanded.
We must make the most basic American civil right--the right to vote--fullyavailable to the handicapped.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led this nation's effort to provide all ofits citizens with civil rights and equal opportunities. His commitment tohuman rights, peace and non-violence stands as a monument to humanity andcourage. To honor this outstanding national leader, we must enact legislationthat will commemorate his birthday as a national holiday.
Domestic Violence
Each year, 3 to 6 million Americans are injured in acts of domestic violenceTo combat this violence the Carter Administration has initiated a government-wideeffort to assist and educate victims and rehabilitate victimizers, including
The President has signed the Protection of Children Against Sexual ExploitationAct; HUD has developed demonstration projects for shelters for batteredwomen; the Community Services Administration has established a pilot FamilyCrisis Center Program to assist low-income battered women and children;and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights held a Consultation on BatteredWomen in 1978.
Existing federal programs have been coordinated through the InterdepartmentalCommittee on Domestic Violence, chaired by the Secretary of Health and HumanServices. The Democratic Administration must continue to support the passageof the legislation before the Congress, HR 2977, which would provide direct,immediate assistance to victims effectively and sensitively.
Insular Areas
We must be firmly committed to self-determination for the Virgin Islands,Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands, and vigorously supportthe realization of whatever political status aspirations are democraticallychosen by their peoples. The unique cultures, fragile economies, and locationsof our Caribbean and Pacific Islands are distinct assets to the United Stateswhich require the sensitive application of policy. We are committed to pursuinginitiatives we have begun to stimulate insular economic development, enhancetreatment under federal programs, provide vitally needed special assistanceand coordinate and rationalize policies. These measures will result in greaterself-sufficiency and balanced growth.
Puerto Rico
We are committed to Puerto Rico's right to enjoy full self-determinationand a relationship that can evolve in ways that will most benefit U.S. citizensin Puerto Rico. The Democratic Party respects and u ports the desire ofthe people of Puerto Rico to associates by their own will freely expressedin a peaceful and democratic process in permanent union with the UnitedStates either as a commonwealth or as a state, or to become an independentnation. We are also committed to respect the cultural heritage of the peopleof Puerto Rico and to the elimination of discriminatory or unfair treatmentof Puerto Ricans as American citizens under federal programs.
American Indians
The Carter Administration has upheld and defended the historic specialrelationship between the federal government and Indian tribes. In addition,it has strongly supported the policy of self-determination and the rightto practice the ancestral religions that are important to many tribal members.More than $24 million over the next ten years has been committed to assistIndian tribes with energy resources in making decisions about the developmentand protection of these resources. The Administration has firmly reiteratedits fundamental opposition to the policy of termination which was so detrimentalto Indians and their relationship with the federal government .
These policies must continue as the federal government finds better meansof dealing effectively and compassionately with Indian tribes and individuals.The federal government must honor its treaty commitments. The federal governmentmust redouble its efforts to improve the housing, health care, educationand general welfare of Indians. Finally, the federal government must workas an equal partner with tribes as they decide for themselves the best meansof managing their substantial energy resources.
Ethnic America
President Carter has stated that the composition of American societyis analogous to a beautiful mosaic. Each separate part retains its own integrityand identity while adding to and being part of the whole.
America is a pluralistic society. Each of us must learn to live, communicate,and cooperate with persons of other cultures. Our public policies and programsmust reflect this pluralism. Immigrants from every nation and their descendantshave made numerous contributions to this country economically, politicallyand socially. They have traditionally been the backbone of the labor movementand an integral part of the Democratic Party.
Ethnic Americans share the concerns of all Americans. They too are concernedabout decent housing, health care, equal employment opportunities, careof the elderly, and education. In addition, ethnic Americans have some concernsof their own. They want to preserve the culture and language of their formerhomeland. They want to be integrated into the political, social and economicmainstream of American society, but at the same time they are concernedabout the foreign policy issues that affect their native countries. We asa nation must be sensitive to their concerns.
President Carter established the Office of Ethnic Affairs and chargedit with a broad and diverse mission. The predominant functions of the officeare to link the Administration and its ethnic constituents to foster theconcept of pluralism, and to enable all Americans to partake equally inthe American way of life.
Americans Living Abroad
Almost three million American citizens live overseas, both as governmentemployees and private citizens. We know only too well the dangers and sacrificessome of these government officials face in serving their country. With thethreat of terrorism and political unrest always present, we are committedto improving the security of our embassies and missions abroad. Our governmentmust work with other governments to ensure that Americans are protectedwhile performing their vital duties in the interest of the United States.
We also recognize the contributions of private citizens living overseasin bringing American ideals and culture to other lands and in helping theU.S. economy by promoting exports and increased trade with other countries.
The President's Export Council has recommended that in order to encourageAmerican exports and redress trade imbalances, the United States shouldconform with the practices of other major trading nations. Existing disincentivesshould be removed, so that Americans working abroad can compete more equitablyand effectively with citizens from other nations.
The Administration must continue to support changes in the law whichmake it simpler for American parents to ensure that their children bornoverseas are not denied U.S. citizenship.
We also believe that Medicare should be made available to Americans abroadwho are eligible for Social Security.
Chapter III:
Government Operation and Reform
MAKING GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT
The Democratic Party has long stood for an active, responsive, vigorousgovernment. Democrats of our generation have a special obligation to ensurethat government is also efficient and well managed.
We understand full well the importance of this obligation. We realizethat even the most brilliantly conceived federal programs are doomed tofailure if they are not intelligently and efficiently managed.
The kind of government we Democrats stand for is a government that coresand knows how to translate that caring into effective action; a governmentwhose heart and head are working in concert.
Over the last four years the Democratic Administration and the DemocraticCongress have built a dramatic government reform record. In the years aheadwe must carefully implement the changes we have made, and we must pursueadditional measures to provide the efficient government the people havea right to expect.
Regulatory Reform
Federal regulations are needed to protect consumers and providers inthe areas of health, safety, and the environment. Four years ago, however,the overall regulatory machine desperately needed an overhaul. Some rulesserved only to protect favored industries against competition, at the public'sexpense. Others imposed conflicting or needlessly costly requirements.
For decades, the economy has been hamstrung by anti-competitive regulations.A Democratic Administration and a Democratic Congress are completing themost sweeping deregulation in history. Actions already taken and bills currentlypending are revamping the rules governing airlines banking, trucking, railroads,and telecommunications. Airline deregulation in its first year of operationalone has saved passengers over 2.5 billion dollars.
For the regulatory programs our country does need, the Administrationhas established a new management system. Under Executive Order 12044, agenciesare reviewing and eliminating outdated rules and analyzing the full impactof new rules before they are issued. They are developing alternative regulatoryapproaches which can reduce compliance costs without sacrificing goals.They are increasing public participation in the regulatory process. TheRegulatory Council is publishing the first government-wide list of upcomingrules, the Regulatory Calendar, and is using it to eliminate conflict andduplication.
The challenges of the Eighties will place great demands on our regulatorysystem. The reforms we have put in place are building machinery that canmeet those challenges. However, much work lies ahead to implement the stepswe have taken and go further.
We must continue to conduct an agency-by-agency review to make regulationless intrusive and more effective.
We must find and remove barriers that prevent steady progress towardcompetition in each industry.
On the management side, we must increase the use of cost-effective regulatorytechniques, without adversely affecting worker health or safety.
We must strengthen our research programs to ensure that we set sensiblepriorities for regulatory action.
We must eliminate those delays, layers of review, and litigation thatunduly tie up the process.
We must make the regulatory process accessible to all members of thepublic who are affected.
We must oppose special interest efforts to undermine the ability of federalagencies to protect consumers, the environment, or public health and safety.
We must oppose special interest efforts to undermine the ability of federalagencies to protect consumers, the environment, or public health and safety;and efforts to enable federal agencies to override or exempt state or federalprotections of the environment or public health and safety.
Tax Reform
In 1976, this Party pledged to seek fundamental tax reform, for we believedthat our tax system had lost much of its needed fairness and equity. PresidentCarter honored that pledge by proposing to Congress the most comprehensiveand far-reaching set of tax reform proposals ever made by any Administration.That proposal would have closed over $9 billion worth of tax loopholes,simplified our tax laws, and provided funds for substantial tax reductionfor low and middle income taxpayers.
Once again, we call on Congress to legislate meaningful tax reform. Wecannot any longer allow the special interests to preserve their particularbenefits and loopholes at the expense of the average taxpayers. The fightfor tax reform must go forward, and the Party pledges to be a part of thatimportant effort. Therefore, we pledge to seek tax reforms which:
Capital formation is essential both to control inflation and to encouragegrowth. New tax reform efforts are needed to increase savings and investment,promote the principle of progressive taxation, close loopholes, and maintainadequate levels of federal revenue.
Management
The need to restrain federal spending means that every dollar of thebudget must be spent in the most efficient way possible.
To achieve this, the Democratic Partnership has been working to streamlinethe management of the federal government and eliminate waste and fraud fromfederal programs Real progress has been made in these important areas.
While these reforms have produced substantial savings for the taxpayers,they must be sustained in the coming years to realize their full potential.
The Civil Service Reform Act can be used to encourage improved productivityof the federal government.
More business-like control of our assets, placing the government's operationson a sound financial basis, must be used to produce real savings.
Special investigations and improved accounting systems must be used toattack fraud, abuse and wasteful practices.
Efforts must be continued to improve the delivery of services to citizensthrough greater accountability, consolidation and coordination in programadministration, and elimination of unnecessary red tape and duplication.
GOVERNMENT OPENNESS AND INTEGRITY
Under the Nixon-Ford Administration the federal government was closed toall but a privileged few and the public had lost faith in the integrityof its public servants.
The Democratic Party takes pride in its long and outstanding record ofleadership in opening up the processes of government to genuine participationby the people, and in making government truly responsive to the basic needsof all the American people.
For the last four years, the Carter Administration and the DemocraticCongress have devoted a great deal of time and resources to opening governmentprocesses and ensuring the integrity of government officials.
The Ethics in Government Act now requires all senior government officialsto make a full financial disclosure and severely limits the "revolvingdoor" practice that has developed among former federal employees ofrepresenting private parties before the federal agencies in which they recentlyheld significant positions.
A statutory provision has now been made for the appointment of a specialprosecutor in cases of alleged wrong-doing by senior government officials.
"Whistle-blowers" in the federal government (those who reportwaste and illegalities) have now been given special statutory protectionto prevent possible retribution.
An Executive Order has been issued significantly reducing the amountof classified information, and increasing the amount of classified materialto be released over the next decade by about 250 million pages.
As a result of actions such as these, trust and confidence in governmentofficials have been restored In the coming years, we must ensure full implementationof these initiatives. We must also work toward lobby law reform which isneeded to ensure full disclosure of Congressional and executive lobbyingactivities.
Law Enforcement
Numerous changes were necessary when the Democrats took office in 1976The essential trust between police officers and the public they protecthad deteriorated. Funds committed by Congress had been terribly misspentduring the eight Republican years.
The Carter Administration has taken solid steps toward correcting thisserious problem. It has formalized the relationship between federal andstate law enforcement officials to ensure maximum cooperation between federaland state agencies. It has taken long strides toward creating and implementinguniform national guidelines for federal prisons and encouraging state penalinstitutions to use the same guidelines.
The Democratic Party supports the enactment of a revised federal criminalcode which simplifies the currently complex federal criminal law in orderto make our federal criminal justice efforts more effective, and repealsantiquated laws while fully protecting all civil liberties. As that effortproceeds, we must ensure that the rights of workers to engage in peacefulpicketing during labor disputes are fully protected.
The Democratic Party affirms the right of sportsmen to possess guns forpurely hunting and target-shooting purposes. However, handguns simplifyand intensify violent crime. Ways must be found to curtail the availabilityof these weapons. The Democratic Party supports enactment of federal legislationto strengthen the presently inadequate regulations over the manufacture,assembly, distribution, and possession of handguns and to ban "Saturdaynight specials."
Most important, the government has used its own resources to resolvesatisfactorily concerns over the use of deadly force. The Administrationhas made progress toward the preparation of uniform guidelines for all policedepartments. They have also utilized the conciliation services availablethrough the Community Relations Service to establish closer working tiesamong the police and community organizations.
The Democratic Party is pledged to continuing its strong record of providingneeded assistance to local law enforcement. The new law Enforcement AssistanceAct, enacted by a Democratic Administration and a Democratic Congress, providesan important framework for this purpose. We are committed to using thisframework effectively, in close cooperation with state and local law enforcementauthorities.
We reaffirm our support for the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Actand the Runaway Youth Act as responses to the serious challenge of youthcrime.
We must continue and strengthen efforts at prison reform, to upgradethe safety of our penal institutions, to enhance rehabilitation of offenders,and to lower the recidivism level.
We support federal assistance to the victims of crime, including specialprograms to assist the elderly and to aid the victims of rape and domesticviolence. Further efforts should be made to demonstrate the feasibilityof restitution by the perpetrators of crime.
As we work toward improved law enforcement we must not permit or sanctionexcessive or illegal police force.
Minorities in some areas have been discriminated against by such policeactions. and we must take every action at the federal, state, and locallevel to prevent that from happening in the future, including a renewedcommitment to affirmative action in the hiring of law enforcement personnel.establishment of civil rights units at appropriate U.S. Attorneys' offices,and swift investigation and prosecution of suspected civil rights violations.
Paperwork Reduction
Over the years the federal government has imposed more and more paperworkon the private sector. The Carter Administration has stopped that trendand worked to cut the paperwork burden. We have eliminated unnecessary forms,simplified and consolidated needed forms, and discouraged creation of newpaperwork requirements. As a result, the federal paperwork burden has beencut 15%, or 127 million manhours.
The Administration is currently putting into place the tools we willneed to continue and expand this program. In November 1979, President Cartersigned an Executive Order that created the first "paperwork budget."This program will limit the reporting time each agency can impose on thepublic. In addition, the President has ordered agencies to tailor theirforms to reduce the burden on individuals and small business.
We need further legislation. We urge a continuation of the effort toreduce government documents to simple English easily understandable by ail.The Administration is working with Congress to pass a Paperwork ReductionAct, which will close wide loopholes in the current oversight process.
Election Reform
Recent reforms in the election process have aided immeasurably in openingthe process to more people and have begun to reduce the influence of specialinterests. The limitations on campaign contributions and the public financingof Presidential elections are two reforms which have Worked very well. Businesspolitical action Committees continue to spend excessively however Furtherreform in this area is essential. In the 1980's we need to enact reformswhich will:
Postal Service
The private expression statutes guarantee the protection and securityof the mail for all Americans. They are essential to the maintenance ofa national postal system, which will require an adequate public servicesubsidy to assure the delivery of mail to all Americans.
Chapter IV:
Energy, Natural Resources, Environment and Agriculture
ENERGY
For the past four years, the Democratic Party's highest legislative priorityhas been the development of our nation's first comprehensive energy policy.Our actions were necessitated by the Republican Administration's policythat fostered dependence on foreign oil. This Republican legacy led to America'spetroleum paralysis, which weakened our security, undermined our strengthabroad, threatened our environment and endangered our economic health.
In perhaps no other domestic area did we inherit such a dangerous situation:
The struggle to develop an energy policy was difficult and time-consuming.Tough decisions, especially in the area of oil price decontrol, were necessaryto reduce our dependence of foreign oil.
Not all of our energy problems have been solved. Yet the achievementsof the past four years leave little doubt that we are finally serious aboutthe problems caused by our excessive reliance on foreign oil. As a resultof our national energy policy, oil imports will be cut in half by the endof this decade, saving our nation hundreds of billion of dollars. A frameworkis now in place that will permit further progress in the 1980's. Our economicsecurity demands that we drastically reduce the massive flow of dollarsinto the OPEC treasuries and oil company bank accounts at the expense ofAmerican consumers and business.
Our progress on energy has been realized because we have achieved fourprincipal goals:
These actions have produced enormous energy benefits to our nation:
In the 1980s, this program can be improved, as the framework laid inthe last four years is used to ensure our energy security for all time.
America's energy future requires a continued strong national policy basedon two fundamental principles: efficient use of energy that will conserveour resources, preserve our economy and create jobs for Americans; and developmentof secure, environmentally safe and reasonably priced energy sources.
It is -- and must be -- the goal of the Democratic Party to mobilizethis nation to use energy efficiently without asking Americans to sufferthe loss of our strong economy and hard-earned standard of living. Energyefficiency, especially in buildings, transportation, and industrial production,must be made this nation's top priority.
The following specific actions must be taken.
We must make energy conservation our highest priority, not only to reduceour dependence on foreign oil, but also to guarantee that our children andgrandchildren have an adequate supply of energy. If we can convince oneof every four drivers exceeding the 55 mile per hour speed limit to reducetheir speed, we can save 100,000 barrels a day. Conservation is the cheapestform of energy production.
We must establish a massive residential energy conservation grant program.We must provide subsidized loans, direct financial assistance, and othersubstantial incentives to make all residences in the United States energyefficient, through upgraded insulation, heating, cooling and waterheating.Special incentives should be afforded for the use of renewable energy resourcessuch as passive and active solar energy systems. Our goal should be to ensurethat all economically justified energy efficiency investments are made by1990.
We should use our energy programs to aid in rebuilding the industrialheartland. Industry must be given financial incentives to improve the energyefficiency of industrial processes and to build substantial amounts of generatingcapacity through co-generation.
We must implement mandatory Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS)to encourage the design and construction of energy efficient buildings.Energy efficiency standards should apply to all new construction. Implementationof energy efficiency standards should begin with federal government buildings.In addition, the federal government should lead the way in implementingsolar and energy efficiency improvements programs through its loan and insuranceagencies by requiring energy conservation standards for federally assistedproperties.
In recognition of the potential for substantial energy savings if ourmost efficient methods of transportation are utilized, we must provide directeconomic assistance where private capital is unavailable to improve thosemeans of transport.
Major new efforts must be launched to develop synthetic and alternativerenewable energy sources. In pursuing a strong program of synthetic fuelplants we must also be sensitive to environmental and water concerns. Thefederal government must help eliminate red-tape involved in the constructionof vital energy facilities. The Energy Mobilization Board, an essentialmechanism to speed the construction of vital energy facilities, should beable to override state and local substantive law only with the consent ofCongress and the President.
The Democratic Party regards coal as our nation's greatest energy resource.It must play a decisive role in America's energy future. We must increaseour use of coal. To accomplish this, we must see that shippers are not overburdenedwith excessive rates for transportation. Severance taxes levied for depletionof natural resources should be equitable. We must make clean coal conversiona reality. To this end, we will assist utilities that are large enough topermit coal conversion while maintaining or improving air quality. We mustalso provide incentives for industrial boiler coal conversion. Coal conversioncan and must be accomplished in a manner that protects public health, nationally,regionally and locally. It can and must increase the use of coal, reducethe demand for oil, and provide employment where jobs are needed the most.
The federal government should accept its responsibility as trustee forthe American Indian and Alaska Native tribes to ensure that tribal resourcesdevelop at a pace that preserves the existing life-style and that the tribesparticipate in the contracting process for resource development with fullknowledge of the environmental tradeoffs. The federal government must continueto cooperate with tribal governments in such matters as changes in the useof sacred and religious areas. The Democratic Party believes that AmericanIndian and Alaska Native reservations should remain the permanent homelandfor these peoples.
We recognize that Hawaii, U.S. territories and Trust territories in thePacific Basin are particularly vulnerable because of their total dependenceon imported oil for meeting their energy needs. These insular areas do nothave access to the alternative sources of energy that are available elsewhere.Consequently, the Democratic Party recommends that these areas, where feasible,be chosen as sites for demonstration and/or pilot alternative energy projects,especially ocean thermal energy conversion, solar and wind.
We must lead the Western World in developing a program for increaseduse of coal in Europe, Japan, and the developing nations .
Oil exploration on federal lands must be accelerated, consistent withenvironmental protections.
Offshore energy leasing and development should be conditioned on fullprotection of the environment and marine resources. Lease sales should proceedonly after appropriate safeguards necessary to preserve and protect vitalnatural resources are put in place. The determination of what safeguardsare needed must be based on a complete assessment of the effects of offshoreactivity on the marine and coastal environment, and must be made in conjunctionwith the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAgency, the federal agencies charged with protecting our nation's fisheryand other environmental resources.
Solar energy use must be increased, and strong efforts, including continuedfinancial support, must be undertaken to make certain that we achieve thegoal of having solar energy account for 20% of our total energy by the year2000.
To ensure that we reach the 20% goal, the Democratic Party commits itselfto a federal program for solar or other renewable resources that exceedthe federal commitment to synthetic fuels. A greater share of federal fundsshould be committed to basic research and must be devoted to the developmentof renewable energy resources and fusion research and development, Moreover,we support the commercialization of solar, wind, low-head hydro, biomassand other renewable resources as quickly as possible through direct assistance,investment and loan guarantees in addition to monies available from thesolar bank. The Democratic Party vigorously supports substantial fundingfor the construction of an engineering test facility for fusion technology.Fusion energy is a safe, clean alternative source of energy which can beused to generate electricity efficiently.
We must encourage research and development of hydrogen or electric poweredvehicles. We must fully commit ourselves to an alcohol fuel program. Thefederal government should expand its use of alcohol fuels in governmentand military vehicles. This will help reduce surplus feed grain and helpto stabilize prices. The Democratic Party pledges that production of fuel-gradealcohol will be increased until at least a target of 500 million barrelsof ethanol by 1981 is achieved.
A stand-by gasoline rationing plan must be adopted for use in the eventof a serious energy supply interruption. In times of supply interruption,rationing is essential for equitable and prompt distribution of gas to thepublic. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve should be filled as market conditionspermit, consistent with the requirements of existing law.
We must impose a moratorium on the acquisition of competing coal companiesand solar energy companies by major oil companies .
Legislation must be enacted to prohibit purchases by oil companies ofenergy or non-energy companies unless the purchase would enhance competition.
The major oil companies must be responsible and accountable in theirproduction, importation and distribution of fossil fuels. Oil is as basicto our economy, defense, and general welfare as electric power and money.Consequently, the oil companies must be invested with public purpose. Toaccomplish this objective, we support strengthened leasing regulations,reporting requirements and monitoring by the Departments of Energy and Justice.
Thorough investigations of the compliance of the oil companies with energyprice laws and regulations must be continued, and tough penalties imposedin the event of non-compliance. The Department of Energy, consistent withthe law, should share its energy data with the Department of Justice andthe Federal Trade Commission.
We must make conservation and renewable energy our nation's energy prioritiesfor the future. Through the federal government's commitment to renewableenergy sources and energy efficiency, and as alternative fuels become availablein the future, we will retire nuclear power plants an orderly manner.
We must give the highest priority to ping with the nuclear waste disposalproblem. Current efforts to develop a safe environmentally sound nuclearwaste disposal plan must be continued and intensified.
The NRC shall issue no licenses or permits for new nuclear plants untilthe Kemeny Commission recommendations are fully implemented.
Existing plants must be required to meet the safety recommendations ofthe Kemeny Commission. The Democratic Party supports prompt implementationof their recommendations. No plant unable to meet these standards can beallowed to operate.
Safe permanent disposal of all high level radioactive waste and transuranicwaste should be the primary responsibility of the federal government, inconsultation and concurrence with state, local, tribal, and territorialgovernments throughout the entire decision-making process, including theactual siting and operation of repositories. Neither the federal governmentnor the state or tribal or territorial governments should be permitted toact in a manner that forces an unsafe resolution of this problem or preventsa safe resolution from being accomplished. It is. therefore, essential thatstate and tribal governments, acting according to their constitutional processes,have the power to reject unsafe sites within their borders. Clear standardsshould be developed so that the courts may determine whether the federalgovernment or a state or tribe is acting in an arbitrary manner. Every stateshould be responsible for the management and disposal of all low-level wastegenerated by non-defense sources within its boundaries. Where appropriate,this responsibility should be exercised through state regional compacts.There should be more federal funding for research and development of safer,more efficient methods of radioactive waste disposal.
Funds generated by the Windfall Profits Tax must be used to expand masstransit. Federal assistance should be provided for construction and operationcosts.
ENVIRONMENT
We are charged with the stewardship of an irreplaceable environment. TheDemocratic Party must continue to be as environmentally progressive in thefuture as it has been in the past. Progress in environmental quality --a major achievement of the 1970s -- must continue in the 1980s. The environmentalproblems we face today are, if anything, more challenging and urgent thanthose of ten years ago.
The great strides we have taken during the past few years are the bestevidence of our commitment to resource conservation and environmental restoration.We have compiled a proud record.
During the next four years, we must carry forward vigorously with theseimportant policies, and move to address a series of new challenges.
We must move decisively to protect our countryside and our coastlinefrom overdevelopment and mismanagement. Major efforts are now underway tosolve such problems as disappearing farmland and development on our barrierislands. These efforts should help forge a strong national consensus behindthe realization that protection must be balanced with the need to properlymanage and utilize our land resources during the 1980s.
We must develop new and improved working relationships among federal,state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and private interests,to manage effectively our programs for increased domestic energy productionand their impact on people, water, air, and the environment in general.All of our energy development efforts should be carried out without sacrificingenvironmental quality.
We must continue on the path to a sustainable energy future -- a futurebased increasingly on renewable resources and energy conservation. Our nationalgoal of having 20% of our energy from renewable resources in the year 2000must become a working target, not a forgotten slogan. Conservation mustremain the cornerstone of our national energy supply.
New efforts at home and abroad will be required in the early 1980s toface squarely such global problems as the destruction of forests, the lossof countless irreplaceable species, growing world population, acid rain,and carbon dioxide buildup.
Passage by Congress of the hazardous waste cleanup proposal will providethe basis for a major effort beginning in 1981 to clean up the thousandsof hazardous waste dump sites across the country. Toxic chemicals are aserious threat to the health of our people. We must continue our programsto improve agency performance in many areas, such as protection of groundwaters,in order to better protect the public.
We must strive to ensure that environmental regulations cost no morethan necessary and are streamlined to eliminate waste, duplication and delay.We must not lose sight of the fact that the benefits of these regulationsfar outweigh their costs. We must work to reform regulation without deformingit.
We support the allocation of resources to the Environmental ProtectionAgency and other environmental agencies sufficient to carry out their mandates.
We support strict adherence to automobile pollution standards.
We will support policies to eliminate acid rain pollution from powerplant emissions.
We will commit ourselves to efficient transportation alternatives, includingmass transit, car pooling, van pooling, employer based commuter plans, andhydrogen and electric commuter vehicles.
We will continue to fight noise pollution in our urban centers and jobsites.
We will encourage the recycling of municipal solid waste.
We will seek a strong "super-fund" law financed by governmentand industry.
We must continue to pursue offshore energy leasing to stimulate our domesticoil and gas production and reduce our dependence on foreign oil consistentwith environmental and marine concerns.
We will fund adequately the Land and Water Conservation Fund to protectour national park system.
We will implement vigorously the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Often, actions by one nation affect the economic growth and the qualityof life in other nations. Such actions can be influenced by internationalagreement and incentives .
To defend against environmental risks that cross national frontiers,international cooperation must be extended to new areas, such as acid rain,deforestation and desertification, buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,thinning of the ozone shield, air and water pollution, oil spills, chemicalsin the environment, and disposal of radioactive waste.
Water
Water is a necessity to all, and represents life itself to much of theAmerican Union. We recognize especially the singular dependence of the Westernstates on scarce water supplies. The development of navigation, irrigation,flood control. and hydroelectric projects is vital to the economic healthof the West, and correspondingly to the entire nation.
Working with Congress, the Democratic Administration will implement anational water policy which recognizes the special needs of the West. Towardthis end, we support the modern standards and valid cost-benefit analysissuggested by the Federal Water Resources Council. We support a federal study,in partnership with the affected states, to explore possibilities and recommendalternatives relative to importation of water into arid and semi-arid states.We also support state, local, and tribal participation in all phases ofwater programs within their respective jurisdictions.
Recently, water programs across the nation have become enmeshed in controversyand conflicting values. It is not unusual for a federal water project totake a generation from the time it is authorized to the time constructionactually begins.
Yet the national need for expanded and accelerated investment in waterdevelopment grows ever more pressing, and is increasingly acknowledged.If, as but one example, we are to develop our unequaled coal resources asa substitute for imported oil, we will require expansion of water transportationand improvement of seaports beyond the imagination of even those early Americanswho sensed the path to empire in our inland waterways, The development ofsynthetic fuels, which must of necessity be concentrated in states withsparse water supplies, is an enormous challenge to engineering and science.
Similarly, the task of reindustrialization requires that we recognizethe water development needs of all sections of the nation.
Water to supply steel mills and automobile factories, to provide forthe needs of commercial cities and associated suburbs, makes a legitimateand pressing claim on national priorities.
We recognize the need to develop a truly national water program whichresponds to the needs of each region of our country in an active and effectivemanner and which recognizes the social effects of water projects.
The Democratic Party strongly supports the desalinization of sea waterand the development of water resources in those areas of the country wherewater is scarce.
AGRICULTURE
America's farmers are among the most vital economic forces of the nation.Because of their extraordinary productivity, America's farm workers providemore food and fiber per person at a lower cost than their counterparts inany other country. American consumers have a more certain food supply thanconsumers in any other nation, even though a third of our farm productionis sold abroad each year.
In 1977, the Democratic Administration inherited a farm economy markedby serious over-production and badly outdated price support programs. Farmprices and incomes were plummeting, partly in response to misguided attemptsat price controls. The livestock sector was in its third straight year ofloss, and a herd liquidation of unprecedented scale was underway.
Because of actions taken by the Democratic Administration and DemocraticCongress, this situation was turned around in 1978 and 1979. U.S. agriculturewas put back on a track of steady, sustained growth and improvement. Thesharp decline of farm prices and farm incomes was reversed. An aggressiveprogram of export promotion resulted in record high agricultural exportsin each of the past three years.
Recently, however, the nation's farm economy has been hurt by reducedprices high costs of production, including energy, inflation, equipment,and high interest rates. As a result, our nation's farmers are facing atime of hardship.
Agricultural policy in the 1980s must strengthen the forces which madeAmerican farmers the most productive in the world and American agriculturethe hope of hungry people everywhere. In this way, we can ensure a decadeof prosperity for farmers and of agricultural abundance for America's consumers.
The Democratic Party pledges itself to the following goals.
Continued attention to expanding farm exports. American agriculture'slongrun interests remain firmly tied to the sale of U.S. farm products abroad.Despite the significant progress made to date, it is important that we continueto work at breaking down barriers to trade and capitalizing on our nation'senormous advantage in the production of food and fiber.
If food is to be used as an instrument of foreign policy, it is imperativethat farm income be protected. Farmers must have access to free markets.
Recognizing the patriotic sacrifices made by the American farmer duringthe agricultural embargo protesting the invasion of Afghanistan, we commendthe agricultural community's contribution in the field of foreign affairs.Except in time of war or grave threats to national security, the federalgovernment should impose no future embargoes on agricultural products.
Protecting farm prices and farm income. Rapidly rising costs of production,especially energy costs, make it imperative that we increase the level ofsupport for farm prices and income by increasing target prices to coverthe cost of production. For those farm products not covered by target prices,such as soybeans, cattle. hogs, poultry, sugar cane, and sugar beets, wepledge support programs that will maintain viable domestic production. Lowcost farm credit should be extended with the least possible delay in timesof stress from decreased farm income or disasters.
It is in the nation's long-run interest that returns to farmers keeppace with rising costs to ensure a fair return on investment.
Measures to protect and further enhance agricultural productivity. Althoughagricultural productivity remains high in comparison with productivity inthe nonfarm sector, its rate of increase has slowed over the past two orthree decades. This trend must be reversed through greater attention tothe effects of regulatory actions, increased support for agricultural research,and intensified efforts to conserve our vital land and water resources.
Rebuilding our agricultural transportation system. The transportationsystem which moves our agricultural products to their final markets, includingports for export shipment, has been strained to the limit. While neededimprovements have begun, through such measures as trucking and rail deregulationand the expansion of Lock and Dam 26 (on the Mississippi River at Alton,Illinois), more intensive efforts will be required in the future. In thecase of railroads, a rebuilding effort will be required.
Protecting our soil resource. American agriculture is critically dependenton the productivity of its soil. Without careful and consistent stewardshipof this important resource, it can become depleted. An assessment of ournation's conservation needs is now underway. We must be prepared to acton the findings of this assessment. Emergency procedures should be enactedto increase soil conservation incentives for construction of watersheds,tile intake terraces, and other soil saving practices.
Protecting family farms. The real genius of American agriculture is therole and prominence of the farm family. It is this form of organizationthat provides agriculture with its vitality, independent spirit, and progressiveness.We must protect farmers from land speculators, giant farm combinations,and foreign buyers. We support laws requiring disclosure of all foreignownership of farmland and we will continue to monitor such ownership todetermine its impact on our farms.
While we recognize the need to modernize the 1902 Reclamation Act, wereaffirm our support for its intent -- to assure that the federal subsidyprogram assists only family farmers.
We support reforms in the estate tax to strengthen the stability of familyfarms.
Farmer involvement. There is a continuing need to devise better waysof involving people in the decision of their government, particularly inthose decisions that have direct and important effects on their lives. Werealize the need for a strong cattle industry and for ranchers' involvementin the development of farm programs. Considerable progress has been madein this regard, but more is required.
Capper-Volstead Act. We reaffirm our strong support for agriculturalcooperatives and bargaining associations to engage in vigorous programsto pack, process and market their members' crops as provided for in theCapper-Volstead Act.
Farm labor. We must vigorously enforce existing laws relating to farmlabor organization and recognize the right of farm workers to bargain collectively,while ensuring the legal rights of farmers.
Farm mechanization. We support retraining programs for farm workers displacedby mechanized farming.
Forestry
America's national forests contain a national treasure that providesrecreation, wilderness, fish and wildlife, and timber products.
We reaffirm the Democratic Party's traditional support for multiple-usemanagement to ensure the survival of these precious resources for this generationand generations to come.
We call for the speedy resolution by Congress of the Roadless Area Reviewand Evaluation, stimulated by this Administration, to determine which areasare best suited for wilderness and which should be released for timber harvestand multiple-use management.
We support continued assistance to private, non-industrial forest ownersto increase their management potential.
On federal lands identified as part of our timber resource, we support:
We shall insist that administration of public lands by the Departmentof Interior be fair and equitable. The interest of the state within whichsuch public lands lie must be of paramount importance in the decision-makingprocess. We encourage all federal agencies to consult with the states onsuch matters.
Fisheries
Under the Democratic Administration the U.S. fishing industry has madesubstantial progress, as evidenced by the following:
While such trends are encouraging, there remains a tremendous potentialfor growth. By volume, 67%, and by value, 34%, of the harvest in the fisheryconservation zone is still taken by foreign vessels. The value of the catchto foreign fishermen was $470 million in 1979.
The need for more rapid growth of the U.S. fishing industry is illustratedby the fact that imports of fisheries' products outweighed exports by $1.7billion last year. With full development of our industry, this deficit couldbe erased. Moreover, 43,000 new jobs could be created.
One-fifth of the world's fish are found in waters off the United States.We pledge to continue the development of our fishing industry so that theU.S. achieves self-sufficiency in this sector and fully utilizes the valuableand abundant fisheries resources off our shores. To this end, continuingeffort in the following areas is needed:
Chapter V:
Foreign Policy
Introduction
When the Democratic Party came into office almost four years ago, themost dangerous threat to America's position in the world was the profounddisillusionment and mistrust which the American people felt for their owngovernment. This had reached the point where the very term "nationalsecurity" became synonymous with the abuse of power, deceit and violationof public trust. It undermined our capacity to defend our interests andto play our proper role in the world at a time when Soviet power was continuingto grow.
The hallmark of the previous eight years of Republican Administrationhad been to emphasize the primacy of power politics irrespective of compatibilitywith American values and with the increasing power of the Soviet Union.The result was disrespect abroad and discontent at home.
The Democratic Party was determined to make our values a central factorin shaping American foreign policy. The one-sided emphasis of the previousRepublican Administration had led many Americans to a suspicion of power,and in some respects, even to rejection of military strength. The Americanpeople longed to see their country once again identified with widespreadhuman aspirations. The Democratic Party understood, if the Republicans didnot, that this is essential to preserve our long-term interests in the world.
The Democratic Administration sought to reconcile these two requirementsof American foreign policy -- principle and strength. Both are requiredto maintain a constructive and secure relationship between America and therest of the world. We have tried to make clear the continuing importanceof American strength in a world of change. Without such strength, thereis a genuine risk that global change will deteriorate into anarchy to beexploited by our adversaries' military power. Thus, the revival of Americanstrength has been a central pre-occupation of the Democratic Administration.
The use of American power is necessary as a means of shaping not onlya more secure, but also a more decent world. To shape a decent world, wemust pursue objectives that are moral, that make clear our support for theaspirations of mankind and that are rooted in the ideals of the Americanpeople.
That is why the Democrats have stressed human rights. That is why Americaonce again has supported the aspirations of the vast majority of the world'spopulation for greater human justice and freedom. As we continue to striveto solve our own internal problems, we are proud of the values for whichthe United States has always stood. We should continue to be a beacon ofliberty around the world and to effectively and positively state America'scase for freedom to the world through various governmental and nongovernmentalchannels.
A foreign policy which seeks to blend our ideals and our strength doesnot easily reduce itself to simple statements.
First, we must consistently strengthen our relations with likemindedindustrial democracies. In meeting the dangers of the coming decade theUnited States will consult closely with our Allies to advance common securityand political goals. As a result of annual summit meetings, coordinatedeconomic policies and effective programs of international energy conservationhave been fashioned. With the cooperation of rich and poor nations alike,a new international trade agreement has been reached which safeguards ourfree enterprise system from protectionism and give us greater economic opportunityin the world, while it gives the developing world a stake in the stabilityof the world's economy.
Second, we must continue to improve our relations with the Third Worldby being sensitive to their legitimate aspirations. The United States shouldbe a positive force for peaceful change in responding to ferment in theThird World. Today, thanks to a number of steps that have been taken --strengthening the international aid institutions, the Panama Canal treaties,the Zimbabwe settlement, the normalization of relations with China -- theUnited States has a healthier and more productive relationship with thesecountries.
Our third objective must be peace in the Middle East. The Carter Administrationhas pursued this objective with determination and together with the leadersof Israel and Egypt, has overcome great obstacles in the last three years.America made this commitment for two fundamental reasons -- morality andnational security.
Our nation feels a profound moral obligation to sustain and assure thesecurity of Israel. That is why our relationship with Israel is, in mostrespects, a unique one. Israel is the single democracy, the most stablegovernment, the most strategic asset and our closest ally in the region.
To fulfill this imperative, we must move towards peace in the MiddleEast. Without peace, there is a growing prospect, indeed inevitably, thatthis region will become radicalized, susceptible to foreign intrusion, andpossibly involved in another war. Thus, peace in the Middle East also isvital for our national security interests.
The strength of these two impulses -- our moral commitment and nationalsecurity -- has sustained the Democratic Administration in many difficulttrials. The result has been the first peace ever between Israel and an Arabcountry, as well as the eventual prospect of a wider comprehensive agreementwhich will assure peace and security to all parties concerned. Our goalis to make the Middle East an area of stability and progress in which theUnited States can play a full and constructive role.
Our fourth major objective is to strengthen the military security ofthe United States and our Allies at a time when trends in the military balancehave become increasingly adverse. America is now, and will continue to be,the strongest power on earth. It was the Democratic Party's greatest hopethat we could, in fact, reduce our military effort. But realities of theworld situation, including the unremitting buildup of Soviet military forces,required that we begin early to reverse the decade-long decline in Americandefense efforts.
In 1977, the United States joined with NATO to develop, for the firsttime in the history of the Alliance, a long-term defense program callingfor three percent annual real growth in our collective defense efforts.This is being fulfilled. In the first year, the Democratic Administrationdecided that the U.S. needed an enhanced strategic posture and policy todeal with the increased first strike capability of the Soviet Union. Tothis end basic commitments were made regarding U.S. strategic capabilitiesfor the late 1980s, in particular, the MX land-based mobile ICBM deterrent.Finally, development is now underway of a rapid deployment force capableof defending our interests and protecting our friends in those parts ofthe world where American military forces are not regularly present.
At the same time, the Democratic Administration has determined to cutwaste in defense spending. The B-1 bomber was cancelled because it was technologicallyobsolete. A defense bill containing unnecessary expenditures for a new nuclearcarrier, while neglecting the readiness of our day-to-day forces, was vetoedand the veto was sustained. These decisions involved difficult choices,but the result is a leaner, stronger American military posture.
As a fifth objective the Democrats have been and remain committed toarms control, especially to strategic arms limitations, and to maintaina firm and balanced relationship with the Soviet Union. Our resolve to pursuethis goal remains as strong as ever.
To avoid the danger to all mankind from an intensification of the strategicarms competition, and to curb a possible acceleration of the nuclear armsrace while awaiting the ratification of the SALT II Treaty, we endorse thepolicy of continuing to take no action which would be inconsistent withits object and purpose, so long as the Soviet Union does likewise.
Arms control and strategic arms limitation are of crucial importanceto us and to all other people. The SALT II Agreement is a major accomplishmentof the Democratic Administration. It contributes directly to our nationalsecurity, and we will seek its ratification at the earliest feasible time.
Defense
America's military strength is and must be unsurpassed. The DemocraticAdministration has moved to reverse the threatened decline in America'sworld position. While claiming concern for our nation's defense preparedness,the Nixon-Ford Administration presided over a steady decline of 33 percentin real U.S. military spending between 1968 and 1976.
As a result of the joint efforts of the Democratic Administration andCongress, there has been a real increase in our defense spending in everyyear since 1976. This increase is necessary in order to compensate for thedecline in U.S. military strength over the previous eight years and to assurea high quality of military personnel, an effective nuclear deterrent capability,a capable conventional fighting force and an improved intelligence capability.We will act to further improve intelligence gathering and analysis.
We must be careful that our defense dollars are spent wisely. We mustmake sure that we develop and deploy practical weapons and that we havethe resources to ensure that the men and women who must operate these weaponshave the skill to do so.
The serious question of manpower shortages must be addressed promptly.In order to prevent the necessity of a peacetime draft, the all-volunteerforce must have wage standards which will retain experienced personnel orrecruit new personnel upon whom an increasingly sophisticated military heavilydepends.
We will upgrade the combat readiness of our armed forces. We will givethe highest priority to combat training, to an effective Reserve and Guardforce, and to sufficient supplies, spare parts, fuel and ammunition. Registrationof 19-year-olds is intended to enable the United States to mobilize morerapidly in the event of an emergency, which is the only time it should beused. We do not favor a peacetime draft or the exclusion of women from registration.We will seek ways to expand voluntary service in both the armed forces andnon-military programs such as VISTA, the Young Adult Conservation Corps,and the Peace Corps.
We need to go forward to protect our retaliatory capabilities in theface of continuing Soviet advances in their strategic forces.
The nation has moved to modernize its strategic deterrent through theMX, Trident, and cruise missile systems. The MX missile deployment willenhance the survivability of our land-based intercontinental ballistic missileforce. Cruise missiles will modernize our strategic air deterrent, and thenew Trident submarine with a missile range of over 4,000 miles will bothimprove and help guarantee the invulnerability of our nuclear deterrent.
The United States has acted to correct the dangerous military imbalancewhich had developed in Europe, by initiating and obtaining Allied supportfor a long overdue NATO long-term defense program and proceeding towardthe deployment in Europe of long-range theater nuclear deterrents to counterthe Soviet buildup of such weaponry in Europe. Our commitment to increasedefense spending by at least three percent per year is crucial to the maintenanceof Allied consensus and confidence in his regard. We need to modernize ourconventional military capabilities so that we can better protect Americanlives and American interests abroad.
The Democratic Administration has acted to improve our ability to makerapid responses to contingencies by organizing and supporting rapid deploymentforces capable of responding to military problems in any part of the worldwhere our vital interests are threatened. To that end, we favor the developmentand production of a new fleet of cargo aircraft with intercontinental range,the design and procurement of a force of Maritime Prepositioning ships thatwill carry heavy equipment and supplies for three Marine Corps brigades,and an increase in regional military exercises, in cooperation with friendlystates. We have given particular attention to developing the facilitiesand capabilities to further support the policy of the United States withregard to the Persian Gulf enunciated by President Carter in the State ofthe Union address on January 23, 1980: "Let our position be absolutelyclear: an attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulfregion will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the UnitedStates of America and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary,including military force."
We are confident that the negotiation of American overseas military facilitiesin support of this effort as well as other areas of the world will be conductedwith respect for the independence, integrity and cultural values of thehost countries.
The Democratic Party recognizes the strategic value of Israel and thatpeace in the Middle East requires a militarily secure Israel. Because MiddleEast nations that have not joined the peace process have been able to purchasethe latest sophisticated Soviet and other weaponry, the technological advantagewhich Israel holds over its adversaries has been jeopardized. The progressof the peace talks means that Israel has gained considerable security advantagesfrom peace with Egypt. At the same time, Israel will lose some of the tacticaladvantages previously provided by territory occupied in 1967. Any furtherwar Israel fights could take place close to its population centers. Therefore,we pledge a continued high level of U.S. military support for Israel.
U.S.-Soviet Relations
A strong, consistent, and principled policy toward the Soviet Union isa vital element of our foreign policy everywhere.
The Democratic Administration will use all its resources -- includingboth firm diplomacy and military power -- to deter adventurism and to makerestraint the only acceptable course available to our adversaries.
We stand ready to pursue good faith negotiations with the Soviet Unionat every opportunity on a wide range of issues including strategic arms,forces in the European theater, and other matters which would contributeto peace and a more genuine and reciprocal detente.
At the heart of our policy toward the Soviet Union must be a clear recognitionof the reality of Soviet power. We must reject the easy mythology that theSoviets see the world as we do. A long-term strategy for the 1980s requiresa clear view of the Soviet Union, a view without illusion that our adversaryis either benign or omnipotent.
The Soviet attack on Afghanistan, the murder of its leaders. and theruthless effort to exterminate those resisting the Soviet invasion haveviolated all norms of international law and practice and have been thoroughlycondemned by the international community.
This attempt to subjugate an independent, non-aligned Islamic peopleis a callous violation of international law, the United Nations Charter,and the principle of restraint which underlies detente.
This invasion places the Soviet armed forces within fighter aircraftrange of the Straits of Hormuz, the lifeline of the bulk of the world'sexportable oil.
It creates fear and instability among our friends in the region who arealready buffeted by the disintegration of Iran as a stabilizing force.
More broadly, the success or failure of Soviet military aggression willaffect present and future Soviet leaders' readiness to use force to gaintheir ends.
Hence, it is a threat not only to our strategic interests in the regionbut to world peace.
A strong American response to the illegal and brutal invasion of Afghanistanserves our nations security interests. It must and will be sustained, aslong as Soviet troops remain there.
In response to the Soviet invasion, the United States has cut grain exports,curbed high technology trade and interrupted scientific and cultural relations.
The United States has also committed itself to a boycott of Moscow asthe site of the Olympic Games. To attend while he Soviet armed might brutallyseeks to crush the national liberation movement in Afghanistan would bea travesty of the Olympic spirit.
We must continue to support U.S. actions such as the Olympic boycottand trade restrictions in order to show determined opposition to Sovietaggression. We insist on immediate Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan andthe reestablishment of a non-aligned, independent government which is supportedby the people of Afghanistan. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan makes itextremely important that the United States be ready to aid those in theThird Word resisting Soviet, Cuban, and East German domination.
While the invasion of Afghanistan has side-tracked our pursuit of a productiverelationship with the Soviet Union, the Democratic Party supports effortsto strengthen ties to the nations of Eastern Europe. Treating each of thosenations with sensitivity to its individual situation, the U.S. has steadilyimproved relations with the people of Hungary, Poland, and Romania. WhileSoviet conduct has profoundly damaged East-West relations the U.S. shouldcontinue to draw distinctions, to the extent possible, between the sanctionsit imposes on economic dealings with Moscow and similar relations with someother members of the Warsaw Pact, as long as they are not diverting thattrade, in grain or items under export control, to the use of the SovietUnion and as long as they are willing to maintain a constructive dialogueon issues of concern and significance to the United States.
Through the measures now being taken, including both denial of economicbenefits and the Olympic boycott, as well as our efforts to enhance thesecurity of the region more directly affected, the objective should be tomake the Soviets pay a price for their act of international aggression.We should continue to do so along with efforts to strengthen our nationaldefense. We cannot permit this attack across an international border, withthe threat it poses to the region and thus to the strategic balance, togo unanswered. Only firmness now can prevent new adventures later.
The Democratic Administration will also seek to reverse the recent sharpdownturn in Soviet Jewish emigration and to obtain the release of dissidentsnow detained in the Soviet Union, including 41 members of the Helsinki WatchGroups who are in Soviet prisons, labor camps and banishment for their humanrights activity. We will pursue our human rights concerns as a necessarypart of overall progress on the range of political, military and economicissues between the United States and the Soviet Union -- including the possibilityof improved, mutually beneficial economic relations between our two countries.
Consideration of human rights should be a permanent feature of U.S.-Sovietrelations. We salute those Soviet citizens active in the Moscow, Ukrainian,Lithuanian, Armenian, and Georgian Helsinki Monitoring Groups, assert oursupport of the courageous human rights advocate, Nobel Peace Prize Winner,Dr. Andrei Sakharov, and call for Dr. Sakharov's release from forced exileas well as the release of all political prisoners in the U.S.S.R.
We pledge that a Democratic Administration will raise the question ofthe Soviet violation of human rights at all appropriate international forums.
Arms Control
The SALT II Treaty also serves our security interests. It is a vitalstep in an arms control process that can begin to lift from humanity theshadow of nuclear war. That process, also, must be sustained.
Soviet aggression against Afghanistan has delayed the course of ratificationof the SALT II Treaty, but we must continue to pursue both security priorities:deterrence of Soviet aggression and balanced arms control agreements. Boththe response to Afghanistan and the SALT II Treaty serve this purpose.
The SALT Treaty is in the U.S. interest because it is an important wayof restraining Soviet behavior.
Without SALT II, the Soviets could have hundreds more missiles and thousandsmore nuclear warheads than the Treaty permits. Under the Treaty, they wouldhave to eliminate many nuclear weapons they already have.
The Treaty helps sustain a strong American position in the world. OurAllies and other nations around the world know the SALT II Treaty servestheir security interests as well as ours. American support for arms controlis important to our standing in the international community. the same communitythat has rebuked the Soviets for their attempted suppression of Afghanistan.It is also important to our efforts to organize an enduring response tothe growing threat to Europe of the Soviet SS-20 nuclear missiles and toSoviet aggression in Afghanistan.
Along with support for SALT, we seek to maintain a stable conventionaland theater nuclear balance in Europe. We will support modernization programsin which European countries bear their fair share of the cost and otherburdens. At the same time, we will ensure that no possibility for effectivelimits on theater nuclear weapons is left unexplored. The Democratic Administrationwill join with our NATO allies in making far-reaching, equitable, and verifiableproposals for nuclear and conventional arms control in Europe.
The Democratic Party wants an arms control process to continue, justas it wants to sustain strong policies against Soviet aggression in Afghanistan.We understand that both build peace and make our nation more secure. Accordingly,we must persist in a strong policy regarding the Soviet aggression, andwe must seek ratification of SALT as soon as it is feasible.
A Democratic Administration will not accept an indefinite deferral ofstrategic arms control. On the basis of review and planning of U.S. securityrequirements in
the coming decade, we are determined to pursue negotiations with theSoviet Union aimed at the achievement of strategic stability and, for thefirst time, of major reductions and qualitative limits on strategic systems.The American SALT proposals in March 1977 were the first effort to seeksuch reductions, which remain the goal and justification of arms control.A Democratic Administration will treat the Soviet government's readinessto negotiate verifiable, substantial and significant reductions and qualitativelimits as a test of its seriousness about arms control and the compatibilityof its approach to arms control with that of the United States.
We will pursue other arms control opportunities that can enhance bothour national security and the prospects of peace. In particular, the DemocraticAdministration will pursue a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Sucha treaty is vital to our hopes to control the proliferation of nuclear weapons.Following the 1980 Review Conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,we will step up our efforts to expand adherence to the treaty, to strengtheninternational safeguards and controls over nuclear materials, equipmentand technology, and to forestall the spread of nuclear explosive capabilities.In any peaceful nuclear supply, we will continue to seek the full applicationof international safeguards and undertakings not to explode nuclear devices.
We have placed significant limits on our conventional arms transfersand will vigorously press other arms suppliers and recipients to acceptmutual restraints.
The Democratic Administration has increased our capacity to counter internationalterrorism, both on a national basis and in coordination with other governments,and to deal with acts of terrorism including hostage-taking committed eitherby individuals or by governments. We will strengthen multilateral arrangementsfor contingency planning, information sharing, military coordination, andthe isolation of countries that harbor terrorists.
Human Rights
In the area of international affairs, the Democratic Administration hasplaced America's power in the service of a more decent world by once againliving up to our own values and working in a formal, deliberate way to fosterthe principles set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
This has been accomplished through a strong commitment to human rights,which must be seen not only as a moral imperative but as the only secureand enduring basis upon which a truly stable world order can be fashioned.There have been successes in Asia, Latin America, and elsewhere in the world.We must be undaunted by the increasing repression in the Soviet Union. Wesupport measures designed to restrict trade with the Soviet Union untilsuch time as Soviet emigration policy is made fair and non-restrictive.
We must be vigilant about human rights violations in any country in whichthey occur including South Africa. We note in particular that many of theCommunist-dominated countries are persistent violators of the most basichuman freedoms-- the right to free speech, the right to religious freedom,the right to travel and emigrate, and the right to be free from arbitraryharassment.
We support Senate ratification of the Genocide Convention and the InternationalCovenants on Human Rights as soon as possible.
We support continuation of the leadership role taken by the United Statesin the area of human rights and urge that the Democratic Administrationcontinue to speak out openly and forcefully on human rights violations wheneverand wherever they occur.
We will fulfill the letter and the spirit of current law by denying assistanceto governments that violate fundamental human rights, except for that aidwhich is clearly humanitarian. We also recognize the exception for assistancethat is required for overriding security purposes, but that exception shouldnot be used as an excuse for ignoring abuses of human rights.
We will provide additional assistance and support, as needed, to governmentsthat strive successfully for greater political liberty and protection ofhuman rights.
Refugees and Migration
America's roots are found in the immigrants and refugees who have cometo our shores to build new lives in a new world. The Democratic Party pledgesto honor our historic commitment to this heritage.
The first comprehensive reform of this nation's refugee policies in over25 years was completed with the signing in March 1980 of the Refugee Actof 1980, based on legislation submitted to Congress by the Carter Administrationin March 1979.
This Act offers a comprehensive alternative to the chaotic movement andthe inefficient and inequitable administration of past refugee programsin the United States. We favor the full use of refugee legislation now tocope with the flow of Cuban and Haitian refugees, and to help the states,local communities and voluntary agencies resettle them across our land.We urge that monies be distributed to voluntary agencies fairly so thataid is distributed to all refugees without discrimination .
The Administration also established the first refugee coordination officein the Department of State under the leadership of a special ambassadorand coordinator for refugee affairs and programs.
The new legislation and the coordinator's office will bring common senseand consolidation to our nation's previously fragmented, inconsistent, and,in many ways, outdated refugee and immigration policies.
A Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy is now at workto further reform the system. We pledge our support to the goals and purposesof the Commission, and we urge the Administration to move aggressively inthis area once the Commission submits its report.
Once that report has been completed we must work to resolve the issueof undocumented residents in a fair and humane way. We will oppose any legislationdesigned to allow workers into the country to undercut U.S. wages and workingconditions, and which would re-establish the bracero program of the past.
World population projections, as well as international economic indicators-- especially in the Third World -- forewarn us that migration pressureswill mount rapidly in many areas of the world in the decade ahead. Our ownsituation of undocumented workers underscores how difficult it is to dealwith economic and employment forces that are beyond any nation's immediatecontrol. Most of Europe, and many parts of Latin America and Asia, facesimilar dilemmas. For example, Mexico faces the pressure of migration fromCentral America .
We will work with other nations to develop international policies toregularize population movement and to protect the human rights of migrantseven as we protect the jobs of American workers and the economic interestof the United States. In this Hemisphere, such a policy will require closecooperation with our neighbors, especially Mexico and Canada.
We must also work to resolve the difficult problems presented by theimmigration from Haiti and from the more recent immigration from Cuba. Indoing so, we must ensure that there is no discrimination in the treatmentafforded to the Cubans or Haitians. We must also work to ensure that futureCuban immigration is handled in an orderly way, consistent with our laws.To ameliorate the impact on state and local communities and school districtsof the influx of new immigrants from Cuba and Haiti, we must provide theaffected areas with special fiscal assistance.
We support continued financial backing of international relief programssuch as those financed by the United States, the International Red Cross,UNICEF and the private, non-profit organizations to aid the starving peopleof Kampuchea. We also endorse such support for the Cambodian refugees andencourage participation in the campaign of the National Cambodian CrisisCommittee.
We support, through U.S. contributions to the UN High Commissioner forRefugees and other means, aid for the mounting Afghan refugee populationin Pakistan and other desperate refugee situations.
The Middle East
When the Democratic Administration began in 1977, the prospects for peacein the Middle East were bleak. Despite efforts over thirty years, Israelstill faced an Arab world that was totally hostile to it; it was still deniedany movement towards its dream of living at peace with its neighbors behindsecure and recognized frontiers.
Almost immediately after his inauguration, President Carter undertookto move the peace process forward. Following the historic visit of PresidentSadat to Jerusalem, the Administration's efforts led to Camp David, wherethe two Presidents and Prime Minister Begin in thirteen days created theCamp David Accords -- the most promising effort in three decades for creatinga genuine and lasting peace in the Middle East.
Following President Carter's trip to the Middle East in March 1979, PrimeMinister Begin and President Sadat signed the Israel-Egypt peace treatyat the White House. A year later, that treaty has led to the transfer oftwo-thirds of the Sinai to Egypt -- along with the Sinai oil fields; ambassadorshave been exchanged; borders have been opened; and normalization of relationsis well underway. Israel has finally gained peace with its largest Arabneighbor. In sum, this Democratic Administration has done more to achieveIsrael's dream of peace than any other Administration in thirty years.
Negotiations are continuing under the Camp David framework on full autonomyfor the inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza, in order to preserve fullyIsrael's security while permitting the Palestinians living in the territoriesto participate in determining their own future. The United States is a fullpartner in negotiations between Israel and Egypt to provide for a five-yeartransitional regime in the West Bank and Gaza.
It is recognized that the Democratic Administration has to proceed withspecial care and sensitivity resulting from its deep engagement in the delicateprocess of promoting a wider peace for Israel.
At the same time. the United States' commitment to the independence,security, and future of Israel has been strengthened. Nearly half of allU.S. aid to Israel since its creation as a sovereign state -- more than$10 billion -- has been requested during the last 3-1/2 years. We provideIsrael with modern military equipment and we fully support Israel's effortsto create a just and lasting peace with all of its Arab neighbors.
U.S policy is -- and should continue to be -- guided also by the followingprinciples.
UN Security council Resolution 242, unchanged and the Camp David Accordsare the basis for peace in the Middle East.
We support Israel's security. and will continue to provide generous militaryand economic aid to that end.
We pledge not to provide Israel's potential enemies with sophisticatedoffensive equipment that could endanger the security of Israel.
Jerusalem should remain forever undivided, with free access to the holyplaces for people of all faiths.
We oppose creation of an independent Palestinian state.
We will not negotiate with or recognize the Palestinian Liberation Organizationunless and until it accepts Israel's right to exist and UN Security CouncilResolution 242 and 338. It is also long past time for an end to all terrorismand other acts of violence against Israel.
We have not and will not use our aid to Israel as a bargaining tool;and we will never permit oil policies to influence our policy toward peaceor our support for Israel .
As stated in the 1976 platform, the Democratic Party recognizes and supports"the established status of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, withfree access to all its holy places provided to all faiths. As a symbol ofthis stand, the U.S. Embassy should be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem."
Elsewhere in the Middle East, we support the improvement of relationswith moderate Arab states. We support the independence, sovereignty, andintegrity of Lebanon. We call upon all states in the region to support thehistoric efforts of Israel and Egypt to build a comprehensive peace.
We believe a cooperative effort among the nations of the Middle Eastand the United States can help provide needed assistance to Israel and herMiddle East neighbors engaging in the peace process with Israel in the vitalareas of refugee resettlement, agricultural development. water development,health and medical facilities, and productivity and trade. A planning groupshould be created to pursue an effort to provide this type of assistance.
The Democratic Administration will also take needed measures to protectAmerican interests in the Persian Gulf. including energy security, regionalstability, and national independence. This will require sophisticated diplomacyas well as military capability. We will seek both to counter external threatsand to encourage necessary political and economic development. In the end,our allies have an equal or greater interest than we in the security ofoil supply and regional stability, and the Democratic Administration willcontinue to cooperate with them in a common strategy and to share commonburdens.
We condemn the government of Iran for its outrageous conduct in the takingof our diplomatic personnel as hostages. We insist upon respect for theprinciple -- as repeatedly enunciated by the UN Security Council and theInternational Court of Justice -- of the inviolability for diplomatic personnel.We call upon all governments to abide by and uphold this basic tenet ofcivilized international conduct.
In the region as a whole, we must end our dangerous dependence on foreignoil. Only in this way can our foreign policy counter effectively the pressuresof OPEC and of Soviet power poised above the Persian Gulf in Afghanistan.The Democratic Administration will fulfill its commitments to the StrategicPetroleum Reserve to protect America against an oil embargo. As we reduceoil consumption and dependence on OPEC, we will be able to bargain on equalterms with the OPEC states for an assurance of more certain supplies ofoil at more stable prices.
Europe and Japan
America and her allies must continue the mutual confidence and commitmentthe sense of common purpose, that marked our relations for decades. Theproblems we face are global in scope. We cannot begin to solve them if eachof us goes a separate way. We must learn to work in partnership on an increasingrange of problems, in areas such as Africa and the Persian Gulf, and onworldwide economic and security issues.
The Democratic Administration will be committed to a strong NATO anda stable military balance in Europe. We will pursue both modernization ofNATO conventional and nuclear forces and equitable limitations between NATOand the Warsaw Pact.
The Democratic Administration will seek collective solutions to the commoneconomic problems of inflation, unemployment, energy, trade and monetaryrelations which confront us and our allies. This will require increasedcooperation and coordination among all OECD countries.
The Democratic Administration will continue to support the growth andcohesion of the European community and will increase our support for Greece,Spain and Portugal, which have rejoined the ranks of democracy.
We have been particularly concerned about the need to maintain strategicstability in the Eastern Mediterranean. To this end, we have worked withCongress toward the resolution of differences between Greece and Turkeyover Cyprus and other divisive issues. We have worked toward a balancedtreatment of both countries in our assistance programs.
We will give priority to the reintegration of Greece into NATO's militarystructure and to the strengthening of NATO's southern flank, including theeconomic progress of each of our allies in southern Europe.
We have worked towards a fair settlement of the Cyprus issue by givingour support to the United Nations efforts to encourage intercommunal talks.We agree with Secretary General Waldheim's opinion that such talks, if properlyused, represent the best possible solution to a just and lasting politicalsettlement of the Cyprus problem based on the legitimate rights of the twocommunities.
We must do all that is possible, consistent with our interest in a strongNATO in southern Europe and stability in the eastern Mediterranean, to encouragea fair settlement of the Cyprus issue, which has caused so much sufferingin that area.
We will press strongly for the full implementation of U.N. Resolution3212 in order to bring about an agreed resolution to the tragic conflictin Cyprus; including the withdrawal of all Turkish military forces fromCyprus, the safe return of all refugees to their homes, full cooperationof all parties with a negotiated solution and a full peace and respect forhuman rights in Cyprus.
Consistent with our traditional concern for peace and human rights, thenext Democratic Administration will play a positive role in seeking peacein Northern Ireland. We condemn the violence on all sides. We will encourageprogress toward a long-term solution based upon consent of all parties tothe conflict, based on the principle of Irish unity. We take note of theSaint Patrick's Day statement "... that the solution offering the greatestpromise of permanent peace is to end the division of the Irish people"and its urging of "... the British Government to express its interestin the unity of Ireland and to join with the government of Ireland in workingto achieve peace and reconciliation." New political structures whichare created should protect human rights, and should be acceptable to bothGreat Britain and Ireland and to both parts of the community of NorthernIreland.
Our relations with Japan have moved to a new level of maturity and cooperation.The United States is able to deal with patience and understanding on a rangeof difficult and contentious economic issues. In the foreign policy andsecurity area, Japan's record in support of U.S. foreign policy objectivesis second to none. We will continue to nurture this relationship.
The International Economy
A vigorous American foreign policy and a sustained defense effort dependon the strength of the U.S. economy and its ability to compete in the internationalmarketplace.
Through annual economic summits in London, Bonn, Tokyo, and Venice, wehave established a sound basis for economic progress in the 1980s by improvingthe coordination of our economic policies. We have sought to strengtheninternational institutions to deal with our common problems; to reduce worldwideinflation, which undermines Western security and prosperity; to encourageinvestment and innovation to increase productivity; and simultaneously tofind ways to reduce unemployment, especially among our youth. We have madesubstantial progress, but the battle continues.
The Democratic Administration, which has wrestled with these issues overthe past three and a half years, pledges a renewed effort to revitalizethe world economy and to maintain our position as the leader of the freeworld's economic forces.
Trade
In 1976, we called for trade policies that would benefit economic growth.Trade promotes new jobs for American workers, new markets for farmers andbusinessmen, and lower prices for consumers. But trade can also cause dislocationswithin the economy, and we have sought--and will continue to seek--waysto ease the burden of adjustment to foreign competition without impedingthe process of structural change so vital to our economic health. We favora free international trading system, but that system must also be fair.We will not allow our workers and industries to be displaced by unfair importcompetition. We have entered orderly marketing agreements and other arrangementsin areas such as color television, footwear and textiles, to help promotethe competitive position of American industry. Others may be necessary.
Last year, we successfully concluded the Multilateral Trade Negotiations,an ambitious set of negotiations designed to reduce barriers to internationaltrade. Before the Democratic Administration took office, these negotiationshad proceeded at a snail's pace, and there had been a growing risk of failurewhich could have sparked a trade war damaging to our interests. It was theimaginative leadership of this Administration which breathed new life intoan otherwise somnolent negotiation.
To strengthen the U.S. economy and improve our competitive position inthe world economy, U.S. export-import policy must be based on the principleof fair trade that will enhance our exports while safeguarding domesticindustry from unfair trade practices. In assuring orderly foreign trade,the U.S. must require observance of our trade laws, as well as cooperationwith our trade policies if economic disruption is to be avoided. This willrequire:
We bargained long and hard to obtain concessions which would benefitAmericans and open new markets to U.S. producers of both agricultural andindustrial goods. The agreements, which won the overwhelming support ofthe U.S. Congress, achieved that objective. They represent a sensible balanceof benefits. At the same time, they will ensure a liberal, but fair, internationaltrading environment for the 1980s.
Monetary Affairs
We will continue to take whatever actions are necessary to maintain asound and stable dollar. We will cooperate with other nations to minimizeexchange rate disturbances. We fully support efforts underway to strengthenthe ability of inter national financial institutions to adapt to changingneeds and to facilitate the recycling of funds from the surplus oil-producingnations to those countries facing large, oil-induced deficits. We will urgeOPEC countries to participate constructively in this process.
International Energy Cooperation
We have cooperated with other industrial countries, at summit meetingsand in the International Energy Agency, in developing joint programs toconserve oil and increase production of alternative energy sources. Onlythrough a truly global effort can the present imbalance between energy supplyand demand be redressed. We will continue to support such efforts, showingour leadership by continuing the actions that have reduced oil consumptionand imports by a greater proportion in the U.S. than in any other industrialcountry in the last year. We will work with our partners abroad to elicitincreased effort by them even as we seek increased U.S. effort at home,to the same ends.
The Developing World
Under the previous Republican Administration, the nations of the ThirdWorld viewed the United States as uninterested in or hostile to the needto treat the North-South economic issues which are of greatest importanceto developing countries. Since then, the United States has adopted a rangeof economic policies on trade (MTN, Generalized System of Preferences expansion),commodities (Common Fund, sugar, coffee, tin), aid (International FinancialInstitutions replenishments) which have demonstrated that the Carter Administrationis responsive to the aspirations of peoples in developing countries.
But this task is only begun. We share the globe with more than 4 billionpeople, more than three-quarters of whom live in developing nations, mostof them poor. By the end of this century, the population of developing countrieswill grow by about 1.7 billion people. Their prospects for jobs, food, andpeace will increasingly affect our own prospects. These nations can be thefastest growing market for our exports, as they are today, or they can becomesources for new immigration and hostility toward the industrial democracies.
Thus, America's defense, energy, and economic security depend on stabilityand growth not only among our allies, but among our friends in the ThirdWorld. It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 13th among 17 majorindustrial powers in percentage of GNP devoted to development assistance.
The Democratic Administration will work with the Congress to developand sustain policies and programs of economic cooperation with the developingnations. guided by the test of mutual interest. We will approach the globalnegotiations next year on economic relations between the industrial Northand developing South in this positive spirit. We will contribute the UnitedStates fair share to the capital of the multilateral development banks andagencies and we will continue substantial and innovative U.S. programs ofdirect development assistance to low-income countries.
These policies will be reflected in further concentration of U.S. developmentassistance in countries that make good use of aid and on programs that addressthe basic needs of poor people, especially food, health, and voluntary familyplanning services. We will increase U.S. and multilateral technical andfinancial assistance to oil-importing nations for the development of theirenergy resources. The participation of U.S. private enterprises in the economicgrowth of developing nations will be selectively encouraged, with due regardfor our own employment objectives.
We are deeply concerned about the growing problem of world hunger asreported by the President's Commission on World Hunger. We are determinedto increase our resources, and to seek a similar increase on the part ofother nations, with a view toward solving this problem by the end of thecentury.
Together with our allies, the Democratic Administration will challengeOPEC and the Communist nations to reach a new collective worldwide commitmentto economic development. All sides must increase their contributions forthis development, so that the world may escape the spectre of internationalbankruptcy from rising energy costs and rising burdens of debt. Developmentin the Third World is vital to international political and economic stabilityand therefore to our own national security.
In all of our relations with developing nations, we will actively promotethe cause of human rights and express America's abhorrence of the denialof freedom.
Our security depends critically on events in the Middle East, Asia, LatinAmerica, and Africa, events marked by either the pursuit of goals commonto or conflicting with our interests. We will continue to cooperate withkey friendly developing nations in security relations and in economic measuresensuring our mutual security Great care will be exercised in our securityassistance activities to avoid stimulating regional arms races or needlesslydiverting resources from development to armament.
The Third World
Under the previous Republican Administration relations with the ThirdWorld were at their nadir. The United States appeared hostile and indifferentto the developing world's aspirations for greater justice, respect, anddignity. All this has changed.
Latin America and the Caribbean
In stark contrast to the policies of previous Republican Administrations,this Democratic Administration has begun to forge a new, collaborative relationshipwith nations of Latin America and the Caribbean; one resting on a firm commitmentto human rights, democratization, increased economic and industrial development,and non-intervention.
We must now move innovatively to strengthen our ties with our neighborsin the Western Hemisphere, first to obviate any vacuum for outside interventionand second to promote bilateral approaches for social progress and economicdevelopment including energy resources.
Through systematic and structural high level attention to the problemsof the Western Hemisphere we will mobilize the resources of our governmentto achieve this end. One such possibility to be considered is to appointan Under Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere. This would encourageboth economic and political freedom throughout the Hemisphere.
We have given particular attention to developing a more balanced relationshipwith Mexico, a country with which we share so many important interests andalso problems.
The successful negotiation of the Panama Canal Treaties -- after fourteenfruitless years of effort -- was seen as an indication of our willingnessto treat Latin America on the basis of mutual respect. With those treatiesratified, the United States in 1980 is not only identified with the causeof human rights and democracy, but also we have opened a new chapter inour relations with the nations of this Hemisphere. Moreover, through regularmultilateral consultations at all levels, more balanced relationships withthe nations in the region have been forged.
The United States has worked hard to encourage the expansion of democracyin Latin America, respect for human rights, and the preservation of nationalindependence and integrity from the threat of Soviet and Cuban intervention.
For the first time, an approach has been developed and tailored to theunique needs and aspirations of the Caribbean area. The Administration hassupported change within a democratic framework; more than doubled aid programs;and worked with twenty-nine other nations and fifteen international institutionsto establish the Caribbean Group for Cooperation in Economic Development,which has quadrupled external aid to the region.
Through strengthened relations with the Caribbean Community and the AndeanPact, the Administration has worked to enhance subregional cooperation aswell.
President Carter has worked for peace in the region. By signing ProtocolI of the Treaty of Tlatelolco, President Carter has demonstrated his supportfor non-proliferation objectives in the Hemisphere. We support its ratification.By supporting regional efforts at arms restraints, the United States hastaken the lead in trying to reduce the possibilities for conflict in theregion.
We reaffirm our commitment to the protection of universally recognizedand fundamental human rights throughout the Americas by urging that theSenate ratify the American Convention on Human Rights, which was signedby President Carter in June 1977. We will join with other like-minded statesin pursuing human rights, democracy, and economic development throughoutthe region. We will uphold our own law and terminate all aid except forclearly humanitarian purposes to human rights violators. In our relationshipswith Argentina, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and others throughoutthe Hemisphere we will press further for respect for human rights and politicalliberalization. In Central America especially, we will align ourselves withthose who are trying to build a better future out of the aftermath of tyranny,corruption and civil war.
We will opposed a spiral of confrontation with Cuba, for its own sake,but we will not evade the real issues between that country and the UnitedStates. Under no condition will we accept a Soviet military offensive capabilitybased in Cuba or anywhere else in the Hemisphere.
In order to permit the pursuit of normal relations between our countries,Cuba should stop its disorderly movement of those seeking to leave; it shouldcooperate with the international community to develop a fair and orderlyemigration program; it must withdraw its armed forces from Africa; it mustcease subversive activities throughout the Hemisphere; and it should followthe principles of the American Convention on Human Rights.
Asia
The establishment of normal diplomatic and economic relations with Chinais an historic foreign policy achievement.
Progress in U.S.-China relations was stalled in 1977, but with patience,political courage and historic vision, the deadlock was broken by this DemocraticAdministration .
In the fifteen months since normalization, the benefits of normalizationhave already become clear: trade, travel, cultural exchange, and, most importantof all, the security and stability of the Pacific region is greater nowthan in any time in this century.
The Democratic Party commits itself to a broadening and deepening ofour-relationship with China in a way that will benefit both our peoplesand the peace and security of the world. We will continue to seek new areaswhere the United States and China can cooperate in support of common interests.We have not and will not play "China cards" or other dangerousgames; nor will we allow our relationship with any other country to impedeour efforts to continue the process of normalization of relations with China.
In 1976, the so-called Koreagate affair had badly hurt our ties to Korea.A friendly and increasingly frank dialogue with the Korean government hasbeen promoted. We will continue not only to fulfill our commitment to security,but equally to the promotion of a more democratic government. North andSouth Korea have renewed their dialogue and made a difficult but hopefulstart down a long, uncertain road. In our relationships with the Philippines,Taiwan and others in the region, we will also press for political liberalizationand human rights.
With ASEAN, the Democratic Administration has developed a coherent andsupportive approach, encouraging the cohesion of those five nations justat the time when their unity was being tested by the Vietnamese aggressionin Kampuchea. ASEAN now stands as one of the most viable regional organizationsin the world. The Democratic Party recognizes the important role the U.S.territories and other emerging island states in the Pacific Basin play inthe solidification of defense and economic ties with the ASEAN nations.The Democratic Party commits itself to humanitarian aid to the people ofEast Timor.
Africa
Africa will be of central importance to American foreign policy in the1980s. By the end of the previous Republican Administration in 1977, theUnited States had little credibility in Black Africa for they had made littleor no attempt to see African problems from an African perspective. Our policyhad no clearly defined goals. As a consequence, our attempts to bring anend to the war in Southern Africa were ineffective. We were becoming, inAfrican eyes, irrelevant -- even antagonistic -- to African aspirations.
The Democratic Administration developed a long-term African policy --a policy that is viable on its own merits and does not treat Africa as anappendage to great power competition. It recognized the need for a new approachto the Continent, an approach based on mutual respect, fundamental concernfor human rights and the necessity for economic justice.
Considerable success has been achieved, perhaps most notably in SouthernAfrica. Our diplomatic efforts there have been instrumental in helping tobring about a peaceful settlement in Rhodesia -- now Zimbabwe -- while lesseningSoviet/Cuban influence in the area. We will continue to assist in the reconstructionand development of an independent Zimbabwe, as a means of promoting stabilityin the region.
Much remains to be done. Many of the fifty African nations are politicallyunstable and economically weak -- partially as a result of their colonialheritage, but increasingly due to endemic drought and the economic dislocationresulting from ever-rising energy costs.
The Democratic Party pledges itself to continue efforts to improve U.S.relations with all African nations, on the basis of mutual respect and amutual commitment to enhance economic justice and human dignity everywhere,with particular emphasis on the recurrent problem of drought and starvation.U.S. aid in the form of grain and foodstuffs must be continued but, in addition,we must seek with African governments ways of removing famine permanentlyfrom the African Continent.
The Democratic Party pledges itself to the process of economic reconstructionin Zimbabwe within the context of a coherent multi-donor development planfor all the cooperating nations of the Southern African region.
The Democratic Party pledges active support for self-determination inNamibia, and for full social and economic justice for all the peoples ofSouthern Africa.
The Democratic Administration will press for the withdrawal of Sovietand Cuban troops.
In Southern Africa, we will exert our influence to promote progress towardmajority rule and to end the racist system of apartheid. We condemn thebrutal suppression of Black Native African people in Soweto and Capetownby the South African regime and support increased political and economicpressure of this oppressive regime, through legal sanctions.
We support increased pressure through legal diplomatic sanctions on theoppressive South African regime. Initially we will divest, under legal procedures,South African holdings of all public institutions and deploy full legaleconomic sanctions until that government abandons its undemocratic apartheidsystem.
Following the removal of Cuban troops from Angola, we will seek to normalizerelations with Angola. We will strengthen relations with nations committedto the objectives of economic development, respect for human rights andpolitical liberalization. In the western Sahara we will support a negotiatedsettlement to the convict.
The United Nations and International Agencies
In each of the regions of the globe, international organizations andagencies will be tested in the coming decade and will play an increasinglycrucial role. The United Nations remains the only forum where rich and poor,East and West, and neutral nations can come together to air their grievances,participate in respected forums of world opinion, and find mechanisms toresolve disputes without resort to force. In particular, in recent monthsthe UN has been a forum for expressing the world's condemnation and rejectionof both the hostage-taking in Iran and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
The United Nations is also vital in other ways -- through its internationalrefugee efforts, coordination of development assistance, support for agriculturalresearch, and worldwide eradication of disease.
In the next decade, international monetary and development institutionswill also be under increasing pressure. Their efforts must be expanded tomeet more fully the urgent needs of the two-thirds of the world's populationwhich suffers the damaging and depressing effects of underdevelopment.
The United Nations and these agencies perform a vital role in the searchfor peace. They deserve America's continuing supports -- and they will receiveit from the Democratic Administration. We support the U.S. position on freedomof the press to be voted again in Belgrade during the 1980 UNESCO meeting.
We support the call in Section 503 off the Foreign Relations AuthorizationAct of 1978, for the United States to make "a major effort toward reformingand restructuring the United Nations system."
We also endorse that portion of the President's report to Congress inMarch, 1978 on U.N. reform and restructuring which calls for the Senate"to re-examine the Connally reservation," "the creation ofa U.N. Peacekeeping Reserve composed of national contingents trained inpeacekeeping functions," the establishment of "a new U.N. seniorpost as High Commissioner of Human Rights," and the development ofautonomous sources of income for the international community.
We will work toward new structures which will enhance the U.N. in thefields of economic development, including international trade organizations,higher education, volunteer service, mediation and conciliation, internationaldisarmament, implementation of the Law of the Sea Agreement, and controllinginternational terrorism.
Into the 1980s
As we look to the 1980s, we have a full and challenging agenda.
With our Allies, we face the challenge of building greater unity of actionwhile preserving the diversity of our democracies. Europe is increasinglyunited and is finding its own identity and voice. We must forge new linksof consultation and revive the political process within the North AtlanticAlliance so that Europe remains America's partner in meeting the challengesto our common security and economic interests. We must find ways to includeJapan in this process, broadening the mechanisms for cooperation which existin current international forums, such as the Seven-Nation Summit.
With the Third World countries, we must continue to do our part in therealization of their aspirations for justice, respect, and freedom. We mustcontinue to work for full political participation by all in South Africa,including independence and majority rule in Namibia. We must work to strengthendemocracy in the Caribbean and Central America in the face of efforts bythe Cubans to export their failed revolution. Throughout Latin America,we must continue to cooperate for the realization of greater human rightsand the fulfillment of basic human needs. In Asia, we must continue to strengthenour relationships with our friends and Allies as they confront the twindangers flowing from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the soviet-backedinvasion of Cambodia.
We must persevere with the Middle East peace process. There is no viablealternative We can welcome initiatives from Other countries so long as theycontribute to the Camp David process that is leading toward a comprehensivepeace in that region. But we will oppose efforts that undermine Camp Davidwhile offering no viable alternative. Our goal is to see the achievementof a comprehensive peace for all parties.
With our defenses, we will continue to meet the requirements of the Administration'sfive-year defense program, including the deployment of the MX missile, cruisemissiles, the Trident submarine, and long-range theater nuclear forces inEurope. At the same time, we intend to increase readiness and strengthenthe All Volunteer Force with a standby system of draft registration. Wewill continue with our Allies to meet the commitments of the long-term NATOdefense program and. as we strengthen our military capabilities and presencein Southwest Asia and the region of the Persian Gulf, we will look to ourAllies to assume more of the burden for the defense and security of Europe.Finally, we must recognize that development assistance represents a crucialpart of our national security. As such, we may have to make a greater contributionof resources to these programs.
In the field of arms control, in addition to ratification of SALT II,we must proceed to more comprehensive and drastic reductions and qualitativelimitations on strategic nuclear forces. SALT III must also include effectivelimitations and reductions in long-range theater nuclear forces based onthe principle of equality. We must pursue to a conclusion a comprehensivetest ban, effective curbs in the international traffic of conventional armsand a more rigorously effective international regime to prevent the spreadof nuclear weapons and weapons technology. We must bring to at least aninitial conclusion the negotiations for mutual and balanced force reductionsin Europe. The decade of the 1980s is not to become the decade of violence.We must make renewed efforts to stabilize the arms competition and widenthe scope of arms control arrangements.
As we look to the future, we hope the progress in arms control and thestrength and determination we shall demonstrate in the face of Soviet aggressionin Afghanistan will soon result in the fashioning of a stronger, more productiverelationship with the Soviet Union. We favor a genuine detente -- one withequivalent benefits to ourselves and the Soviets, one that is based on genuinerestraint, one that benefits all mankind by harnessing the enormous potentialof our two societies for cooperation rather than competition and confrontation.This will take patience, but we shall persevere for the prize is peace.
By reaffirming America's values as the centerpiece of our foreign policyand by pursuing realistically the requirements of military strength, theDemocratic Party is forging a new and broader consensus among the Americanpeople in support of our foreign policy. We are turning the tide againstthe paralysis of despair that came from a tragic war in Asia and politicalscandal at home. We are restoring America to its rightful place, not onlyas the strongest nation in the world, but as the nation which is the championof human justice and freedom.