What Americans Really Want: 10 Policies We Can All Agree On

By Sarah van Gelder, YES! Magazine. Posted December 13, 2008.

58% Believe a court warrant should be required to listen to the telephone calls of people in the U.S.

59% Would like the next president to do more to protect civil liberties.

68% Believe the president should not act alone to fight terrorism without the checks and balances of the courts or Congress.

[Sources]

ENERGY & CLIMATE

• Take a leadership role in reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions.
• Maximize the conservation and efficient use of existing energy supplies.
• Launch and fund ambitious research & development programs, offer tax credits, invest in public works projects, and focus government procurement to jump- start renewable energy deployment.
• Invest in public transit and intercity rail.
• Tax carbon; use revenues for renewables and to help ratepayers.

79% Favor mandatory controls on greenhouse gas emissions.

76% Believe that oil is running out and a major effort is needed to replace it.

90% Favor higher auto fuel efficiency standards.

75% Favor clean electricity, even with higher rates.

72% Support more funding for mass transit.

[Sources]

HEALTH CARE

• Offer all Americans the option of joining a single-payer national health insurance program, paid for with tax dollars.
• Break the drug companies’ monopoly and lower drug prices by allowing Americans to buy prescription drugs abroad.

73% Believe our health care system is in crisis or has “major problems.”

64% Believe the government should provide national health insurance coverage for all Americans, even if it would raise taxes.

55% Favor one health insurance program covering all Americans, administered by the government, and paid for by taxpayers.

69% Believe the government should make it easier to buy prescription drugs from other countries.

[Sources]

FOREIGN RELATIONS

• Lead a global effort to abolish nuclear weapons.
• Rule out unilateral attacks, deploying weapons in space, and torture.
• Phase out U.S. role as global police, and instead work through the U.N. and other international agencies to develop and enforce international law.
• Work with other countries to improve global health and environment.

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Sarah van Gelder wrote this article as part of Purple America, the Fall 2008 issue of YES! Magazine. Research by Noah Grant. Sarah is executive editor and Noah is editorial assistant at YES! Magazine.

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