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

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

81% Oppose torture and support following the Geneva Conventions.

76% Say the U.S. should not play the role of global police.

79% Say the U.N. should be strengthened.

73% Favor abolishing nuclear weapons, with verification. 80% favor banning weapons in space.

85% Say that the U.S. should not initiate military action without support from allies.

[Sources]

IRAQ & IRAN

• Develop a timetable for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
• Build no long-term military bases in Iraq. Leave control of Iraq’s oil in the hands of Iraqis.
• Fund an international effort to help restore the economy and infrastructure of Iraq.
• Abolish future uses of private mercenaries.
• Enter into negotiations with Iran about nuclear issues and regional stability. End threats of attack and attempts to destabilize the Iranian government.

63% Want U.S. forces home from Iraq within a year.

47% Favor using diplomacy with Iran. 7% favor military action.

57% Say going to war in Iraq was the wrong decision.

67% Believe we should use diplomatic and economic means to fight terrorism, rather than the military.

[Sources]

ELECTIONS

• Provide public financing for elections campaigns.
• Bring back the Fairness Doctrine and get broadcasters to open the people’s airwaves to free campaign information.
• Require voter-verified paper ballots that are audited and can be recounted.
• End partisan districting and voter-roll purges.
• Fully implement the Voting Rights Act and enforce existing laws against vote suppression.
• Restore voting rights to ex-felons who have served their sentences.

86% Say big companies have too much power.

74% Favor voluntary public financing of campaigns.

66% Believe intentional acts are likely to cause significant voting machines errors.

80% Say ex-felons should have their voting rights restored.

[Sources]

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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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