VoteMatch Responses (Click here for VoteMatch quiz)
VoteMatch Question & Answer (Click on question for explanation and background)	Based on these stances: (Click on topic for excerpt & citation)
Strongly Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (+5 points on Social scale)	Reproductive choice is a fundamental human right: Strongly Favors topic 1
No opinion on topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+5 points on Social scale)	Backs same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
No opinion on topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Death Penalty (+5 points on Social scale)	Lock them up and throw away key, but no death penalty: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+2 points on Social scale)	Educate prisoners: build more classrooms at Rikers Island: Opposes topic 9 Reduced murder rate by focusing on domestic violence: Opposes topic 9 Mandatory minimum sentencing for gun crimes: Favors topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	Put the issue of illegal guns back on the national agenda: Opposes topic 10 2nd Amendment doesn't prevent keeping guns from criminals: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Founder of Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Opposes topic 10 It's not about gun control, it's about crime control: Opposes topic 10 Sued New York City gun dealers to control guns: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	Ban trans-fats and replace with fruit & vegetable vendors: Favors topic 5 $2.5B trust fund for NYC future retirees' health care: Favors topic 5 Pay-for-prevention towards goal of universal coverage: Strongly Favors topic 5 Prioritize city healthcare on HIV, diabetes & hypertension: Favors topic 5
No opinion on topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+2 points on Economic scale)	Slash bureaucracy; reward principal & teacher excellence: Favors topic 7 No more tinkering at margins: cut bureaucracy; add charters: Favors topic 7 No social promotion; more after-school: Favors topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	US must set real and binding carbon reduction targets: Strongly Favors topic 18 While greenhouse gas pollution is free, it will be abundant: Favors topic 18 PlaNYC: convert 13,000 taxis to hybrids or high-efficiency: Strongly Favors topic 18 Direct charge over cap-and-trade, to raise cost of carbon: Strongly Favors topic 18 Reduce NYC carbon emissions by 30% by 2030: Strongly Favors topic 18 $8 fee to enter NYC by car, to encourage mass transit: Strongly Favors topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (+2 points on Social scale)	You bet I smoked pot; and I enjoyed it: Strongly Opposes topic 19 NYPD will continue to vigorously enforce drug laws: Favors topic 19
No opinion on topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-3 points on Economic scale)	$400 property tax rebate to all homeowners: Opposes topic 11 Raised taxes on high-earners to incent municipal employees: Strongly Favors topic 11 Raised property taxes 18% to pay off budget deficit: Favors topic 11 Balanced $6B deficit with higher property taxes: Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+5 points on Social scale)	Normalize status of otherwise law-abiding illegal immigrants: Strongly Favors topic 12 Border controls fight natural forces of supply and demand: Favors topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Protectionist viewpoint has a heavy price to country: Strongly Favors topic 13 Global economy isn't zero-sum game: US & China can both gain: Strongly Favors topic 13 Tariffs to protect jobs end up helping foreign competitors: Favors topic 13 Staunchly for free trade and against protectionism: Strongly Favors topic 13
No opinion on topic 15: Expand the armed forces (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Opposes topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (-3 points on Social scale)	Use DNA and fingerprint technology for worker ID database: Opposes topic 14
Opposes topic 17: US out of Iraq (-3 points on Social scale)	Nobody wants war to continue, but what happens next?: Opposes topic 17