This year’s presidential election has been one of the most heated ones in decades. It has also been an election of firsts. Bernie Sanders’ “Political Revolution” inspired many young people to fight the circle of American corruption. Hillary Clinton became the first woman to be nominated by a major political party. Finally, no one honestly expected Donald Trump, a reality TV star and self-proclaimed billionaire, to clinch the Republican presidential nomination. Now with both parties’ nominees decided, the voters of the losing candidates must decide who to vote for. Granted, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have their faults. Hillary had her email scandal and WikiLeaks post online exposing that she and the DNC had been conspiring to undermine the Sanders campaign. Trump plans to pass sexist and racist laws and policies that are completely against the Republican party. If you are at a loss for who to vote for, here are two candidates from the most major third parties running this season.
Jill Stein: Green Party
According to the Green Party’s official website, they believe in an America “where decisions are made by the people and not by a few giant corporations.” They also believe in “a sustainable world where nature and human society co-exist in harmony.”
Jill Stein, the Green Party’s presidential nominee, is a seasoned presidential candidate; she was the Green Party nominee in 2012 and is running again this election cycle.
Environment
Dr. Stein believes in jumpstarting a “Green New Deal” that would invest in new green technologies and update infrastructure that would not only help America be a cleaner country, but also create jobs for millions of people.
Jobs
Dr. Stein believes in the right to work. She wants to create living-wage jobs for every American and force the government to provide jobs as a last resort. She also wants to repeal NAFTA which she believes take away American jobs and depress wages. She wants to pass fair trade laws that benefits workers and communities.
Health Care
Like Bernie Sanders, Dr. Stein wants to establish an universal health care system and wants to make it easily accessible to low-income communities. She also wants to expand women’s access to contraceptives and the “morning after” pill. Additionally, Dr. Stein wants to protect the American people by passing legislation requiring more detailed product labeling requirements such as country of origin, fair trade practices, GMO content and toxic chemical ingredients.
Education
Like Bernie Sanders, Dr. Steins wants free higher education. She wants to abolish high stakes tests in public schools that take away teachers’ freedom and increase students’ stress levels. She wants to replace Common Core with a curriculum that is developed by teachers, not corporations. She wants to restore arts and music education and recess to schools so that students have a well-balanced curriculum with time to relax. Lastly, she wants to increase federal funding of public schools to make schools nationwide more equal.
Economy
Dr. Stein wants to set the minimum wage to $15 an hour, break up the big banks, and support small businesses. She wants equal pay for equal work, ending discrimination based on race, gender and age. She wants to enact paid sick leave and paid family leave, which will help the economy grow and support working families.
Gary Johnson: Libertarian Party
The Libertarian Party believes in the protection of individuals’ rights. They believe that everyone should have the freedom to “engage in any activity that is peaceful and right. . . without interference from government or any authoritarian power” (lp.org).
Gary Johnson was the Governor of New Mexico from 1995-2003. In 2012, he ran for president as the Libertarian candidate and received just under 1% of the popular vote. He is running again in 2016 as the Libertarian presidential candidate.
Environment
Johnson believes that the government should enforce environmental regulations. He wants to fight corruption in Washington, D.C. and prevent high powered politicians who act on behalf of lobbyist from determining the future of clean energy in America. He wants the people, not lobbyists and politicians, to steer America towards a brighter, cleaner future.
Jobs
Johnson believes that there should be government regulation that helps small businesses and entrepreneurs, not hinders them. High powered corporations dominate the market because they have the resources to comply to onerous laws and small businesses and entrepreneurs don’t. Johnson wants to cut back on unnecessary laws and taxes so that small businesses can actually thrive and create more jobs.
Women’s Health
Johnson believe in a woman’s right to have an abortion or not. Although his personal opinion is for pro-life, he recognizes that the government does not have the right to regulate women’s bodies. Women should not be prosecuted or denied access to health services.
Education
Johnson believes that state and local governments should have more control over educational policies. He wants to eliminate the Department of Education, Common Core, and other national standards. He believes this national educational regulation is costly, and impedes on children’s education.
Immigration
Johnson wants to focus on a more effective immigration system. He wants to create a better system of “providing work visas, conducting background checks, and incentivizing non-citizens to pay their taxes, obtain proof of employment, and otherwise assimilate with our diverse society” (johnsonweld.com). He wants to make it simpler and more efficient to enter the U.S. legally.
Whichever candidate you pick, please pick the candidate that you agree the most with morally. As with all high stakes presidential elections, people think they have to vote for the lesser of the two evils. This takes away from the principle of democracy. Citizens should vote based on their morals because voting for the lesser of the two evils will result in little to no beneficial change.
