P r e s i d e n t

Barack OBamag o v e n o r

mitt rOmney

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Focus on making college affordable“Race to the Top” program has awarded states more than $4.35 billion in grants to improve teacher quality and stu-dent achievement.Increased funding for federal Pell Grants for college stu-dentsCapped federal student loan repayments at 10% of income

Focus on developing superior lower-level educa-tion programsPrioritize low income and special need students to ensure quality educationFocus on simplifying financial aid process and skills training programsPromotes the development of charter and digital schools

Since 2008: 31 straight months of job growth and an in-crease of 5.2 million private sector jobs, including nearly 500,000 manufacturing jobsFrom February 2009 to September 2012, unemployment began at 7.8%, peaked at 10%, and has recently fallen to 7.8%

As Governor of Massachusetts, $2.1 billion deficit was bridged Seeks to reduce taxes, spending, over-regulation, and consolidate/streamline redundant government programs

Supports Wall Street reform to end tax-payer funded bail-outs to banksPlans to bring jobs back to the U.S. by eliminating tax breaks for companies who ship jobs overseas

5 -Point Plan: • “Energy independence”- development of oil, gas, and coal production while creating 3 million more energy jobs• “Skills to succeed” - better public schools, increase ac- cess to higher education, better retraining programs• “Trade that works for America” - cracking down on trade practices with China and developing trade agreements with Latin America• “Cut the deficit” - reduce size of federal government by giving states resonsibility for programs that they can implement

American Jobs Act:• Increase infrastructure investment and clean-energy initatives• Hire more state and local workers• Double size of payroll tax cut• Tax cuts for small businesses and companies that hire new employees• Cut the deficit by repealing Bush-era tax cuts and elimi- nating itemized tax deductions for wealthier Americans

Boost job creation now Create long-term economic grwoth

Used half the savings from ending the war in Iraq to pay down the debt and the other half to invest in infrastructure within the U.S.Supports passing of the “Buffett Rule”: a tax that applies a minimum tax rate of 30% to individuals making more than $1 million a year. Households exceeding $1 million in income per year would pay a greater share of their income than middle class families would pay.Cut corporate tax rate from 35% to 28%

Seeking fairness in taxation on businesses and households

Plans to balance the national deficit by reducing govern-ment spending

Wants to make permanent, across the board 20% cut in marginal tax rates to provide tax relief for the middle class

Ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security without raising taxes

Cut corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%

Seeking to simplify the tax code to benefit all Americans and encourage economic activity

This leaflet is a nonpartisan publication and has been compiled by W&M students using both presidential candidate websites, www.barackobama.com and www.mittromney.com., and news articles. Information here is for purely educational purposes. Apolis does not endorse either candidate.

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q Personally supports same-sex marriage

Repealed “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” a military policy that banned gay U.S. service members from openly serving in the military

Endorsed the Respect for Marriage Act and signed the Mat-thew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Supports same-sex marriageSupports idea of marriage as between a man and a woman.Believes same-sex couples should be allowed to raise chil-dren together in a domestic partnershipBelieves in equal opportunity and equal rights for gay employees

Supports equal economic opportunities

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Passed the Patient Protection and the Affordable Health-care Act: extends medical coverage to all Americans, ex-pands access to preventative services (flu shots, diabetes screenings), and projected by Congressional Budget Office to slightly lower deficit.Ban insurance company discrimination of patients who have a pre-existing condition.

Making healthcare a federal responsibility

Hopes to empower states to craft their own healthcare plan that best suits the needs of its citizens

Repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Leave healthcare to the remit of individuals by allowing tax breaks on those who purchase private insurance

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Supports idea that a woman’s health care, including abor-tion, is a personal decision Supports maintenance of funding for Planned ParenthoodMade sure health insurance companies cover preventive care (birth control and cancer screenings)

Signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to ensure equal pay

A focus on women’s personal decisions Believes abortion should be an option in the case of rape and/or incest and to protect the health and life of the mother

A focus on women’s well-being

Current dependence on foreign oil is at a 20 year lowPlans to cut our foreign oil imports in half by 2020Hopes to increase investments in alternative energy forms, such as wind and solar powerAims to harness 80% of electricity from clean sources - like natural gas, clean coal, wind and solar - by 2035Wants to cut fossil fuel subsidies

Goal: work towards a clean energy economy Goal: work towards energy independencePlans to invest in domestic energy sources to eliminate for-eign energy dependency and create 4 million jobs. Promote off-shore oil drilling and harnessing the power of nuclear energyInvest in alternative energy forms, primarily hydraulic frac-turing (fracking) and natural gasSupport subsidies to corn farmers for the production of bio-ethanol.

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y Plans to provide aid to Middle Eastern countries in order to promote development of the economy, education and civil rights

Clearly supports increasing sanctions on Iran to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weaponsRecognizes importance of Israel as a national security inter-est in the Middle East and as an ally to America

Supports ending the war in Afghanistan by 2014 condition-al on the results of an evaluation on American presence in Afghanistan

Actively increase National Defense Budget and focus on a stable Middle East

Plans to increase National Defense Budget by 4% of GDP

Ended war in Iraq and brought all troops homeHas a plan in place to end the war in Afghanistan by 2014

Plans to slow grow rate of National Defense Budget ($687 billion total as of 2011)

Ordered a successful raid on Osama bin Laden’s com-pound in PakistanInternational effort to secure all vulnerable nuclear materi-als in 4 years, and has worked to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons in Iran and North Korea

Maintain National Defense Budget and focus on a stable Middle East

Wishes to resume peace talks between Israel and Palestine

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