###### [[Excerpts from the 2016 Republican Party Platform]] **Covers**:: [[Politics]] **Last Edited**:: *7:35 AM - July 08, 2022* - The federal fiscal burden threatens the security, liberty, and independence of our nation... The [[Republican]] path to fiscal sanity and economic expansion begins with a constitutional requirement for a federal balanced budget.... - Our country faces a national security crisis, and only be electing a [[Republican]] to the White House will we restore law and order to our land and safety to our citizens. - We affirm the Constitution’s fundamental principles: limited [[government]], separation of powers, individual liberty, and the rule of law.... - All workers, including union members, must be free to accept raises and rewards without veto power from union officials. - We oppose tax policies that deliberately divide [[America|Americans]] or promote class warfare. - Republicans consider the establishment of a pro-growth tax code a moral imperative. - The President and the [[Democratic]] party have dismantled [[America|Americans]]' system of healthcare. #### MarkdownText Excerpts from the [[Republican]] Party Platform, 2016 (Note: The entire platform may be accessed here: <https://www.gop.com/the-2016-[[republican]]-party-platform/> July 18, 2016 **Preamble** With this platform, we the [[Republican]] Party reaffirm the principles that unite us in a common [[purpose]]. We believe in American exceptionalism. We believe [[America|the United States]] of [[America]] is unlike any other nation on earth. We believe [[America]] is exceptional because of our historic role --- first as refuge, then as defender, and now as exemplar of liberty for the world to see. We affirm --- as did the Declaration of Independence: that all are created equal, endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of [[happiness]]. We believe in the Constitution as our founding document. We believe the Constitution was written not as a flexible document, but as our enduring covenant. We believe our constitutional system --- limited [[government]], separation of powers, federalism, and the rights of the people --- must be preserved uncompromised for future generations. We believe political freedom and economic freedom are indivisible. When political freedom and economic freedom are separated --- both are in peril; when united, they are invincible. We believe that people are the ultimate resource --- and that the people, not the [[government]], are the best stewards of our country\'s God-given natural resources. As [[America|Americans]] and as Republicans we wish for peace --- so we insist on strength. We will make [[America]] safe. We seek friendship with all peoples and all nations, but we recognize and are prepared to deal with evil in the world.... For the past 8 years [[America]] has been led in the wrong direction. The President and the [[Democratic]] party have dismantled Americans\' system of healthcare. They have replaced it with a costly and complicated scheme that limits choices and takes away our freedom. The President and the [[Democratic]] party have abandoned their promise of being accountable to the American people. They have nearly doubled the size of the national [[debt]]. They refuse to control our borders but try to control our schools, farms, businesses, and even our religious institutions. They have directly attacked the production of American energy and the industry-related jobs that have sustained families and communities. The President has been regulating to death a free market [[economy]] that he does not like and does not understand. He defies the laws of [[America|the United States]] by refusing to enforce those with which he does not agree. And he appoints judges who legislate from the bench rather than apply the law.... We, as Republicans and [[America|Americans]], cannot allow this to continue. That is why the many sections of this platform affirm our trust in the people, our [[faith]] in their judgment, and our determination to help them take back their country. This means removing the power from unelected, unaccountable [[government]]. This means relieving the burden and expense of punishing [[government]] regulations. And this means returning to the people and the states the control that belongs to them. It is the control and the power to make their own decisions about what\'s best for themselves and their families and communities. **Rebuilding the [[economy]] and Creating Jobs** ...Government cannot create prosperity, though [[government]] can limit or destroy it. Prosperity is the product of [[self]]-discipline, enterprise, saving and investment by individuals, but it is not an end in itself. Prosperity provides the means by which citizens and their families can maintain their independence from [[government]], raise their children by their own values, practice their [[faith]], and build communities of cooperation and mutual respect.... **Fair and Simple Taxes for Growth** Republicans consider the establishment of a pro-growth tax code a moral imperative. More than any other public policy, the way [[government]] raises revenue --- how much, at what rates, under what circumstances, from whom, and for whom --- has the greatest impact on our economy\'s performance. It powerfully influences the level of economic growth and job creation, which translates into the level of opportunity for those who would otherwise be left behind. Getting our tax system right will be the most important factor in driving the entire [[economy]] back to prosperity... Our proposal is straightforward. Wherever tax rates penalize thrift or discourage investment, they must be lowered. Wherever current provisions of the code are disincentives for economic growth, they must be changed. We will not divide the American people into winners and losers. We will eliminate as many special interest provisions and loopholes as possible and curb corporate welfare... We oppose tax policies that deliberately divide [[America|Americans]] or promote class warfare. Because of the vital role of religious organizations, charities, and fraternal benevolent societies in fostering generosity and patriotism, they should not be subject to taxation and donations to them should remain deductible. To guard against hypertaxation of the American people in any restructuring of the federal tax system, any value added tax or national sales tax must be tied to the simultaneous repeal of the Sixteenth Amendment, which established the federal income tax... American businesses now face the world\'s highest corporate tax rates... We propose to level the international playing field by lowering the corporate tax rate to be on a par with, or below, the rates of other industrial nations... **A Winning Trade Policy** We cannot allow foreign governments to limit American access to their [[markets]] while stealing our designs, patents, brands, know-how, and technology. We cannot allow [[China]] to continue its currency manipulation, exclusion of U.S. products from [[government]] purchases, and subsidization of Chinese companies to thwart American imports. The current Administration\'s way of dealing with these violations of world trade standards has been a virtual surrender. Republicans understand that you can succeed in a negotiation only if you are willing to walk away from it. A [[Republican]] president will insist on parity in trade and stand ready to implement countervailing duties if other countries refuse to cooperate... **Freeing Financial [[Markets]]** Republicans believe that no financial institution is too big to fail. We support legislation to ensure that the problems of any financial institution can be resolved through the Bankruptcy Code. We endorse prudent regulation of the banking system to ensure that FDIC-regulated banks are properly capitalized and taxpayers are protected against bailouts. We will end the government\'s use of disparate impact theory in enforcing anti-discrimination laws with regard to lending. **Responsible Homeownership and Rental Opportunities** Our goal is to advance responsible home-ownership while guarding against the abuses that led to the housing collapse. We must scale back the federal role in the housing market, promote responsibility on the part of borrowers and lenders, and avoid future taxpayer bailouts... The Federal Housing Administration, which provides taxpayer-backed guarantees in the mortgage market, should no longer support high-income individuals, and the public should not be financially exposed by risks taken by FHA officials... **America on the Move** ... We propose to remove from the Highway Trust Fund programs that should not be the [[business]] of the federal [[government]]. ... Other beneficiaries of highway money are ferry boats, the federal lands access program, scenic byways, and [[education]] initiatives. These worthwhile enterprises should be funded through other sources. We propose to phase out the federal transit program and [[reform]] provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act which can delay and drive up costs for transportation projects... ...Recognizing that, over time, additional revenue will be needed to expand the carrying capacity of roads and bridges, we will remove legal roadblocks to public-private partnership agreements that can save the taxpayers\' money and bring outside investment to meet a [[community]]\'s needs. With most of the states increasing their own funding for transportation, we oppose a further increase in the federal gas tax... **The Federal Reserve** Because the Federal Reserve\'s monetary policy decisions affect job creation, upward mobility for workers, and equitable prosperity, they should be transparent. Similarly, the Federal Reserve\'s important role as a lender of last resort should also be carried out in a more transparent manner. The [[Republican]] Party will advance legislation that brings transparency and accountability to the Federal Reserve, the Federal Open Market Committee, and the Federal Reserve\'s dealing with foreign banks... **Workplace Freedom for a 21st Century Workforce** The greatest asset of the American [[economy]] is the hard-working American. That is why our first priority is getting people back to work by fostering the kind of growth that creates jobs... All workers, including union members, must be free to accept raises and rewards without veto power from union officials... We support the right of states to enact Right-to-Work laws and call for a national law to protect the economic liberty of the modern workforce. All [[America|Americans]] deserve the opportunity to pursue their American dream free from discrimination... Republicans believe that the employer-employee relationship of the future will be built upon employee empowerment and workplace flexibility. We therefore endorse employee stock ownership plans that enable workers to become capitalists, expand the realm of private property, and energize a free enterprise [[economy]]. Minimum wage is an issue that should be handled at the state and local level. **Reducing the Federal [[Debt]]** Our national [[debt]] is a burden on our [[economy]] and families. The huge increase in the national [[debt]] demanded by and incurred during the current Administration \[Obama Administration\] has placed a significant burden on future generations. We must impost firm caps on future [[debt]], accelerate the repayment of the trillions we now owe in order to reaffirm our principles of responsible and limited [[government]], and remove the burdens we are placing on future generations. A strong [[economy]] is one key to [[debt]] reduction, but spending restraint is a necessary component that must be vigorously pursued. **We the People** We are the party of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution... We affirm the Constitution's fundamental principles: limited [[government]], separation of powers, individual liberty, and the rule of law.... We continue to encourage equality for all citizens and access to the American Dream. Merit and hard work should determine advancement in our society, so we reject unfair preferences, quotas, and set-asides as forms of discrimination. Our ranks include [[America|Americans]] from every [[faith]] and tradition, and we respect the right of each American to follow his or her deeply held beliefs... In a free society, the primary role of [[government]] is to protect the God-given, inalienable rights of its citizens. These constitutional rights are no negotiable for any American. We affirm that all legislation, regulation, and official action must conform to the Constitution's original meaning as understood at the time the [[language]] was adopted.... **Balancing the Budget** The federal fiscal burden threatens the security, liberty, and independence of our nation... The [[Republican]] path to fiscal sanity and economic expansion begins with a constitutional requirement for a federal balanced budget.... ...To preserve Medicare and Medicaid, the financing of these important programs must be brought under control before they consume most of the federal budget, including national defense... We reject the old maxim that Social Security is the 'third rail' of American [[Politics]], deadly for anyone who would change it... Of the many reforms being proposed, all options should be considered to preserve Social Security. As Republicans, we oppose tax increases and believe the power of [[markets]] to create wealth and to help secure the future of our Social Security system... **Regulation: The Quiet [[Tyranny]]** Over-regulation is the quiet [[tyranny]] of the 'Nanny State.' It hamstrings American businesses and hobbles economic growth... The federal regulatory burden has been a major contributor to that stagnation. **A Dangerous World** ...Our country faces a national security crisis, and only be electing a [[Republican]] to the White House will we restore law and order to our land and safety to our citizens. We are the party of peace through strength. We believe that American exceptionalism -- the notion that our ideas and principles as a nation give us a unique place of moral leadership in the world -- requires [[America|the United States]] to retake its natural position as leader of the free world. [[Tyranny]] and [[injustice]] thrive when American weakened. The oppressed have no greater ally than a confident and determined United States, backed by the strongest military on the planet.