Because Whigs value differences of opinion and independent thought, we do not necessarily take a position on every particular issue which may be fashionable for the moment. Rather, we propose a program of broad reforms, bold policies and sensible restraint that we believe will strengthen our country as it faces the challenges of the 21st Century. Our purpose is to chart a path to a government which truly does, as the preamble to the Constitution says, "establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity."
As always, the policies we advocate are in line with our core values of integrity, meritocracy and independent thinking. At the very heart of our endeavor is a firm embrace of the clearest, and highest, ethical standard. We start with an unshakable commitment to an ethical public life, and we draw the inspiration for our core beliefs from the United States Military Academy cadet honor code: a Whig "will not lie, cheat, steal or tolerate those who do."
Whig elected officials and candidates for office who violate this simple code will be publicly disowned by the party. It is that simple.
In addition, as Whigs we are committed to a pragmatic, meritocratic, fact-based approach to problem solving which is neither clouded by rigid ideological dogma, nor corrupted by the influence of money.
With that, here are some of our positions on several of the key issues of the day.
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LIST OF ISSUES
Education
In an era of unprecedented globalization, American economic competitiveness is dependent on the quality of our schools, colleges and universities. The strength of our civil society and vibrancy of our democracy depend on a well-educated, well-rounded citizenry.
Sadly, as is well documented in the comparative performance of our students on international tests, our public K-12 schools are currently not up to the task. In too many inner cities and rural areas learning conditions are appalling. Even in many prosperous suburbs, the quality of education is not what we believe it should be.
We can ill afford to let other countries take the lead in science, technology, engineering and math while our public schools languish in mediocrity. While charter schools may offer a temporary solution for some of the students currently trapped in low-performing public schools, it is a moral imperative that our public schools be fixed.
Whigs believe:
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Academic rigor should be the supreme value in our schools.
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Getting into a teachers college should be a highly selective process and the training should be first-class.
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Teacher pay should be based on merit, not seniority. High performers should be rewarded, low performers given additional training, and those who continue to under-perform despite the extra training should be let go and steered toward other careers.
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Schools should move away from the late-19th Century factory model on which they were initially based and instead should resemble science labs. Teachers should act as mentors who help students discover what they excel at.
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High schools and colleges should teach entrepreneurial skills and foster collaborative teamwork through inter-disciplinary projects.
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Learning should be customized to take into account the strengths and weaknesses of each student. Testing should be less frequent, more consequential, and emphasize genuine problem-solving skills and depth of knowledge. Standardized multiple-choice tests which invite guessing should be eliminated.
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State governments should ensure schools in economically disadvantaged areas receive at least similar, if not higher, levels of funding as schools elsewhere.
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A public college education should be debt-free.
Taxes and Spending
The Modern Whig Party believes the federal tax code needs to be drastically simplified and made more equitable. The vast majority of loopholes, subsidies, exclusions, exemptions and deferrals should be eliminated; capital gains and other forms of passive income should be taxed at the same rate as earned income above a certain income threshold; and untapped sources of revenue (such as a tax on high-speed trading) should be explored to make reducing income tax rates fiscally feasible.
Modern Whigs further support:
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Greater use of lump sum payments to the states every fiscal year so governors, state legislators and county officials can effectively allocate funding to address local issues
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Increased state participation and oversight where applicable to make federal government programs more efficient and responsive to local conditions
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A top-to-bottom review of unfunded mandates and comprehensive reform of the practice
Health Care
We believe arguments over whether health care is a right or not are beside the point. Government often takes prudent action to ensure the overall well-being of the population regardless of whether rights are at stake; in the matter of health care, given the more than 50 year history of Medicare and Medicaid, we believe government has clearly established its central role in our health care system.
We think:
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Health insurance should be available, portable and affordable for all citizens, with means-tested government subsidies for those who cannot pay in full.
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Health benefits should be separated from employment -- the practice of saddling employers with costly pension and health insurance benefit obligations is hurting the ability of American companies to compete in the global economy.
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The Affordable Care Act does not do the full job of extending health care coverage to all Americans. More research and work needs to be done, and legislative changes will have to be made in order to correct some of the shortfalls of the ACA while preserving some of its successes.
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The ultimate goal should be to reduce overall healthcare spending while improving access, quality and efficiency and ensuring health care providers are fairly compensated for the vital services they perform.
Energy Independence and National Security
Energy and national security are tied together. Put simply, our nation cannot be secure as long as we cannot meet our energy needs with our own resources. Without self-sufficiency in energy production and supply, we are subject to the often turbulent winds of international military, political and economic conflict.
Whigs believe we must:
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End our dependence on oil and develop alternative sources of energy (wind, solar, nuclear, etc.) in order to satisfy our needs without placing our economy and national security at risk
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Move as quickly as possible so we also no longer have to support corrupt and autocratic regimes in order to obtain the fuel we need to power our economy
Strong Families
Strong families are the bedrock of all successful societies. In America, we often hear glowing talk about "family values," but the reality is that our country is among the least family-friendly in the world. For example, the United States is one of only three countries, the others being Oman and Papua New Guinea, that offer no paid maternity leave. Most developed countries also mandate some paid paternity leave as well, whereas the U.S. offers none. Developed countries also offer universal affordable child care to its citizens, and have done so for decades, whereas in the United States families struggle to pay thousands of dollars a year just to make sure kids are safe while parents are at work. In today’s globalized economy, where families with two full-time working parents prevail, this is no longer acceptable.
Modern Whigs believe we should:
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Invest $70 billion annually in high quality pre-school programs to ensure each individual reaches their full potential
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Commit $10 billion in annual federal grants to expand new parent training programs such as the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP)
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Guarantee at least 26 weeks of paid medical maternity/paternity leave
Infrastructure
Beyond question America’s infrastructure is in dire need of repair, rehabilitation and modernization. It's more than just a matter of falling bridges and failing levees, as important as those things are. The legacy energy, transportation, and communication systems we rely on are far behind those found in other developed countries, and if they are allowed to erode further the cost of restoring our economic competitiveness (and our overall standard of living) will begin to become prohibitive.
Worse yet, a vulnerable and weak infrastructure poses a tangible national security threat; crippling energy and transportation systems over a century old -- or older -- is an easy thing to do, especially given their lack of redundancy. Waiting any longer to address the issue will only mean greater risks and a bigger job. The time to act is now.
The Modern Whig Party advocates:
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Implementing a domestic Marshall Plan focused on replacing our 20th Century infrastructure with modern, 21st Century systems
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Creating public/private partnerships funded by government guaranteed infrastructure loan banks empowered to issue very low interest, very long-term bonds suitable for financing 100-year capital improvements
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Encouraging and facilitating broad cooperation between industry and government to bring the combined expertise of two of our most fundamental institutions to bear