This is a summary compiled by AFA Action from the 2024 party platforms for the two largest U.S. political parties. AFA Action is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to advancing biblical family values in society and government by educating and influencing public policy. AFA Action is also the governmental affairs affiliate of American Family Association.
SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE
Democrats believe that abortion is a woman’s fundamental right and will fight to reinstate Roe as supreme law. In so doing, they believe they will “restore reproductive freedom” for every woman nationwide by protecting abortion access through new paths, such as allowing pharmacies to dispense abortion pills, expanding access to abortion under Medicaid, and ensuring that abortion bans are overridden in instances deemed as “emergency care.” The work of the Center for Reproductive Rights will continue, providing access to abortion-related legal defense. Democrats will select leaders at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) who defend abortion.
Republicans proudly stand for life and oppose late-term abortion. The 14th Amendment guarantees that no person can be denied life or liberty without due process; this is ensured by giving power to the states to pass life-protecting laws by a vote of the people.
MARRIAGE, FAMILY, AND PARENTAL RIGHTS
Democrats will pass the Equality Act to guarantee protections for LGBTQI+ Americans and same-sex marriage, and they will continue efforts to protect LGBTQI+ adults in the adoption and foster care systems.
Democrats will ban the use of conversion therapy on children who identify as LGBTQI+.
Republicans believe in the sanctity of marriage, the foundational role of the family, and the restoration of parental rights.
Republicans trust that parents, not the government, are the best decision-makers for their children.
EDUCATION AND SCHOOL CHOICE
Democrats believe every student deserves a quality education, regardless of their parents’ zip code or income, and they will oppose initiatives that divert taxpayer dollars from public education, such as private school vouchers, tuition tax credits, and opportunity scholarships. Democrats will work to extend the school day and school year nationally and prioritize STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics) education for underrepresented communities.
They will also provide subsidized tuition to all minority-serving institutions for families earning below $125,000 annually.
Title IX will be enforced to guarantee “educational environments free from sex discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Republicans are committed to restoring parental rights in education and cultivating great K-12 schools that promote a safe learning environment free from government overreach. The First Amendment right to pray and read the Bible in school will be defended.
Rather than left-wing propaganda, fundamental skills – such as reading, history, science, and math – will be the core of education. Schools will be defunded if they attempt to use federal taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate children with inappropriate ideologies and agendas, such as critical race theory and radical gender ideologies.
Teacher tenure will end, and merit pay will be adopted. Republicans support universal school choice in every state, the expansion of 529 Education Savings Accounts, and equal support for homeschooling families. These policies will empower families to choose the best path of education for their children.
Education will return to the states, and the reign of the Department of Education will end.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Democrats advocate for the First Amendment right to free exercise of religion and stand firm on the separation of church and state.
Democrats prioritize fighting antisemitism and Islamophobia, both nationally and internationally, and are launching a national strategy to counter Islamophobia and other forms of bias and discrimination while also condemning “white nationalist terrorism.”
Republicans unapologetically defend the First Amendment right to religious liberty, protect the freedom for every person to not only worship according to their religious beliefs but to act on them in everyday life, and respect every American citizen’s right to follow their deeply held beliefs.
They support the creation of a new federal task force that will be deployed to fight anti-Christian bias and protect religious liberty, investigating all cases of discrimination, harassment, and persecution against Christians.
IMMIGRATION
Democrats will push Congress to pass legislation that will reform the asylum system, expand legal immigration, and support pathways to citizenship for long-term undocumented individuals.
Democrats will implement the U.S. Citizenship Act to permanently increase family-sponsored and employment-based immigration, increasing the number of available immigrant visas by 250,000 over the next five years.
Republicans are committed to completing the border wall and deporting the millions of illegal aliens that the current administration deliberately encouraged to enter the country. Actions will be taken to ensure that anyone entering our country has the legal right to do so. The Democrats’ open-border policies will be reversed, and merit-based immigration will be prioritized to ensure those entering our country offer a positive contribution rather than a drain on public resources.
Republicans will strengthen Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), cut federal funding for sanctuary cities, and invoke the Alien Enemies Act “to remove known or suspected gang members, drug dealers, or cartel members from the United States.” They will reinstate the travel ban and use Title 42 to return all trafficked children to their families in their home countries.
JUDGES
Democrats will continue to appoint justices and judges, across the federal bench, who are like Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and “look like America.” The goal is a Supreme Court that “follows the rule of law” and rejects far-right agendas.
Republicans are committed to upholding the Constitution of the United States and will appoint judges who respect the rule of law and defend every American’s right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The Supreme Court will remain at nine justices.
HEALTH CARE
Democrats believe that quality, affordable health care should be available to all Americans and will fight to protect and expand their Affordable Care Act. Democrats support Medicaid expansion and will push Congress to further expand Medicaid-like coverage to uninsured, low-income adults. Financial barriers to Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will be removed, and it will be easier for parents to keep their children on Medicaid. Paperwork resubmission will only be required every three years (instead of annually) for children under 6 years of age.
Democrats will continue to fight for the healthcare rights of LGBTQI+ youth by banning conversion therapy and protecting “gender-affirming care” (including sex change surgeries and hormone therapies for children).
Republicans believe that quality healthcare should be affordable and accessible for all Americans, so they will increase transparency in healthcare and promote choice and competition, expanding access to new affordable healthcare options.
Republicans will protect Medicare and low-cost health care for senior citizens and will restore Trump-era reforms to expand veterans’ health care choices.
To view each platform in its entirety, visit:
Republican – prod-static.gop.com/media/RNC2024-Platform.pdf
Democratic – democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FINAL-MASTER-PLATFORM.pdf
(Digital Editor's Note: This article was published first in the November 2024 print edition of The Stand. Click HERE for a free six-month subscription.)
