How to Compare the Green Party to the Democratic Party

At first glance, the Green Party seems line up much better with the Democratic Party than with the Republican Party. For example, the Democratic Party would say it is much more environmentally conscience than the Republican Party. The Green Party's response would be that it is much more environmentally conscience than the Democratic Party in philosophy and actions. It only takes a few minutes to compare the Democratic Party with the Green Party to see their stark differences.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Study each party's position on the war in Iraq. The Green Party calls for an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops in Iraq, to be replaced by an oversight contingency provided by the United Nations. Compare that with the Democrats, who believe troops should be withdrawn soon but provide no plausible timetable for a withdrawal.
2. Compare your thoughts on privacy with both parties' views. The Green Party wants to put an end to the Patriot Act and the invasion into people's lives it brings and doesn't believe this law or any law will help prevent terrorism. The Democratic Party doesn't have a plan to overturn the Patriot Act or change its usage.
3. Study stances on war in general. The Green Party opposes the invasion of Afghanistan, the Kosovo War and most military actions. The Green Party doesn't believe full-scale war can reduce the threat of terrorism. The Democratic Party endorsed the Kosovo War and the invasion of Afghanistan, as well as other military actions around the world.
4. Compare philosophies on military spending. The Green Party wants to take money away from the military budget and put it into social and environmental elements within the government. Its basic belief is in supporting life and the environment more than the destruction of others as caused by the military. The Democrats have supported increases in military budgets for decades.
5. Look into philosophies on illegal immigration. Stand against the building of the "security fence" in Israel to section off the Gaza Strip as a member of the Green Party. The party also believes we should end all military aid currently sent to Israel. In contrast, the Democrats support Israel's actions and want to continue financial support and military aid to the country.
6. Learn about each party's stance on the environment. The Green Party says the U.S. should join in and enforce the Kyoto Treaty in the U.S. for stronger regulations on global Greenhouse gas emissions to care for the environment. Party members also encourage investments in renewable energy sources and the creation of higher energy efficiency standards. The Democratic Party did not join the Kyoto Treaty when in power and has not significantly strengthened environmental laws. However, the Democrats do talk about the importance of caring for the environment.
7. Review current positions on abortion by each party. According to the Green Party, the government should provide funding for women in the U.S. to have full access to safe abortions at any time. While the Democrats support abortions according to the party's platform, there are members who want to ban late-term and/or partial-birth abortions.
8. Compare the party views on universal health care programs. The Green Party would like to provide a single-payer national health care system so everyone in the U.S. has access to medical care. The Democrats promote the creation of affordable health care and the possibility of a government-run health care system.
9. Explore positions on wages for workers. The official stance of the Green Party is to increase the minimum wage to around $10 per hour for most jobs in the U.S. The Democratic Party has shown an interest in small-scale, incremental increases in the minimum wage but not to the $10 per hour range. The Democratic Party is largely silent on the minimum wage issue.
10. Dig into the opinions of both parties on the drug war. According to the Green Party, the U.S. should end the drug war because it has been ineffective and lost money. The Democrats continue to support the war on drugs and vote to finance this war.

Tips & Warnings

• When you compare the Green Party to the Democratic Party, it is important to look at what each party has actually done or supported in each topic.