VoteMatch Responses (Click here for VoteMatch quiz)
VoteMatch Question & Answer (Click on question for explanation and background)	Based on these stances: (Click on topic for excerpt & citation)
Strongly Opposes topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (-5 points on Social scale)	Abortions should be illegal except for rape & incest: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Opposes public funding of abortions: Opposes topic 1 Supports parental notification: Opposes topic 1 Supports barring stem cell research: Opposes topic 1 Opposes abortion rights: Opposes topic 1 Opposes abortion rights: Opposes topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Apply affirmative action to all state hiring & colleges: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (-5 points on Social scale)	Supports barring same sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Opposes homosexual civil rights: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-3 points on Social scale)	Supports barring IRS free speech rules: Favors topic 4
Strongly Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+5 points on Economic scale)	Increase insured without ObamaCare's government bureaucracy: Opposes topic 5 Guaranteed medical care is not a government responsibility: Opposes topic 5 Supports repealing Obamacare: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Supports repealing Obamacare: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Supports repealing Obamacare: Strongly Opposes topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Opposes efforts to privatize, or increase the payroll tax: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Opposes personal retirement accounts: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Opposes personal retirement accounts: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+2 points on Economic scale)	Supports charters, corporate investment, and merit pay: Favors topic 7 Supports education vouchers: Strongly Favors topic 7 Supports Common Core: Opposes topic 7 Supports Common Core: Opposes topic 7
Opposes topic 8: Society bears cost of pollution (+2 points on Social scale)	Supports recycling but also cost/benefit analysis: Opposes topic 8
Strongly Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-5 points on Social scale)	Supports death penalty & more prisons: Strongly Favors topic 9 Death penalty for killing police officers: Favors topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	Right to bear arms must be preserved and defended: Strongly Favors topic 10 More enforcement on laws on purchase and possession of guns: Opposes topic 10 National cross-state standard for concealed carry: Strongly Favors topic 10 Opposes restricting right to bear arms: Strongly Favors topic 10 Opposes restricting guns: Strongly Favors topic 10 Opposes restricting guns: Strongly Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Overhaul tax code to be less complicated: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Flat tax structure for state income taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Opposes increasing federal income taxes: Opposes topic 11 Opposes tax increases: Opposes topic 11 Opposes tax increases: Opposes topic 11
No opinion on topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 13: Support & expand free trade (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-5 points on Social scale)	Any defense budget cuts directly impact strength of military: Strongly Favors topic 15
Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+2 points on Social scale)	No political contributions from the gambling industry: Favors topic 16
No opinion on topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Focus on exploration, to become energy independent: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Develop and use of alternative fuels: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports energy independence: Opposes topic 18 Supports Keystone XL: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Opposes regulating CO2: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Supports Keystone XL: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Opposes regulating CO2: Strongly Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-5 points on Social scale)	Strengthen drug-related penalties, but consider alternatives: Favors topic 19 Rated D by NORML, indicating a "hard-on-drugs" stance: Strongly Favors topic 19
Strongly Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+5 points on Economic scale)	Focus on "what to cut" instead of "how much to spend": Strongly Opposes topic 20 Supports a Balanced Budget Amendment: Opposes topic 20 Opposes stimulus spending: Opposes topic 20 Opposes stimulus spending: Opposes topic 20