# What would a Democratic Contract With America look like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 9, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644 "2015-03-09T23:01:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/41 "2015-03-10T18:13:50Z")
Democrats already support many things that most Americans support, but you’re right that we’re bad at our own marketing. That, and the other party is just so zealous in their hatred its hard to denounce them in a positive manner. But I could see a Democratic majority if we pledged to support: 1. Marriage equality 2. Universal health care 3. Specifically, free access to women’s health care like birth control 4. Keeping science in science classes and religion in philosophy classes 5. Ending the surveillance provisions of the Patriot Act 6. Amnesty for undocumented immigrants and a pathway to citizenship 7. Separating religion from the state 8. Heavy government regulation of industries like Wall Street, along with jail time for those responsible for the recession 9. Removing our presence from Iraq and Afghanistan 10. Much more government spending on social programs, higher taxes for the rich, and lower taxes for the poor and middle class ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/42 "2015-03-10T18:19:28Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Democrats already support many things that most Americans support, but you’re right that we’re bad at our own marketing. That, and the other party is just so zealous in their hatred its hard to denounce them in a positive manner. But I could see a Democratic majority if we pledged to support: > > 1. Marriage equality Not yet 60%. > [@](#): > > 1. Universal health care Not even a majority when you get into the details about how to pay for it and what happens to people’s existing insurance. > [@](#): > > 1. Specifically, free access to women’s health care like birth control You already did that. > [@](#): > > 1. Keeping science in science classes and religion in philosophy classes Not nearly as popular as prayer in schools, so probably not a winner. > [@](#): > > 1. Ending the surveillance provisions of the Patriot Act Popular, but politically dicey. I think that most politicians would like to get rid of that, but then if something happens, they get blamed. Politicians tend to be risk averse. And Democrats have a branding problem on national security. > [@](#): > > 1. Amnesty for undocumented immigrants and a pathway to citizenship Only a 60% issue if we actually solve our immigration problem once and for all. > [@](#): > > 1. Separating religion from the state Very vague. > [@](#): > > 1. Heavy government regulation of industries like Wall Street, along with jail time for those responsible for the recession Industry is already regulated extensively. And jailing people for acts that weren’t illegal is itself illegal. > [@](#): > > 1. Removing our presence from Iraq and Afghanistan We did that. > [@](#): > > 1. Much more government spending on social programs, higher taxes for the rich, and lower taxes for the poor and middle class Then you can’t have more government spending. The rich provide a minority of the revenue. Cut taxes for the middle class and raise them for the rich and the result is lower revenue. The Bush tax cut repeal will raise about $700 billion over 10 years. The cost of the rest of the Bush tax cuts for the middle class is $3.3 billion. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/43 "2015-03-10T18:38:24Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The rich provide a minority of the revenue. Well, they do now. Doesn’t have to be that way. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/44 "2015-03-10T18:50:34Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The Medicare proposal is very smart, but in this day and age all programs must be self-funding to be politically viable. You’d have to have people under 65 pay the full cost. > > Why not just a public option in ACA? That’s popular and is Medicare in effect if not in name. Because if we utter the words “public option” the Republicans get to tar us with the word “socialism!” > [@adaher](#): > > The rich provide a minority of the revenue. But they do the majority of whining. Tax the corporations, tax the wealthy, eliminate the Bush tax cuts for everybody. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/45 "2015-03-10T18:55:18Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > Well, they do now. Doesn’t have to be that way. Depends on how much revenue you want. You raise money by taxing as broad a base as possible. A narrow base means less revenue. That’s why countries with large social safety nets have VATs or sales taxes. The middle class is where the money is because there’s so many of us. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/46 "2015-03-10T18:57:09Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Because if we utter the words “public option” the Republicans get to tar us with the word “socialism!” I don’t think that’s what happened. It seems to me simply that the conservative Senate Dems weren’t interested in a public option. I don’t remember it ever being a central part of the debate. The Republicans just tarred the whole thing as socialism, not the public option in particular. > [@](#): > > But they do the majority of whining. Tax the corporations, tax the wealthy, eliminate the Bush tax cuts for everybody. THe middle class does the majority of the whining, and since they have the votes, their whining is listened to. There hasn’t been middle class rate increase since 1982. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/47 "2015-03-10T19:17:26Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Only a 60% issue if we actually solve our immigration problem once and for all. “Once and for all”? The only way to do that would be to throw in the towel and declare an open-border policy. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/48 "2015-03-10T19:19:25Z")
It’s funny that people think some of these proposals would garner a 60% support rate. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/49 "2015-03-10T19:51:30Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > For both D or R or any other positions, a Contract has to be agreed to by both parties — how exactly do ‘ **The People** ’ assent and commit to whatever deranged propositions the policy wonks come up with ? > Exactly the same as with the Jewish Contract with God Almighty, the Lockean Contract and Rousseau’s Social Contract, these theories make a large leap into the Sea of Fancy and presume the absence of dissent in a way that makes the bolsheviks seem naive fools. > > That was even supposing there is such an entity as ‘ **The People** ’, which there is not; and which is capable of making binding decisions, which is impossible. (continuing from post #3) 8. We buy Claverhouse a nice hat. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/50 "2015-03-10T19:57:22Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Heavy government regulation of industries like Wall Street, along with jail time for those responsible for the recession So I guess we’ll be amending the Constitution to get rid of that pesky “no ex post facto laws” clause? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/51 "2015-03-10T20:09:43Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Americans are all the same as far as free speech rights go. You can’t have a privileged class of speakers(media, politicians), and a restricted class(CEOs). OK. Than you can’t have a privileged class of speakers (news media, punditry, political parties, various hired guns, actors, CEO’s), and a restricted class (scientists, historians, and all median-income workers without funds for TV access). It’s equal time and equal voice or nothing. Sorry, your terms, jack. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/52 "2015-03-10T20:46:07Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > It’s funny that people think some of these proposals would garner a 60% support rate. Especially stuff like [amnesty for illegal aliens](http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/august_2014/voters_strongly_oppose_obama_s_amnesty_plan_for_illegal_immigrants). Funny the Dems didn’t implement all these great ideas when they controlled Congress and the White House, and cemented their majority for the next 15 years. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/53 "2015-03-10T21:08:18Z")
Foolsguinea, there’s a difference between people having more ability to do something because of money or talent or who they know, and the government deciding who can speak and who can’t. The Constitution doesn’t protect us from life being unfair, it protects us from the government being unfair. All I’m saying is that if the GOVERNMENT bans TV ads, it can’t allow them from “qualified” individuals or organizations, such as political parties. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/54 "2015-03-10T21:09:15Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Depends on how much revenue you want. You raise money by taxing as broad a base as possible. A narrow base means less revenue. Malarkey. When the top 1% own more than the bottom 90%, they can take it. What was it Willie Sutton said about banks? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/55 "2015-03-10T21:13:13Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > It’s funny that people think some of these proposals would garner a 60% support rate. > [@Shodan](#): > > Especially stuff like [amnesty for illegal aliens](http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/august_2014/voters_strongly_oppose_obama_s_amnesty_plan_for_illegal_immigrants). > > Funny the Dems didn’t implement all these great ideas when they controlled Congress and the White House, and cemented their majority for the next 15 years. > > Regards, > Shodan Well, you can partly blame it on the OP. He should have posted something along the lines of: “ **Please Read Before Responding** ” in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/56 "2015-03-10T21:15:20Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > What was it Willie Sutton said about banks? [Not much, says Snopes.](http://www.snopes.com/quotes/sutton.asp) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/57 "2015-03-10T21:15:58Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > Malarkey. > > When the top 1% own more than the bottom 90%, they can take it. > > What was it Willie Sutton said about banks? Are you proposing to tax wealth as opposed to income? Does that have at least 60% support? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/58 "2015-03-10T21:19:26Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > Malarkey. > > When the top 1% own more than the bottom 90%, they can take it. > > What was it Willie Sutton said about banks? You’re thinking of wealth. We don’t tax wealth, we tax income. You can’t tax wealth at a high rate. It’s simply not economically possible. that’s why almost no one does it, and those that do talk in terms of tenths of a percent tax rate. The other problem is all the exceptions you’d need to pass it politically and practically. First, most Congressmen are rich. While they are willing to pay higher taxes(sometimes), they aren’t willing to see their estates steadily withered away. Plus you’d have to make all kinds of exceptions which would change behavior. For example, if a rich guy’s wealth is 90% tied up in a business that isn’t public, how does he liquidate part of his business every year? But when you create an exception for that, then everyone wants to tie their money up into something the government can’t touch. The merely well off would put all their money in their house, because you know that would be exempt. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/59 "2015-03-10T21:50:37Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Are you proposing to tax wealth as opposed to income? Does that have at least 60% support? I would imagine an escalating estate tax would, if pitched right. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-democratic-contract-with-america-look-like/714644/60 "2015-03-10T21:52:14Z")
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