A look at some positions of Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore:
CAMPAIGN FINANCE:
Bush: Ban soft money from corporations and unions, not from others. Allow political "issue ads." Increase disclosure.
Gore: Ban soft money, increase taxpayer campaign financing. Make broadcasters give candidates free time.
EDUCATION:
Let federal tax dollars be used to help parents send children to private schools?
Bush: Yes.
Gore: No.
Public schools:
Bush: $300 million fund in first five years to reward states that improve student performance as measured by national sampling test or acceptable equivalent. In states where test scores lag, 5 percent of federal education financing to be shifted to charter schools. $3 billion in loan guarantees in two years to help build 2,000 charter schools. Let families put $5,000 per year per student into tax-free education savings accounts for K-12 expenses. Annual tests of pupils in reading and math in certain grades. $1,500 scholarships to help students in failing schools go to private or other schools.
Gore: Raises of up to $5,000 for qualifying teachers in poor and rural areas, and an extra $5,000 in pay for "master teachers" meeting even higher standards in those areas. Aid to recruit 75,000 teachers a year. Mandatory testing of new teachers. Aid for construction of smaller high schools; bonuses for states using high-school exit exams and showing improvement in national student-sampling test. More charter schools. Expand Head Start.
GUN CONTROL:
Bush: Raise age for handgun purchases to 21. Background checks at gun shows if they are instant. Says a federal law requiring child-safety locks to be sold with guns would be impractical, but he would sign it anyway. Says existing gun laws have not been adequately enforced.
Gore: Mandatory photo ID licenses for future handgun buyers, not existing owners. Require manufacturers and federally licensed sellers to report gun sales to state authority. Ban "Saturday night specials." Expand background checks and require child-safety locks.
HEALTH CARE:
Bush: Expand tax-protected medical savings accounts and make insurance for long-term health care tax deductible.
Gore: Expand program that subsidizes premiums for working poor. Plan offers subsidies for families that earn too much now to qualify for the program but not enough to afford private insurance. Also: 25 percent tax credits for some people who buy their own insurance or employees at some small firms.
MEDICARE:
Bush: Offer "more choice and more private sector alternatives," including unspecified drug benefit and subsidies to help poorest pay for supplementary or other coverage.
Gore: Add prescription drug benefit and let uninsured Americans aged 55 to 65 buy into Medicare coverage. Drug plan: free coverage for low-income recipients, catastrophic coverage for all, and optional cost-sharing benefit for others.
SOCIAL SECURITY:
Let workers invest portion of Social Security payroll tax in private investment accounts?
Bush: Yes.
Gore: No.
Support further increase in age for receiving benefits?
Bush: Not for people near retirement. Has not ruled it out for young workers.
Gore: No.
TAXES:
Bush: $483 billion, five-year package that would gradually cut all tax rates, with the lowest rate dropping to 10 percent and the highest to 33 percent. Double child tax credit to $1,000. Charitable deductions could be taken by people who don't itemize.
Gore: Limited tax breaks, including some for education and retirement, and increased earnings cap for receiving earned income tax credit.
WELFARE:
Bush: $8 billion plan in first year to encourage churches and other groups to assume more responsibility for needy, through tax breaks and other incentives. Signed Texas law toughening enforcement of child-support orders.
Gore: Says all states, to get federal child-support aid, should require parents who are responsible for child support payments to have a job. Parents would get government help if needed to find work. Would seek to deny new credit cards to parents delinquent in child support by having federal government give personal information on deadbeats to credit bureaus. Greater role for churches and other groups in helping needy.