The following topics are related to defense and international issues—two of the primary concerns to presidential candidates. The stances of the candidates were determined by presidential-candidates.insidegov.com and based on speeches, press releases and public statements by each candidate. Defense and international issues pertain to all policies and relationships with other countries.
Military Expansion Free Trade
This refers to views on international trade and agreements within the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization. Stances on trade take into consideration the following concepts: currency manipulation, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the free trade area of the Americas, presidential fast-track, fair trade, trade deficits and relations with China.
Strongly Opposes—Candidate believes Americans should buy from other Americans to create more American jobs. They say trade should be restricted with any country that costs us jobs or creates a trade deficit.
Opposes—Candidate believes fair trade should replace free trade because free trade poses risks to job security, causes humanitarian problems overseas and results in environmental damage. They say globalization should focus on benefitting people instead of corporations.
No Stance—Candidate has not issued an official statement regarding the issue.
Favors—Candidate believes free trade is in the country’s best interest because it produces economic growth and jobs. They say it should only be restricted when it poses a security risk.
Strongly Favors—Candidate believes free trade is always in the peoples’ best interest and that there should be open trade with every county. They say the government doesn’t have the right to restrict imports and exports and that NAFTA, GATT and the WTO should be expanded.
The debate on military expansion focuses on the principles and practical matters of the quantity and quality of the military. Stances on military expansion take the following concepts into consideration: military readiness, oversea troop commitment and compensation for servicemen and women.
Strongly Opposes—Candidate believes defense spending should be dramatically reduced and that U.S. troops need to be pulled out of other countries, including Japan and Korea. They say it is wrong for the U.S. to have a military as large as the rest of the world combined.
Opposes—Candidate says that money is better spent on issues other than defense. They believe we should limit the number of troops stationed abroad and focus on their quality rather than quantity.
No Stance—Candidate has not issued an official statement regarding the issue.
Favors—Candidate says U.S. should make careful consideration before making military cuts. They say that reducing military personnel has put pressure on employment.
Strongly Favors—Candidate believes that it is the U.S.’s obligation to maintain a strong military that is paid adequately.
American Exceptionalism
The debate over the ideology that states the United States is inherently different from other nations. Stances on this ideology take the following concepts into consideration: U.S. sovereignty from the United Nations, whether the U.S. is subject to the rulings of the International Court of Justice, whether the nation has a responsibility to be the world’s policemen, isolationism and the providing of foreign aid.
Strongly Opposes—Candidate says that other countries’ opinions are just as important as the U.S.’s and that the nation should use “soft power” and seek non-military solutions to issues.
Opposes—Candidate says U.S. interests are best advanced by building alliances with countries over mutual interests. They believe multilateralism is more effective than unilateralism.
No Stance—Candidate has not issued an official statement regarding the issue.
Favors—Candidate says the U.S. military shouldn’t serve under other countries, but multinational forces are acceptable under U.S. command. They believe the nation should focus on its own issues before working on other countries’ problems.
Strongly favors—Candidate says the United Nations has too much power and the U.S. should withdraw.
Peace and Diplomacy
Peace and diplomacy encompass U.S. involvement in international situations where the U.S. utilizes prolonged military intervention or prolonged peace negotiations. Stances on peace and diplomacy take the following concepts into consideration: U.S. intervention in the Syrian Civil War, peace progress with Israel and Palestine, the Iran nuclear deal, the War on Terrorism and Al Qaeda.
Strongly Opposes—Candidate says the U.S. should seriously prepare for military action in Iran and other countries, including North Korea, who oppose U.S. national interests.
Opposes—Candidate says U.S. needs to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and that troops should leave Afghanistan only when the country can defend themselves.
No Stance—Candidate has not issued an official statement regarding the issue.
Favors—Candidate says the U.S. should stay out of Iraq and Iran and leave Afghanistan as soon as possible. They believe U.S. military is no longer needed in those countries.
Strongly Favors—Candidate says the U.S. should have never invaded Iraq and the same mistake should not be made in Iran.
