Issues
Agriculture Policy
Promote adequate supplies of food and fiber at reasonable prices to consumers and support economically viable farms, environmentally sound farm practices, and increased reliance on the free market.
Federal Agriculture Policies. Provide financial support to subsidize agriculture in specific instances, enforce federal antitrust laws to ensure competitive agricultural markets, and apply clean air and water regulations to all animal and aquaculture production. The federal government should fund basic agricultural research to provide adequate safety of our food supply.
Air Quality
Promote measures to reduce pollution from mobile and stationary sources.
Amendment Proposals
Consider whether a proposal addresses matters of abiding importance, makes our political system more democratic, protects individual rights, could be achieved by a constitutional amendment or legislative proposal, and is consistent with other League positions.
Apportionment
Support apportionment of congressional districts and elected legislative bodies at all levels of government based substantially on population.
Arms Control
Reduce the risk of war through support of arms control measures.
Child Care
Support programs and policies to expand the supply of affordable, quality child care for all who need it.
Citizen Rights
Democratic government depends upon informed and active participation at all levels of government. Governmental bodies must protect the citizen’s right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings, and making public records accessible.
Citizen’s Right to Know/Citizen Participation
Protect the citizen’s right to know and facilitate informed understanding and public participation in government decision-making.
Citizen’s Right to Vote
Protect the right of all citizens to vote; encourage all citizens to vote.
Civil Engagement
A dialogue in which all participants have a right to speak and to be heard. Such dialogue is characterized by:
- Respectful participation
- Sharing the time equitably
- Attentive listening
- Balanced discussion
Climate Change
Support climate goals and policies that are consistent with the best available climate science and that will ensure a stable climate system for future generations.
Climate Change
Congress
Support responsive legislative processes characterized by accountability, representativeness, decision making capability, effective performance, and transparency.
Congress and the Presidency
Constitutional Conventions
Conventions only when certain conditions are in place, such as: limited to a specific topic, full transparency, delegates selected by population, and voting by delegates not by states.
DC Self-Government and Full Voting Representation
Secure for the citizens of the District of Columbia the rights of self-government and full voting representation in both houses of Congress.
Death Penalty
LWVUS supports abolition of the death penalty.
Developing Countries
Promote U.S. policies that meet long-term social and economic needs of developing countries.
Early Intervention for Children at Risk
Support policies and programs that promote the well-being, development, and safety of all children.
Educating Voters
We host hundreds of events and programs every year to educate voters about candidates in thousands of federal, state and local races, as well as distribute millions of educational materials about state and local elections.
Education
We support equal opportunity for high quality education for all students from early childhood through community college. We work actively to educate ourselves and the community about innovations in education as well as financing for education.
Election Reform
Elections
We are all equal at the ballot box, but only if we vote. We engage millions of voters every year ensuring Americans have the information they need to participate in elections that determine our future.
Energy
Support environmentally sound policies that reduce energy growth rates, emphasize energy conservation, and encourage the use of renewable resources.
Environment
As citizens of the world we must protect our planet from the physical, economic and public health effects of climate change while also providing pathways to economic prosperity.
Environment
Environment
Equal Rights
Support ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and efforts to bring laws into compliance with the goals of the ERA. Support equal rights for all under state and federal law regardless of race, color gender, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability.
Expanding the Electorate
Expanding Voter Access
We fight to increase voters’ access to the polls, including expanding early voting, automatic and online voter registration.
Federal Agriculture Policies
Provide financial support to subsidize agriculture in specific instances, enforce federal antitrust laws to ensure competitive agricultural markets, and apply clean air and water regulations to all animal and aquaculture production. The federal government should fund basic agricultural research to provide adequate safety of our food supply.
Federal Policies and Budget (California)
Fighting Voter Suppression
We challenge all efforts and tactics that threaten our democracy and limit the ability of voters to exercise their right to vote.
Fiscal Policy
Tax Policy. Support adequate and flexible funding of federal government programs through an equitable tax system that is progressive overall and that relies primarily on a broad-based income tax.
Federal Deficit. Promote responsible deficit policies.
Funding of Entitlements. Support a federal role in providing mandatory, universal, old-age, survivors, disability, and health insurance.
Gun Control
Protect the health and safety of citizens through limiting the accessibility and regulating the ownership of handguns and semi-automatic weapons. Support regulation of firearms for consumer safety.
Health Care
Health Care Reform
Promote a health care system for the United States that provides affordable access to a basic level of quality care for all U.S. residents, including behavioral health that is integrated with and achieves parity with the physical health care system.
Housing
Support for action at all levels of government for the provision of affordable housing for all
Human Trafficking
Oppose all forms of domestic and international human trafficking of adults and children, including sex trafficking and labor trafficking.
Immigration
Promote reunification of immediate families; meet the economic, business, and employment needs of the United States; be responsive to those facing political persecution or humanitarian crises; and provide for student visas. Ensure fair treatment under the law for all persons. In transition to a reformed system, support provisions for unauthorized immigrants already in the country to earn legal status.
Immigration
Increasing Voter Registration
As the nation’s largest and longest-standing grassroots voter registration organization, we work year-round to make sure all eligible Americans—especially first-time voters, non-college youth, new citizens, communities of color, and low-income Americans—have the opportunity to register and vote.
Individual Liberties
Oppose major threats to basic constitutional rights.
International Relations
Promote peace in an interdependent world by working cooperatively with other nations and strengthening international organizations.
Land Use
Land Use
Promote policies that manage land as a finite resource and that incorporate principles of stewardship.
Local Government
We support measures to further good government through the support of non-partisanship in local government and the support of legislation which permits increased flexibility in California State law governing general law counties.
Making Democracy Work in California
Meeting Basic Human Needs
Support programs and policies to prevent or reduce poverty and to promote self-sufficiency for individuals and families.
Income Assistance. Support income assistance programs, based on need, that provide decent, adequate standards for food, clothing, and shelter.
Support Services. Provide essential support services.
Housing. Support policies to provide a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family.
Military Policy and Defense Spending
Work to limit reliance on military force. Examine defense spending in the context of total national needs.
Money in Politics
Support campaign finance/MIP regulations that enhances political equality for all citizens, ensures transparency, protects representative democracy from distortion by undisclosed contributions and big money, and combats corruption and undue influenced in government. Support campaign spending that is restricted but not banned. Supports public financing, full disclosure, abolishing SuperPACs, and creating an effective enforcement agency.
Money in Politics
Natural Resources
Promote an environment beneficial to life through the protection and wise management of natural resources in the public interest.
Natural Resources (California)
Nuclear
Promote the maximum protection of public health and safety and the environment.
Other Issues
From advancing health care to protecting the environment, voters care about many issues. We promote social and economic justice as well as the health and safety of all Americans to defend democracy.
Privatization
Ensure transparency, accountability, positive community impact and preservation of the common good when considering the transfer of governmental services, assets and/or functions to the private sector.
Public Participation
Promote public understanding and participation in decision making as essential elements of responsible and responsive management of our natural resources.
Public Policy on Reproductive Choices
Protect the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices.
Redistricting
Support redistricting processes and enforceable standards that promote fair and effective representation at all levels of government with maximum opportunity for public participation.
Redistricting California
Congressional districts and government legislative bodies should be apportioned substantially on population. We oppose partisan and racial gerrymandering that strips rights away from voters.
Resource Management & Protection
Promote the management of natural resources as interrelated parts of life-supporting ecosystems. Promote resource conservation, stewardship, and long-range planning, with the responsibility for managing natural resources shared by all levels of government. Preserve the physical, chemical and biological integrity of the ecosystem with maximum protection of public health and the environment.
Selection of the President
Promote the election of the President and Vice-President by direct- popular-vote. Support uniform national voting qualifications and procedures for presidential elections. Support efforts to provide voters with sufficient information about candidates.
Sentencing Policy
Support the exploration and utilization of alternatives to imprisonment, taking into consideration the circumstances and nature of the crime. LWVUS opposes mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses.
Social Policy
Secure equal rights and equal opportunity for all. Promote social and economic justice and the health and safety of all Americans.
Tax Reform
The Presidency
Promote a dynamic balance of power between the executive and legislative branches within the framework set by the Constitution.
Trade
Support U.S. trade policies that reduce trade barriers; expand international trade; and advance the achievement of humanitarian, environmental, and social goals.
Transportation
We support a balanced, safe and efficient transportation network that will preserve a quality environment and provide mobility throughout the state.
United Nations
The League supports a strong, effective United Nations to promote international peace and security and to address the social, economic and humanitarian needs of all people.
Urban Policy
Promote the economic health of cities and improve the quality of urban life.
Violence Prevention
Support violence prevention programs in communities.
Voter Representation/Electoral Systems
Support electoral systems at each level of government that encourage participation, are verifiable and auditable, and enhance representation for all voters.
Voting Rights
Voting Rights
Voting is a fundamental right and all eligible voters should have the equal opportunity to exercise that right. We are dedicated to ensuring that our elections remain free, fair and accessible.
Voting Rights Laws
We are at the forefront of the most important federal and state voting rights cases around the country. We actively oppose discriminatory voter photo ID laws, fight against attacks voter registration process and hold lawmakers accountable when they try to institute last-minute Election Day barriers. We work year-round to combat voter suppression through advocacy, grassroots organizing, legal action and public education.
Waste Management
Promote policies to reduce the generation and promote the reuse and recycling of solid and hazardous wastes.
Water
Voters will continue to face large water-related expenditures in the coming years. Making informed decisions on these investments in managing California’s water resources is a priority for the League.
Water
Support measures to reduce pollution in order to protect surface water, groundwater, and drinking water, and set up a process to evaluate inter-basin water transfers.