Constitutionalist Party Platform

Constitutionalist Party Platform

1. Abortion

The Constitutionalist Party supports the legality of abortion, but objects to the Supreme Court's determination in Roe v. Wade. The CP recognizes that the truly constitutional result of the abortion debate would be to leave the issue to the states to decide or for Congress to pass an amendment to settle. While it is refreshing for the Supreme Court to make up new rights as opposed to weakening established ones, it is not the Court's place to do this. The CP would support state legislation or a constitutional amendment that affirms the legality of abortion, as making it illegal will not make it go away, and will likely make the problem worse.

Why are so many women who don't want to get pregnant getting pregnant in the first place? Abortion is not an easy decision to make for any woman, and surely most of those women who do get abortions would have preferred to never have gotten pregnant in the first place. So the best ideas for this issue are ones that help those women who don't wish to get pregnant from getting pregnant, for if the only women getting pregnant are those who want to, then abortion will be of little consequence.

The Constitutionalist Party also believes that the government has no place in interfering with the decision or the financial matters concerning abortion.

The Constitutionalist Party recommends the following measures:

Support state-based initiatives that promote education regarding sexual choices and consequences as being important towards helping both sexes realize the possible results of their actions and them knowing the facts about sex. All too often ignorance is playing a role in thousands of teenage girls getting pregnant every year. There should be no restriction of the availability of this information from doctors or teachers. Combat ignorance, and you promote responsibility.
Promote state-funded research and development of more and better methods of birth control for both sexes, and make all reproductive-control options available to those who want them.
The government should have no say in the decision to have or not have an abortion. The decision should be left up to the mother. The government should also not use taxpayer money or legislation to restrict or support abortion in any way.

2. The Right To Keep And Bear Arms

The Constitutionalist Party supports the Constitution's assertion in the 2nd Amendment that the private ownership of arms is necessary to the security of a free State. However, with that right to bear arms comes the responsibility to use those weapons in such a way that the rights of innocent people are not violated. In order to act responsibly, one must be educated about the possible results of their actions. The CP understands that the guns themselves are not the problem, and therefore attempts to ban or restrict firearms will not solve any problems, and in fact will only hinder the ability of law-abiding citizens to arm themselves.

The CP advocates the following measures:

All states are encouraged to pass Concealed Carry laws, with each state determining the specifics concerning requirements or the use/non-use of permits as they find most effective.
All states are encouraged to set up education programs for firearms and to promote handgun safety campaigns to increase public awareness and knowledge about handguns, and in so doing promote gun responsibility.
Penalties for committing crimes with a handgun should be increased. In addition, anyone who commits a crime while in possession of a handgun should have their ability to own a handgun permanently revoked.
Convicted felons, those who have committed crimes while in possession of a handgun, and those judged by a psychiatrist to be mentally unfit to own firearms should not be allowed to purchase, own, or carry a firearm at any time. An instantaneous background check at the point of purchase is all that would be required to determine this. Longer waiting periods to check backgrounds are not needed and should be repealed.
Laws that ban or restrict the ownership of specific guns are arbitrary at best and totally ineffective otherwise. The CP opposes any further bans, and favors the repealing of the Assault Weapon Ban.

3. Capital Punishment

While the Death Penalty would appear to accomplish certain goals, in practice it does not. The usefulness of Capital Punishment is generally outlined by three goals that it supposedly achieves:

It is cheaper to execute a heinous felon than it is to imprison them for life.
Killing heinous felons discourages criminals from committing similar crimes in the future.
Capital Punishment allows a sense of justice for the relatives of the victim(s).

Surprisingly, studies have shown that not only can it be more expensive (look under the "Financial Costs" section) to the taxpayers to execute a felon rather than imprison them for life, but that the presence of Capital Punishment laws do not result in a lower crime rate for those crimes that can incur the penalty. Also in many cases, the sense of justice felt by the relatives of the victim(s) is compromised by feelings of guilt or discontent, since no matter what happens to the criminal, the crime and its effects are never erased.

Because Capital Punishment fails to meet the goals it sets out to achieve, the Constitutionalist Party sees no reason to support it. The CP also acknowledges the right of the States to institute such laws if they find them to be useful and desired by its voters, but opposes any federal laws that support the practice.

4. Civil Liberties

The Constitutionalist Party defends the right of the individual to be secure in the ownership of their property and person as according to the Fourth Amendment. The right to own and use one's property freely is inextricable from human liberty as property represents the product of an individual's efforts, so if property rights are not fully allowed then people are not entitled to the products of their life, and indeed the ownership then of their very life would be damaged. Individuals should have the right to do with their property as they wish up until their actions infringe upon this same right as held by another. The CP opposes any effort by the federal government to limit the ability of an individual to do with their property as they please (up to the point of infringing the rights of others), including with regard to private businesses.

The Constitutionalist Party sees an inherent danger to the taxation of real property. Such taxes are indistinguishable from the idea of the State owning everything and the individuals being made to pay rent for the use of the property. The CP's solution to this is outlined in the "Taxation" plank of the platform.

Any time property has been taken from the owners by the government or private action in violation of individual rights, the Constitutionalist Party advocates restitution to the owners to be paid by those responsible for the violation.

The Constitutionalist Party opposes all other violations to the Fourth Amendment. The CP opposes the use of search warrants to examine or seize materials belonging to third parties unless specifically specified on the warrant. The CP also opposes no-knock raids and the search of vehicles and passengers without probable cause.

The Constitutionalist Party supports the right of private employers to screen prospective or current employees as long as the screened individual is aware of the practice. Whether by drug tests, blood tests for AIDS, or any other method of screening, the employer has the right to practice such testing just as the employee has the right to refuse to work there and/or boycott the business for doing so. The issue here is mutual consent. If the employer wishes to screen employees and the employees agree, then there is no invasion of privacy. Employers are not forced to hire employees who refuse. The CP opposes regulations requiring government contractors to impose the above screenings on private businesses.

The Constitutionalist Party opposes the issuance of an identity card for any purpose.

The Constitutionalist Party supports the First Amendment rights held by all persons in the United States. The CP opposes government initiatives that seek to abridge these rights except when the speech actually violates the rights and causes damage to another person. The CP opposes legislation seeking to make it illegal to burn the American flag, as this is a form of political speech. The CP also opposes any initiative to restrict speech on the Internet, although it promotes the use of screening software so that parents may protect their children from Web sites or areas that they deem unacceptable. The CP does not find that obscenity (including pornography) that is made with the consent of those involved with its production violates the First Amendment in any way, although it is the right of the individual to not have their tax money going towards any such ventures, and to boycott institutions that create, distribute, or support the industry.

The Constitutionalist Party opposes government ownership of or funding for any communications organization. Such institutions should be made to earn their keep based on merit and the support of the economy. However, since it will take time for things like National Public Radio and other government-funded programs to adjust, the CP advocates that government involvement in communications be steadily downsized gradually to total removal in a fifteen year period.

The Constitutionalist Party supports the right of individuals to participate in any religion they wish, or none at all, and to be free from legislation that supports the views of one religion over the others. This requires a separation of church and state, and any legislation that is proposed with the rationale that it is a proper law because a certain religion says so must be rejected in the defense of the other religions. America has never had a national religion, and thus should not pass any legislation that favors the tenets of any one religion as well. The government should also not aid any religion, nor attack any religion for their beliefs or peaceful activities. The CP promotes the equal toleration of all non-violent religions.

5. Constitutionalism

The Constitutionalist Party demands that the Constitution be followed properly by the federal government. If the federal government is allowed to violate the Constitution in any way, then there truly is no point in having one at all. The entire purpose of the document is that it be followed, as it is the only law that binds the federal government from doing anything it pleases. Since the Constitution is a written document, its meaning does not alter from the meaning that was first intended when it was written. (The Supreme Court established that rule of interpretation in State of South Carolina v. U.S. (1905).) Therefore, the only way in which the Constitution may be altered from its original intent is via the Amendment process.

The Constitutionalist Party opposes any attempts by Congress to violate the Constitution by passing laws that are beyond its Constitutionally-given authority. Regarding spending, Congress may not appropriate money for purposes that do not promote the general welfare of the entire nation (as determined in United States v. Butler (1936)). Therefore, all pork programs that only benefit local areas are unconstitutional and must be stopped. Further, since Congress is in the habit lately of passing loads of unconstitutional legislation, the CP advocates the passage of HR 292, also known as the Constitutional Authority Act, in which no law may be voted upon until it shows the Constitutional authority by which it may be passed.

The Constitutionalist Party opposes any attempts by the Executive Branch to violate the Constitution by taking actions which are not allowed according to the Constitution. The CP advocates the passage of HR 1036, called the Congressional Responsibility Act, which prevents executive branch departments from passing regulations without Congressional approval. The Executive Branch has no authority to pass regulations or laws of any kind, for that is the exclusive power of Congress, so this law merely brings the Executive Branch back to Constitutional restriction.

The Constitutionalist Party believes in supporting the Ninth and Tenth Amendments. Any action which Congress or the Executive Branch contemplates taking which is not expressly allowed for under the language of the Constitution according to the original intent with which it was written shall be assumed to be a power or right held by the States or the people only.

The Constitutionalist Party opposes any attempt to lessen or infringe upon already existing rights. Rights enumerated in the Amendments to the Constitution are not to be eroded without the passage of additional Amendments to clarify them.

6. Consumer Protection

The Constitutionalist Party supports the eventual replacement of the current governmental consumer protection laws with private watchdog agencies. Private watchdog groups for consumer protection are the best weapon a consumer has against corporate fraud and misrepresentation, and the CP advocates the proliferation of such groups in preference to the imposition of more government regulation. The main role the government should play is in enforcing laws against fraud and misrepresentation and leaving the consumer watchdog groups to provide the consumers with the comprehensive information that is demanded. Such groups are always more demanding on corporations than any governmental regulatory agency, and the resulting pressure will cause an increase in the quality of goods and services provided by those companies.

7. Crime

The Constitutionalist Party believes that the best way in which to combat violent crime in America is by promoting the ability of the individual to protect their rights and property. Studies have shown that criminals fear the idea of an armed victim far more than they fear being caught and punished by the justice system, and this has been further proven by the fact that in every state where a Concealed Weapon Permit law has been put into effect, violent crime has dropped significantly. The CP not only advocates that every state in that nation institute these laws, but that they also allow all private individuals to be able to purchase personal protection items like mace and tear gas. The CP also supports state-based programs for promoting private education about firearms and their use as outlined in "The Right To Bear Arms" plank of the platform.

The Constitutionalist Party also recognizes the overcrowded prisons as being a result of the War On Drugs' practice of prosecuting victimless crimes. The CP does not believe that victimless crimes are helping make America better, they are only serving to crowd our prisons. The CP also advocates taking steps towards the reduction of the role of the War On Drugs in our society.

The Constitutionalist Party defends the rights of the accused in the American justice system. The CP fully supports the maxim that the accused are innocent until proven guilty, and therefore opposes any efforts to erode those rights in the name of justice. The CP opposes the seizure of property by the government that does not pertain to the civil or criminal case itself (as all other seizures would be considered "unreasonable" under the Fourth Amendment). The CP also strongly opposes police brutality or the use of excessive force at any time on individuals, as this violates the Eighth Amendment right that people have to be free of cruel punishments. The CP supports restitution for losses suffered by the accused in any case in which they are not convicted of a crime. Police employees and agents should not be exempted from possibly being held liable for this restitution.

8. Federal Debt

The Constitutionalist Party supports the passage of a constitutional Amendment that requires the federal government to balance the budget. Such an Amendment should have the following provisions: Neither the Presidency nor Congress can override it; off-budget items are included in the budget; no exceptions may be made except in a time of war in which America has been attacked. It is unreasonable for the federal government to continue to overspend its revenue, and even worse that it seeks to raise taxes to compensate instead of cutting expenditures.

The CP places higher priority on cutting taxes than paying down the debt. The federal debt currently is not impeding access to private loans, and is also not affecting interest rates. The economy will benefit far more at this time from a reduction of the tax burden than by paying down the debt.

9. Discrimination

The Constitutionalist Party opposes any government-legislated discrimination based on race, sex, sexual or religious preference, or otherwise. The CP opposes legislation that seeks to install racial or sexual quotas or preferences of any kind in the public sector, believing that all hiring or acceptance of individuals to public jobs or institutions should be based on merit alone. The CP also encourages for all private businesses and institutions to do the same, but refuses to use any method other than the recourse of law by the alleged victim to do so, since it is the right of the private individual or business owner or whatever to do what they wish with their business and property. Those who believe themselves to be discriminated against have the right to boycott or take whatever peaceful methods they wish to petition the private corporation to change.

10. The War On Drugs

The Constitutionalist Party understands that although the War On Drugs is causing violations of civil liberties as well as promoting the prosecution of victimless crimes, America is not yet ready to end the effort. Despite numerous comparisons to the failure of Prohibition as well as the failure of any attempt to ban a demanded good or service from the public in the past, the majority of America still believes that the War On Drugs should be continued. Therefore, although the CP believes that ultimately the War On Drugs will be ended, it will require incremental steps and time before the American people are ready for it.

The CP suggests the following:

For all states to pass laws legalizing marijuana for medicinal use.
For the federal government to legalize the growing of industrial hemp (especially of the strains with no THC content whatsoever) in the United States and to allow for products made with industrial hemp to be sold publicly.
When industrial hemp is legalized, any persons who are serving terms in prison for growing industrial hemp should be immediately exonerated.
The federal government should restrict the persecution of drug laws so that absolutely no rights as held by the people are being violated, especially when concerning the Fourth Amendment.

11. Education

The Constitutionalist Party recognizes that there is no power delegated to the federal government for the purpose of education. Therefore, the CP advocates the elimination of federal involvement in education by abolishing the Department of Education.

The Constitutionalist Party also recognizes that education is of paramount importance to the improvement of America. Every republic like America benefits the most from an educated votership that will best represent itself. Every capitalist economy is best served by better educated workers. Education is also the key by which those who are economically disadvantaged may better themselves, and it is the one resource that improves freedom, since being educated about the possible results of one's actions encourages responsibility. Lastly, the CP believes that the use of taxation to support education on the state level is not contrary to human freedom, since money spent to better educate our children and those in poverty ultimately benefits everyone while improving liberty, and is thereby a worthy investment to be made by all.

The Constitutionalist Party advocates an improvement of the current schooling system by introducing competition via a state-based voucher or universal tax credit system. By allowing parents the freedom to choose where their children may attend school, the schools must then compete against each other in order to succeed and survive, which will automatically cause the quality of the education provided to not only improve, but to also cater to the special interests and needs of the parents and their children. The current public school system is not only failing to properly educate the students, but it is also failing to educate all students equally, causing some minorities to score lower and be less able to compete for higher education with other races. By introducing parental choice as well as encouraging private involvement into the realm of education, the quality of the service will be improved, thereby benefiting us all.

The Constitutionalist Party also encourages an increased involvement of private business with the existing public school system. Private businesses today appreciate the opportunity to train children to be potential employees in the future, and such partnerships between corporate America and the educational system aids all involved, since the school is able to provide a better education, the company is potentially gaining a future employee and the student is being better prepared for future participation in the business world.

12. Election Laws

The Constitutionalist Party supports the First Amendment right of all Americans to freely express their speech politically. Therefore, the CP opposes federal involvement in deciding how much eligible voters may contribute to the political party of their choice, and also opposes the use of taxpayer money to fund political campaigns, since that takes money from the individual and supplies it to a political party they may not support, which compromises their ability to properly represent themselves in our political system. This would mean the repealing of the Federal Election Campaign Act. The CP supports the passing of H.R. 965 (Sponsor: Rep. Doolittle).

The Constitutionalist Party opposes legislation that seeks to hinder the ability of the voter from voting for what candidates truly represent them. America's political system functions the best when the voters are allowed to vote in a way that allows their views to be properly expressed politically. Any legislation that attempts to restrict the ability of alternative political parties from being on the ballots prevents the people from having their full range of choices available, as well as prevents them the opportunity from voting for what might best represent them in America's political system, and therefore must not be allowed.

The Constitutionalist Party supports state-funded initiatives to improve voting technology at polling stations. If Election 2000 has taught us anything, it's that there can be little confidence in the results when the method of tallying votes is open to flaws.

13. Foreign Aid

The Constitutionalist Party supports the resolution that the yearly amount of foreign aid provided to other nations be capped permanently at the current amount, and that steps should be taken toward reducing the amount of taxpayer money that goes towards supporting foreign nations. This includes military involvement as well as government-sponsored humanitarian aid. The CP has no aversion to private institutions providing aid or doing business with other nations. The CP also opposes federal government underwriting of arms sales to other nations for any reason.

14. Health Care

The Constitutionalist Party advocates the creation of a voucher system for health care to encourage private involvement in health care as well as cause competition by which quality of service will be increased. Currently, the nation's health care system suffers from a lack of private freedom to provide services to customers. America is not best suited by a government-controlled health care system. Health care would best be provided by competing, private corporations who vie for the business of the consumer. The CP believes that, like with education, the institution of a voucher system that will allow the consumer to choose their health care based upon their individual needs will foster the environment necessary to provide the best service and health care to those that need it.

The Constitutionalist Party advocates the legalization of marijuana for medical use in every state.

The right of a person to do with their body as they wish shall be defended. This means that people should have the right to sell body parts as they would any other piece of property. Also, the CP defends the right of the terminally or hopelessly ill patients to have access to the option of euthanasia. Americans should have the right to living wills and to dictate the manner in which they are to be treated and the method for their remains to be dealt with. No individual should be forced to continue or terminate life-sustaining care, although this does not mean that medical professionals can be forced to assist them in doing either.

The Constitutionalist Party opposes any effort to block educational material concerning AIDS from being made available to the public. The CP also advocates the promotion of state-based initiatives making hypodermic syringes available to the public in order to combat the spread of AIDS via contaminated needles.

The Constitutionalist Party supports continued private research into cloning.

The Constitutionalist Party opposes using tax revenue to pay for the health problems developed by individuals who knew the possible consequences of their actions with regards to their health. Therefore, smokers who develop lung cancer, alcoholics who develop cirrhosis of the liver and so forth should not be able to receive government funding to support their care. A person who knowingly engages in behavior that has detrimental health effects in the future should be held responsible for those effects should they develop, and not the taxpayers.

15. Human Rights

Although the Constitutionalist Party stands in defense of human liberty regardless of nationality, the CP does not in any way support the use of force by America in order to promote liberty outside of our borders. The choice of other countries to adopt our style of government is their decision to make, not ours, and any attempt by America to forcibly institute such a system upon another country in the name of human rights is hypocritical, since foreign nations have the right of sovereignty as well. The CP acknowledges the abuses of liberty practiced by America in other countries and will never justify them with excuses. The CP is resolute in its dedication towards respecting the rights of other nations to rule themselves, but will also speak out in condemnation of human rights abuses practiced by any country.

The Constitutionalist Party encourages continued trade relations with countries that violate human rights. The more that America trades with other nations, the more those nations realize the benefits of liberalizing their economy. This invariably starts a chain reaction in which the totalitarian hold that government has upon its people is weakened. The best way we can promote liberty in other countries is not by shutting them out, but by continued interaction. America should re-establish trade contact with countries like Cuba and North Korea in order to help improve the quality of liberty enjoyed by their citizens.

16. Immigration

The Constitutionalist Party recognizes that America's heritage has always been one of a melting pot of nationalities who have come to America for opportunity and liberty, and that America has benefited greatly from the contributions of immigrants. The CP therefore sees no reason to attempt to change America from being a country that accepts immigrants into our culture, especially if they have come to work and contribute their education and talent to America's economy in order to better their own lives and realize the blessings of freedom. The CP opposes any restriction of human rights in America based on nationality for any reason, especially when searching for individuals who do not possess the required government immigration documents. Immigration should also not become discriminatory for reasons of religion, race, political affiliation, sex, age, or otherwise.

The main argument against open immigration today is the abuse of social programs by illegal immigrants. The best solution to this that preserves human rights is to make these social programs conditional upon productivity. The goal of all social programs should be to make the recipient eventually self-sufficient, and thus those who receive such benefits should be enrolled in a job program. It is certainly reasonable to allow benefits to those who are willing to enroll in these programs, regardless of their immigration status, since they are earning them to some extent. If the open abuse of America's social programs is allowed to continue, then American taxpayers will always resent those immigrants who are acting in their best interests to take advantage of the system. Immigration is part of what makes America great, so instead of restricting immigration we should be working to restrict the ability of immigrants to abuse the system we have that encourages the problem to continue.

17. American Indian Rights

The Constitutionalist Party regrets the past actions of the United States federal government with regard to the affairs of American Indians and seeks to return to them their rights over their lives, property and self-government.

The Constitutionalist Party supports the following actions:

All Indians are to be allowed to choose their nature of citizenship and autonomy, up to and including absolute sovereignty.
American Indians should have all of their property rights restored so that they may use their land as they wish.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs should be abolished or used only as an intermediary between the federal government and the tribal governments. All tribal members should have full power over the creation of their governmental system.
Negotiations should be held in order to settle remaining governmental obligations to all American Indian tribes.

The CP also advocates that any and all damages caused to Indian-owned lands by resource development, disposal or otherwise be repaid fully by those responsible for it.

18. Military

The goal of the United States military is to defend the nation and our allies from attacks by foreign nations. The Constitutionalist Party does not see a rationale that supports the idea that America must outspend every other nation by such a huge amount in order to fulfill this obligation. The CP advocates more fiscal efficiency when it comes to new military technologies and maintaining our defenses. Too many weapons programs wind up being more political than practical, and they wind up wasting millions and millions of taxpayer dollars that would be better left in the pockets of the taxpayer in the first place. The CP does support the development of useful new weapons to augment our military capabilities, but the current situation is too wasteful and politically manipulated.

The Constitutionalist Party advocates continuing negotiations towards nuclear reduction and disarmament with other nations. Nuclear weapons serve as a threat to the security and safety of all nations on Earth, and working towards replacing them with smaller-scale weapons that will cause less long-term environmental damage and will cause fewer civilian casualties is a policy that works in the best interests of all nations.

The Constitutionalist Party calls for an immediate cap on the number of American soldiers stationed abroad. The CP acknowledges previous commitments with other nations and will not betray the compacts made, but the CP does not support the use of more troops for foreign assignments. If new situations arise, the soldiers will have to be drawn from other existing foreign duties and not from our home troops. The CP advocates working towards reducing America's foreign military involvement in the future. The CP also opposes the use of American troops by the United Nations to fight conflicts that America has no business being involved in, and opposes the use of American troops to fight aggressive wars against countries that have not committed aggression against the United States first.

The Constitutionalist Party opposes the use of Conscription except when American soil (excluding embassies) is attacked directly.

The Constitutionalist Party opposes the establishment of a national missile defense system. Despite common conception, the United States does not face a significant threat of missile attack. Rogue nations are far more likely to employ a more clandestine method of attack should they obtain nuclear capability, and accidental launches are too small a threat to warrant such a large expenditure of money and effort. In addition, work toward a missile defense system will only serve to engender hostility and distrust from Russia and China, even as such a system would fail to amount to much protection against a possible future conflict with either.

19. Pollution

The pollution of private property is a violation of the rights of the individual. The CP advocates legislation that holds those responsible for polluting private property other than their own as being fully liable for the cost of the damage. The CP also supports the right of the government to sue or fine responsible parties for the pollution of public property as the representative of the citizens of the United States who own the property. The CP also advocates that liability be the means of regulating pollution instead of arbitrary government policies and standards. This liability must be proven in court of law.

The Constitutionalist Party believes that the only group responsible for the cost of cleaning up pollution are those who cause it, whether by intention or negligence. The only time that taxpayer money should be used for the cleaning of pollution is if the government itself is responsible for the damage or if the party or parties liable have absolutely no assets by which to complete the cleanup themselves.

20. Poverty And Unemployment

The Constitutionalist Party believes that what the impoverished in America really need is not money, but a way to make money themselves. Currently in America, the Welfare system exists as a sort of "safety net" to comfort the lives of those who have fallen upon hard times or situations. This only serves as a temporary solution, since it doesn't help those who are impoverished find a way to improve upon their current situation, it only makes their current situation a bit better. What Welfare is doing is creating a culture of poverty, since those who need Welfare are not being aided in getting off of Welfare, resulting in dependency upon the government.

Any time an American becomes dependent on the government for their livelihood, their freedom is abridged. The goal of any social program should be to enable the people of America to become more self-sufficient so that they may lead and fulfill their own lives instead of depending upon others for financial support. Even worse, those who depend upon a government program for financial aid become easily manipulated by political candidates into voting to continue such programs that continue their dependency, often in exchange for losing even more freedoms elsewhere. Also, the mere act of taking the tax money earned by others to sustain this dependency is reducing to ability of those who work and are fruitful from making the most of their efforts to improve and fulfill their own lives.

The best resource to create self-sufficiency with is education. Education in the form of job training enables the beneficiary to get a job, become productive, and support themselves, which should be the goal of any social program concerning the impoverished.

The Constitutionalist Party therefore recommends the following:

That Welfare be supplied only under the condition that the individual receiving the benefits be enrolled and involved in a state-funded job placement program that will aid the individual in finding a job or educate the individual in a trade skill that is in demand in that area and then help them find a job. Since the goal is to make the individual productive in order to earn their benefits, it would not be counter-productive to allow for those still unable to find a job through this process to continue to receive benefits while enrolled in volunteer programs for charities and other non-profit organizations.
To eventually make the job placement system be on a nationwide basis, so that applicants are able to find work anywhere in the United States instead of only being restricted to the opportunities in the state of residence.
To eventually have Welfare benefits be treated as a non-interest loan from the government that the recipient would pay back over comfortable periods of time. This is a way the recipient can repay their debt to the taxpayers for the support provided while the individual was doing what was necessary to make themselves self-sufficient again.
To encourage private aid to the poor, those who donate to poverty-related charities should receive dollar-for-dollar tax credits for their contributions. The CP opposes giving federal funds to private charities.
The federal government involvement in subsidizing businesses and attempting to manipulate the unemployment of America through economic redistribution only creates more problems than it solves, and the CP actively discourages more federal programs that seek to do this.

21. Sexual Rights

The Constitutionalist Party sees no constitutional basis by which the government may regulate the sexual morality of the people. Therefore, the CP opposes any legislation that seeks to prohibit sexual activity between consenting adults, or any legislation that seeks to promote or encourage any specific sexual lifestyle. The CP opposes the Defense Of Marriage Act, and opposes efforts to prevent homosexuals from participating in marriage under law, although churches are by no means to be made to perform the services or accept such marriages if their beliefs do not allow for it.

21. Social Security

The Constitutionalist Party believes that the government-funded institution of Social Security, while valuable to society, is both inefficient and in danger of crumbling. The problem of Social Security is one that just won't go away, and every fix presented to the program only winds up holding off what seems to be the inevitable collapse. Fortunately, several countries in South America and Europe have started privatized Social Security programs that are working much more efficiently than the public versions in place before. While those countries are not America, and it would be foolish to assert that privatization would work equally well here as it does there without actually trying it, the results are encouraging enough that it warrants a try in our country so that hopefully we may find a way to end the problems our country is having with keeping public Social Security going. Further, making such a system private would substantially reduce the amount of money spent by the federal government, which would result in lower taxes being possible. More information concerning the privatization of Social Security can be found here.

The Constitutionalist Party adamantly opposes the idea of Social Security funds being invested by the government. Any program which allows the government to purchase private assets is socialist in nature, as socialism is when the government owns and controls the means of production. Investment of Social Security funds into assets is crucial, but it must never be done by the government. It must be done by private individuals.

Americans must be given ownership of their retirement accounts. Nestor v. Fleming determined that citizens today do not have a right to Social Security benefits, and a system of personal retirement accounts owned by the individual will make sure that every person will be secure in their benefits. In addition, since these accounts would be owned like any other assets, they could be passed on as part of an inheritence to future generations. The CP supports legislation that would allow inheritors of retirement account assets to bypass the inheritance tax providing that the assets are immediately deposited into their own retirement account.

22. Subsidies

Subsidies are a system in which money is taken from one group (the taxpayers) and given to another, and the Constitutionalist Party realizes the inherent economic damage caused by them and opposes the formation of any more. All that subsidies have accomplished in American history is the support of one industry at the expense of the productivity of other industries and workers. The CP understands that industries rise and fall as part of the nature of the capitalist economy, and that the more the government interferes with the process the less able those involved in the economy are able to improve their quality of life. Even worse, such subsidies are regularly used by politicians to benefit their political allies and throw more corporate welfare around. The CP not only advocates an immediate end to the increase of subsidies, but supports measures to eliminate them, starting with those benefiting large corporations.

23. Taxation

The Constitutionalist Party seeks an immediate cap on the rates of taxation, opposing any further increases and any new taxes. Taxes all serve to discourage the productivity of those who work, since they prevent the worker from keeping everything they have made. However, taxes are beneficial because they make it possible for the government to provide the services that we as individuals cannot provide for ourselves, such as a military or a justice system. So what must be determined is: Are the taxpayers getting their money's worth from their tax dollars? The answer is no. The American government is awash with special programs that only benefit small numbers of people and loopholes that politicians make for their allies. The average taxpayer is not getting from the government anything near to what the taxpayer is putting in. By halting the rise of tax rates now, the CP believes that the process of tax reduction can begin.

The United States government needs to be reduced in size, not merely reduced in growth as the Republicans and the Democrats have accomplished. This means getting rid of the red tape and pet programs indiscriminately. The CP supports reducing the size of the federal government over time to what is provided for under the Constitution, with all the money saved going directly back to the taxpayers via tax cuts.

The Constitutionalist Party opposes taxation that is discriminatory on any basis.

The Constitutionalist Party advocates the following:

The reduction of income taxes and the elimination of at least one tax bracket.
Any and all corporate exemptions and loopholes should be gradually eliminated for every tax.
Taxes on real property should be gradually reduced and eliminated, since such a tax makes it appear that the State actually owns everything and that individuals must pay rent of some sort in order to use the property.
Capital Gains should be cut in half as soon as possible, and the CP supports eventually eliminating the tax altogether.
In addition to the tax caps, the CP supports an Amendment to the Constitution requiring a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress in order to pass a tax rate increase.
The marriage tax penalty should be eliminated, as well as the estate/inheritance tax.

24. Term Limits

The Constitutionalist Party realizes the damage caused to the American political system by careerist politics, but does not believe that the solution lies in the institution of term limits. The tendency of our politicians today to put their re-election ahead of the Constitution and human freedom is all too obvious, and the results are patently clear. While term limits would certainly put an end to careerism for the most part, it is not the best solution, nor does it meet the constitutional requirements for legality without an Amendment, according to the Supreme Court (see U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton). What is causing careerism in politics is the power and advantage that comes with the office, and the Constitution clearly does not bequeath much of the power to the federal government that it exercises now. If America were to return to following the Constitution properly, the incentive for careerism would be blunted. While this is certainly not the most expedient option, it is the better one legally and in the long run.

25. Trade Barriers

The Constitutionalist Party advocates a reduction of trade barriers to the level where the barriers only compensate for the differences in wage overhead between the United States and other countries. One thing the minimum wage laws have done, as well as our booming economy, is make the overhead cost of American workers much higher than that of other countries with smaller economies that pay lower wages. Other than to compensate for this difference, America is only catering to special interests and political allies when it imposes other trade barriers upon the imports from other countries. In addition, the act of raising trade barriers usually is met with similar trade barriers from the other countries, which results in losses in our exports to compensate for our gains from the barriers. Our government should stay out of the politics of using trade barriers to support American businesses and instead be seeking to generate a level field by which competition and the capitalist market makes the companies stronger and the quality of the goods and services produced better.

The Constitutionalist Party advocates relaxing antidumping regulations.

The Constitutionalist Party supports continued participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO is little more than a formal institution by which nations can conduct trade negotiations. It has no power to punish countries that refuse to lower trade barriers or create more. The WTO provides an open forum and third-party arbitration of grievances, and encourages free trade practices.

26. United Nations

The Constitutionalist Party supports the withdrawal of the United States from the United Nations should that body further endanger national sovereignity. The CP sees no need for America to reduce its sovereignty for any reason, whether to allow taxpayer-funded items to be at the disposal of foreign countries or to allow a foreign country to direct American troops or otherwise. The United Nations may very well be a useful tool to ensure peace amongst the nations of the world, but it runs against the nature of America to subject any part of its sovereignty to foreign interests. For the time being, it is helpful for the United States to try and guide the United Nations away from policies that might infringe upon the soveriegnity of nations.

The Constitutionalist Party opposes the creation of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC would allow other nations to enforce their popular laws upon the United States, and is therefore unacceptable.

27. Public Utilities

The Constitutionalist Party sees no purpose in continuing the government monopoly over public utilities and advocates the introduction of private enterprise into the industries to promote competition, thereby improving the quality of service. The utilities concerned include garbage collection, fire protection, electricity, natural gas, telephone, water supplies and so forth. The CP also recognizes that the problems caused by California's energy plan were not a result of deregulation, since the state didn't actually deregulate its electricity industry in the first place. Instead, the state sought to create a toy market with unrealistic boundaries set by government control, setting in motion an eventual economic meltdown.