Parties’ Platforms Provide Window Into Basic Beliefs

If you think the federal government should stay out of schools, partial-birth abortions should be banned and taxes should be “simpler and fairer,” you would probably support Republicans this year.

If you think the United States should stay in the United Nations, the government should stay away from abortion laws and taxes should be “progressive,” you would probably support Democrats this year.

That’s based on a comparison of the platforms for the Washington state Republican and Democratic parties, which were approved last weekend at party conventions.

Platforms offer detailed looks at a party’s basic beliefs. The amount of detail varies from year to year, and in 1996 the Democrats opted for short and sweet: Their platform fills two sides of a standard sheet of paper.

The Republicans’ platform is longer - about seven pages, including its preamble and section headings such as Economic Opportunity, Crime, Education and Family.

Sometimes, they sound remarkably similar.

“Democrats work for waste-free, efficient and responsive government and sound fiscal policies,” says one party’s platform.

“Republicans believe that government must practice fiscal responsibility and allow individuals to keep more of what they have,” says the other platform.

“Democrats believe that citizens - not government - are the proper custodians of our moral and spiritual beliefs and personal choices,” their platform says before discussing abortion.

“Republicans believe that the strength of our nation lies with the individual and that each person’s dignity, freedom, ability and responsibility must be honored. Government interference tends to reduce individual freedom,” their platform says before discussing education.

Republicans are much more specific on nearly every count. They list many changes they want to make in the current school system, while Democrats come out strongly in favor of “high-quality education.”

Republicans detail many items they want to change about health care, voice support for gun rights and offer specific changes for the welfare system. Democrats are largely silent on those points.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Where they stand

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Platforms on-line Platforms are often forgotten by party regulars and ignored by candidates shortly after the convention adjourns. They usually gather dust in party offices and may never be read by the average voter. This year, however, Virtually Northwest, The Spokesman-Review’s computer news service, offers on-line readers a chance to compare and contrast the two parties’ platforms plank-for-plank. They can be found on the service’s cover page at http:/ /www.VirtuallyNW.com.