# Political positions of the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primary candidates

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This page describes the stances held by Democratic candidates in the 2020 United States presidential election on a variety of policy issues (e. g., domestic and foreign issues). Only candidates still in the race during the 2020 Iowa caucuses are included.

## Domestic policy
### Education

| Candidate | Tuition-free public college | Debt relief for student loans | Affirmative action | Universal child care | Universal pre-kindergarten | Increase funding for primary and secondary public education |
| Michael Bennet | Partial | No | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Joe Biden | Partial | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mike Bloomberg | Partial | ? | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
| Pete Buttigieg | Partial | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tulsi Gabbard | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Amy Klobuchar | Partial | Partial | ? | Yes | ? | ? |
| Deval Patrick | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bernie Sanders | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tom Steyer | Partial | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Elizabeth Warren | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Andrew Yang | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
* ↑ Supports "debt-free 4-year college", and free community college
* ↑ Biden supports tuition-free community college and tuition-free four-year college for families with income below $125,000.
* ↑ Supports debt forgiveness for teachers and other educators through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
* ↑ Supports tuition-free college for the "lowest-income students", and two-year public college tuition-free
* ↑ Supports tuition-free college for "lower" and "middle-income families"
* 1 2 3 Supports tuition-free community college
* ↑ Supports tuition-free or "nearly free" community college

### Environmental issues

| Candidate | Green New Deal | No Fossil Fuel Money pledge | Nuclear power to reduce emissions | Carbon tax | Paris Agreement | Ban fracking | Ban offshore drilling | Declare climate change a national emergency | End Fossil Fuel Extraction on Federal Land | End Fossil Fuel Subsidies |
| Michael Bennet | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | No | Partial | No | ? | ? |
| Joe Biden | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mike Bloomberg | No | Yes | Open | Yes | Yes | No | No | ? | ? | ? |
| Pete Buttigieg | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Tulsi Gabbard | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Amy Klobuchar | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | Yes | No | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deval Patrick | ? | No | Yes | ? | Yes | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Bernie Sanders | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tom Steyer | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? |
| Elizabeth Warren | Yes | Yes | Unclear | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Andrew Yang | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
* ↑ Opposed to new offshore drilling operations
* 1 2 Pushes the decarbonization deadline out two decades from 2030 to 2050
* ↑ Will pursue an international ban of offshore drilling in the Arctic
* ↑ Under certain conditions
* ↑ Seen as a Temporary Solution

### Gun control

| Candidate | Universal background checks | Ban assault weapons | Gun buyback | Require gun license |
| Michael Bennet | Yes | Yes | Voluntary | No |
| Joe Biden | Yes | Yes | Voluntary | Partial |
| Mike Bloomberg | Yes | Yes | Voluntary | Yes |
| Pete Buttigieg | Yes | Yes | Voluntary | Yes |
| Tulsi Gabbard | Yes | Yes | Unclear | Unclear |
| Amy Klobuchar | Yes | Yes | Voluntary | Unclear |
| Deval Patrick | Yes | Yes | Voluntary | Yes |
| Bernie Sanders | Yes | Yes | Voluntary | Partial |
| Tom Steyer | Yes | Yes | Voluntary | Yes |
| Elizabeth Warren | Yes | Yes | Voluntary | Yes |
| Andrew Yang | Yes | Yes | Voluntary | Yes |
* ↑ Only for assault weapons

### Health care

| Candidate | Support single-payer health care system | Support public health insurance option | Eliminate private health insurance | Import prescription drugs from Canada |
| Michael Bennet | No | Yes | No | No |
| Joe Biden | No | Yes | No | ? |
| Mike Bloomberg | No | Yes | No | Open |
| Pete Buttigieg | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Tulsi Gabbard | Yes | ? | No | Yes |
| Amy Klobuchar | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Deval Patrick | No | Yes | No | ? |
| Bernie Sanders | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Tom Steyer | Yes | ? | No | ? |
| Elizabeth Warren | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Andrew Yang | No | Yes | No | Partial |

### Immigration and border security

| Candidate | Proposed Mexico–United States border wall | Trump travel ban | Support DACA | Allow more visa workers | Demilitarize Mexico–US border | Invest in ports of entry | Abolish ICE | Decriminalize illegal immigration |
| Michael Bennet | No | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | No | No |
| Joe Biden | No | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | No | No |
| Mike Bloomberg | No | No | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | ? | ? |
| Pete Buttigieg | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | No | Yes |
| Tulsi Gabbard | No | No | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | No | ? |
| Amy Klobuchar | No | No | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | No | ? |
| Deval Patrick | No | ? | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | No | ? |
| Bernie Sanders | No | No | Yes | ? | /> | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tom Steyer | No | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Elizabeth Warren | No | No | Yes | ? | ? | ? | No | Yes |
| Andrew Yang | No | ? | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | No | Limited |
* ↑ Legal mechanisms, provided by the Immigration and Nationality Act, should remain to combat drug and human trafficking. Other cases would not be criminally prosecuted.

### Technology

| Candidate | Reinstate net neutrality | Treat private data as personal property | CASE Act |
| Michael Bennet | Yes | ? | No |
| Joe Biden | Yes | ? | ? |
| Mike Bloomberg | ? | ? | ? |
| Pete Buttigieg | Yes | ? | ? |
| Tulsi Gabbard | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Amy Klobuchar | Yes | ? | No |
| Deval Patrick | ? | ? | ? |
| Bernie Sanders | Yes | ? | No |
| Tom Steyer | Yes | ? | ? |
| Elizabeth Warren | Yes | ? | No |
| Andrew Yang | Yes | Yes | ? |

## Economy
### Economics

| Candidate | Estate tax | Postal banking | Reparations for slavery | Wealth tax | Breaking up the largest banks | Support NAFTA |
| Michael Bennet | Yes | ? | ? | ? | No | ? |
| Joe Biden | Yes | ? | Partial | No | ? | Yes |
| Mike Bloomberg | ? | ? | ? | Yes | ? | Yes |
| Pete Buttigieg | Yes | ? | Partial | Yes | ? | No |
| Tulsi Gabbard | Yes | ? | Yes | ? | Yes | No |
| Amy Klobuchar | Yes | ? | Partial | ? | ? | ? |
| Deval Patrick | Yes | ? | ? | No | ? | ? |
| Bernie Sanders | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | No |
| Tom Steyer | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | ? | ? |
| Elizabeth Warren | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Andrew Yang | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | ? | ? |
* ↑ Supports a commission that determines what form reparations could take
* ↑ Proposed a 5% surtax on incomes over $5 million per annum, but said that Warren's plan was potentially unconstitutional, and compared it to Venezuelan socialism
* 1 2 3 Supports H.R. 40

### Labor and welfare issues

| Candidate | Raise minimum wage | Basic income | Paid family leave | Paid sick leave | Limit right-to-work laws | Job guarantee |
| Michael Bennet | $12 | ? | Yes | Yes | ? | ? |
| Joe Biden | $15 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Mike Bloomberg | $15 | ? | Yes | Yes | ? | ? |
| Pete Buttigieg | $15 | Partial | Yes | ? | Yes | ? |
| Tulsi Gabbard | $15 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Amy Klobuchar | $15 | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Deval Patrick | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | ? | ? |
| Bernie Sanders | $15 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tom Steyer | $22 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Elizabeth Warren | $15 | Open | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Andrew Yang | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | No |
* ↑ Supports the federal minimum wage being $12, and a $15 minimum wage being implemented in "high-cost cities"
* ↑ Pushes for a Basic Income, as opposed to a livable wage, although Yang states that whether states should increase minimum wage or not depends on economy and budget

## Foreign policy and national security
### Foreign policy

| Candidate | Pardon Julian Assange | Rejoin the Iran nuclear deal | Recognize Juan Guaidó as interim President of Venezuela | Two-state solution for the Israeli–Palestinian conflict | Leveraging aid to Israel | Use tariffs against China | Meet directly with North Korea's Kim Jong-un | Resume diplomatic relations with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad |
| Michael Bennet | No | Yes | ? | ? | ? | No | Partial | ? |
| Joe Biden | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Unclear | Partial | Unclear |
| Mike Bloomberg | ? | Yes | ? | ? | No | ? | ? | ? |
| Pete Buttigieg | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Partial | No |
| Tulsi Gabbard | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | ? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Amy Klobuchar | No | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes | Partial | ? |
| Deval Patrick | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Bernie Sanders | Unclear | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open |
| Tom Steyer | No | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | No |
| Elizabeth Warren | No | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes | Partial | No |
| Andrew Yang | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Temporary | Yes | Open |
* 1 2 3 4 5 Only with preconditions
* ↑ Criticized the JCPOA, but also criticized Trump's withdrawal. Says he would "re-enter the deal with no new preconditions". Spokesman adds that he would "re-establish the coalition" that imposed sanctions and negotiated the JCPOA, insist that "Iran must come back into compliance with the JCPOA requirements", and "also be ready to address other inadequacies in the deal"
* ↑ Has called for "international and regional cooperation for free elections in Venezuela"
* ↑ "Assad has got to go"
* ↑ Tariffs will not be repealed immediately until a deal is made with China

### Defense

| Candidate | Withdraw troops from Afghanistan | Intervention in Syria | Military Intervention in Venezuela | Intervention in Yemen | Defend Taiwan | Drone strikes | Decrease the annual military budget |
| Michael Bennet | By end of 1st term | ? | ? | No | ? | ? | No |
| Joe Biden | By end of 1st term | Yes | No | No | ? | Yes | No |
| Mike Bloomberg | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Pete Buttigieg | 1st year | Yes | No | No | ? | ? | No |
| Tulsi Gabbard | 1st year | No | No | No | ? | Limited | Yes |
| Amy Klobuchar | By end of 1st term | Yes | ? | No | ? | ? | Yes |
| Deval Patrick | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Bernie Sanders | By end of 1st term | No | No | No | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| Tom Steyer | ? | ? | ? | No | ? | ? | Yes |
| Elizabeth Warren | By end of 1st term | Unclear | No | No | ? | ? | Yes |
| Andrew Yang | By end of 1st term | ? | No | No | ? | ? | Yes |

## Government
### Electoral and institutional reform

| Candidate | Abolish the Electoral College | Abolish the filibuster | Adoption of IRV/RCV | Ban voter ID laws | D. C. statehood | Puerto Rico statehood | End felony disenfranchisement after imprisonment | Expand / reform Supreme Court | Make Election Day a federal holiday | Lower voting age to 16 |
| Michael Bennet | Yes | No | ? | ? | Yes | Open | Yes | No | ? | ? |
| Joe Biden | No | No | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | ? | ? |
| Mike Bloomberg | ? | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Pete Buttigieg | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Tulsi Gabbard | Open | Open | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | ? |
| Amy Klobuchar | Open | Open | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | ? |
| Deval Patrick | Yes | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Bernie Sanders | Yes | Open | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open |
| Tom Steyer | ? | Yes | ? | ? | ? | ? | Yes | ? | ? | ? |
| Elizabeth Warren | Yes | Yes | Open | ? | Yes | Open | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Andrew Yang | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
* ↑ Supports electoral college reform
* ↑ Supports a process of self-determination where Puerto Ricans decide the nature of their relationship with the US
* ↑ Impose term limits for Supreme Court justices, opposed to expanding the number of justices
* ↑ Impose term limits for Supreme Court justices

### Campaign finance

| Candidate | No corporate PAC donations | Overturn Citizens United | Publicly funded elections | Democracy vouchers | We the People Amendment | Fundraising from billionaires? |
| Michael Bennet | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Joe Biden | No | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | Yes |
| Mike Bloomberg | Yes | ? | ? | ? | ? | Yes |
| Pete Buttigieg | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | Yes |
| Tulsi Gabbard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Amy Klobuchar | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | ? |
| Deval Patrick | No | Yes | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Bernie Sanders | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Tom Steyer | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Elizabeth Warren | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | Partial |
| Andrew Yang | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? |
* ↑ Self-funding campaign
* ↑ Accepts contributions from billionaires, does not hold high-dollar fundraisers

## Social issues
### Abortion

| Candidate | Support right to abortion | Contraceptive mandate | Fund Planned Parenthood | Retain Hyde Amendment |
| Michael Bennet | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Joe Biden | Yes | ? | Yes | No |
| Mike Bloomberg | Yes | ? | Yes | No |
| Pete Buttigieg | Yes | ? | Yes | No |
| Tulsi Gabbard | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Amy Klobuchar | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Deval Patrick | Yes | ? | Yes | ? |
| Bernie Sanders | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Tom Steyer | Yes | ? | ? | ? |
| Elizabeth Warren | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Andrew Yang | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
* ↑ Biden formally declared his support for the Hyde amendment, before later dropping his support following controversy

### Criminal justice

| Candidate | Legalize and regulate all illicit drugs | End capital punishment | Legalization of marijuana | Expunging cannabis conviction records | End cash bail | Abolish private prisons | End mandatory minimum sentencing for non-violent drug offenses | Job placement services for released offenders | Decriminalization of prostitution |
| Michael Bennet | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | ? | Yes | ? | ? |
| Joe Biden | No | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Mike Bloomberg | No | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | ? | No |
| Pete Buttigieg | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? |
| Tulsi Gabbard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes |
| Amy Klobuchar | No | Yes | Partial | ? | Partial | ? | Partial | ? | No |
| Deval Patrick | No | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | ? | ? |
| Bernie Sanders | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Open |
| Tom Steyer | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Elizabeth Warren | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | ? | Open |
| Andrew Yang | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | ? | ? | Partial |
* ↑ Supports decriminalization at federal level, rescheduling marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II, and allowing "states to continue to make their own choices regarding legalization".
* ↑ Wants to decriminalize the use and possession of marijuana nationwide
* ↑ Endorses simply decriminalizing possession of all drugs
* ↑ Supports legalization at the federal level, but believes states should decide at the state level
* ↑ Supports decriminalizing opioids; funding safe consumption sites for illegal drugs; and making psychedelic mushrooms "more freely available"
* ↑ Wants to reduce the use of cash bail

### LGBT+ issues

| Candidate | Equality Act | Same-sex marriage | Transgender military service |
| Michael Bennet | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Joe Biden | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mike Bloomberg | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pete Buttigieg | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tulsi Gabbard | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Amy Klobuchar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deval Patrick | ? | Yes | ? |
| Bernie Sanders | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tom Steyer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Elizabeth Warren | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Andrew Yang | Yes | Yes | Yes |

## Candidate Solidarity
### Pledge to support eventual nominee

Candidates have been encouraged by organisations, namely Indivisible Project and Individual Action, to take a pledge of unity, known as "We Are Indivisible". This means supporting the eventual Democratic nominee, should the candidate's own nomination be unsuccessful. The stance of each candidate is stated as follows:
| Candidate | Took the pledge |
| Michael Bennet | Yes |
| Joe Biden | Yes |
| Mike Bloomberg | Yes |
| Pete Buttigieg | Yes |
| Tulsi Gabbard | No |
| Amy Klobuchar | Yes |
| Deval Patrick | No |
| Bernie Sanders | Yes |
| Tom Steyer | Yes |
| Elizabeth Warren | Yes |
| Andrew Yang | Yes |