ELECTION '96

Clinton and Dole on the issues: (What the candidates actually endorse, without the rhetoric) The following information was compiled from the candidates' Web pages and campaign literature

Economy Clinton Dole Balanced Budget Balanced Budget by 2002 Balanced Budget by 2002 and Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution Taxes and Tax Reform $1,500/year tuition tax credit $5,000 tax credit for adoptive parents Middle-class capital gains tax break for those who sell their homes Expand Investment Retirement Accounts 15% across-the-board tax cut $500/child tax credit for families with children under 18 Reduction of capital gains tax from 28% to 14% Repeal of Social Security Benefits tax Expand Investment Retirement Accounts Minimum Wage Increase Supports Opposes

Education Clinton Dole Department of Education Keep Department of Education Abolish Department of Education and move education to the states Federal Education Loans Expand Pell Grants Expand Work-Study Programs Favors tax cuts for higher education 15% across-the-board tax cut Abolish "perverse" direct lending programs while still keeping funding School Vouchers Opposes Supports Goals 2000 Supports Opposes

Crime and Drug Policy Clinton Dole Assault Weapons Ban Supports Opposes Handgun Control Supports expanding the Brady Bill to keep domestic violence offenders from buying guns Ban the manufacture of "cop killer" bullets Proposes a National Instant Check system to monitor handgun purchases Double funding for new prisons Sentencing Laws Favors "Three Strikes" laws Seeks to abolish parole for violent offenders Drug Policy Supports "zero tolerance" laws for schools Would use presidency as a "bully pulpit" for a "just say no" campaign

Foreign Policy and National Defense Clinton Dole United Nations Favors multilateral actions and further participation in the U.N. Would restrict U.N. participation; supports more unilateral actions Middle East Policy Supports U.S. involvement in Israel-Arab negotiations Opposes U.S. intervention in Israeli domestic affairs Bosnia/The Balkans Supported U.S. involvement in the Balkans Supported arming Bosnian troops over direct intervention Missile Defense Supports Test Ban Treaty Favors STARTII and other disarmament treaties Skeptical of Test Ban Treaty Favors Strategic Defense Initiative-type programs Defense Expenditures Favors small increases in defense spending Favors larger increases in defense spending

Thresher Poll ELECTION '96

Clinton has 31-point lead over Dole among Rice students

A recently conducted Thresher phone poll of 340 undergraduates at Rice shows that President Bill Clinton enjoys a commanding lead over Bob Dole, even more so than in the national polls. In addition, the poll found that nearly 50 percent of Rice undergraduates believe that the Democratic Party does a better job of representing their personal views, as opposed to one-third who believe that the Republican Party does a better job.

Results are based on a poll of 340 students conducted from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Oct. 23 and 24. Thresher members called a representative sample of each college and polled the students who answered their phones.

This item appeared in the Opinion section of the November 1, 1996 issue.

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