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Jeffrey Alan Merkley
Senate
—aligns
Pushing hardest
David Brock Smith
Senate
—aligns
Pushing hardest
Economic × Social
left ↔ right · libertarian ↕ authoritarian
Government control × Nationalism
internationalist ↔ nationalist · low ↕ high control
applies to the maps & the answers below
Everyone, question by question
Each dot is a person; ★ = an agenda issue for someone here.
Foreign Aid
Substantially increase foreign aid as a core tool for reducing global poverty and advancing humanitarian goalsSharply cut or eliminate most foreign aid and focus resources on domestic needs
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
U.S. Southern Border Security
Shift away from physical barriers and heavy patrols, investing instead in addressing migration's root causes and processing arrivals humanelyPursue maximum enforcement, including large troop deployments and sealing the border against unauthorized entry
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Legal Immigration Levels
Substantially expand legal immigration to widen lawful pathwaysCut legal immigration significantly across most categories
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Rent Control
Impose strong rent caps that tightly limit annual increases across most rental housingProhibit rent control entirely and let supply and demand set rental prices
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
U.S. Military Spending
Significantly cut defense spending and redirect funds to domestic and diplomatic prioritiesSubstantially expand defense spending to ensure clear military superiority over rivals
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Legalizing Recreational Marijuana
Fully legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana nationwide for adult useMaintain the federal ban and enforce it consistently across all states
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Death Penalty
Abolish the death penalty in all casesExpand the death penalty and speed up the appeals process to carry out sentences
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Same-Sex Marriage
Same-sex marriage is a fundamental right that should be fully protected and treated identically to other marriagesMarriage should be legally defined as a union between one man and one woman
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Affirmative Action
Such considerations should be actively used to expand diversity and remedy past discriminationRace and ethnicity should never be considered in admissions or hiring decisions
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Privatizing Veteran Healthcare
Keep all veteran care within an expanded, fully government-run VA health system and limit outside referralsShift most veteran care to the private sector, with the government primarily paying private providers
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Tariffs (General Approach)
Eliminate most tariffs to lower prices and expand free tradeApply high tariffs across the board to prioritize domestic manufacturing and economic independence
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Balancing Tax Increases vs Spending Cuts
Close gaps almost entirely by raising taxes, especially on high earners and corporations, with little to no spending reductionClose gaps almost entirely through spending cuts, while reducing taxes wherever possible
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Wealth Tax
Yes, levy a broad annual wealth tax with meaningful rates to reduce concentration of wealthNo, an annual wealth tax is unworkable and discourages saving and investment
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Government Regulation Overall
Expand regulation significantly to protect consumers, workers, and the environment.Sharply cut regulations and require strict cost-benefit limits on new rules.
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Government Secrecy vs Transparency
Default to disclosure, classifying only narrow material and declassifying aggressively over timePrioritize secrecy by default, giving agencies wide authority to withhold security-related information
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Private School Vouchers
Prohibit using public funds for private school tuition and keep money in public schoolsProvide universal vouchers or education savings accounts usable at any school
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Universal Healthcare
Establish a single, government-run health plan that covers everyone and replaces private insuranceRely on the private market and individual choice, with minimal government involvement in coverage
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Prescription Drug Prices
Have the government set or cap drug prices directly to guarantee affordabilityLeave prices to the market and rely on private negotiation to control costs
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Overall Gun Laws
Much stricter, with broad new limits on sales, ownership, and firearm typesMuch looser, treating firearm access as a strongly protected right
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Abortion (Overall)
Legal in all cases as a personal medical decisionIllegal in nearly all cases to protect unborn life
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Carbon Tax
Adopt a high, rising carbon tax to sharply cut emissions, with rebates to householdsReject any carbon tax and address emissions through innovation rather than pricing
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Climate Change (Overall)
Treat climate change as a top national emergency requiring sweeping, immediate actionMake climate change a low priority and avoid policies that restrict industry or raise costs
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Universal Basic Income
Establish a generous universal basic income large enough to cover basic living costs for everyoneOppose any basic income and rely on work, markets, and private opportunity to support people
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Federal Minimum Wage
Raise the federal minimum wage substantially and index it to rise with the cost of livingEliminate or freeze the federal minimum wage and let the market set pay
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Electoral College
Replace the Electoral College with a direct national popular votePreserve the current winner-take-all Electoral College system unchanged
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Voter ID Laws
Require no ID; allow voting on signature or affirmation of identityRequire strict government-issued photo ID for all voters with few exceptions
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Public Transportation Funding
Dramatically increase public subsidies to expand service and make transit free or nearly free for all ridersMinimize public funding and let transit operate on fares or shift to private operators
Merkley —Perkins —Smith —Wyden —
Honesty note. Every position carries a source, a confidence, and an as-of date. Answers flagged inferred are AI- or estimate-derived, came through review, and are never presented as fact. The maps, alignment, and agenda all derive from these sourced answers. The “aligns with you” number is your own weighting — not a recommendation of who to vote for.