· Should restrictions be put on abortion rights, and if so what should they be? · Should there be mandatory child safety locks on guns? · Should the federal government promote hiring and contracting preferences based on race and sex?

Abortion, gun control and affirmative action are all traditional "hot-button" issues in American political discourse--divisive issues, where people hold strong views and rarely compromise. Although the presidential candidates have opposing viewpoints on each of these issues, neither has gone out of his way to address them, in an attempt to avoid alienating swing voters in this close race. Instead, independent grassroots organizations, such as the NRA and Planned Parenthood, frequently have been fighting the battles for the candidates.

According to the Federal Election Commission, pro-life and pro-choice groups have contributed almost $3.5 million to the Bush and Gore campaigns, and issue advocacy groups have been running television and radio commercials in battleground states. The main concern of both groups is the likelihood that the next president will appoint as many as four new Supreme Court justices, and that the outcome of the election could decide the fate of Roe v. Wade. In September 2000, the FDA approved the drug mifepristone (known as RU 486 in France), prompting renewed debate on the abortion issue. Since 1990, abortion rates have been steadily declining. Over 1,000,000 women obtain abortions each year, although the procedure is currently available in only 14% of US counties.

Although it has been less than two years since a string of school shootings put gun control at the center of public debate. On the anniversary of the shooting at Columbine, the candidates each spoke on the issue, but otherwise guns and school violence have not been prominent issues in the campaign. Some polls show that voter concerns about crime have diminished since the 1996 election, perhaps because violent crime rates have steadily declined since 1994, reaching the lowest levels ever in 1999. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, homicides are most often committed with handguns, but the rates of gun homicides have dropped from a high of 17,075 in 1993 to 10,976 in 1998. Grassroots gun organizations on both sides of the debate have mobilized: the National Rifle Association has estimated that it is spending $15 million in the 2000 election cycle, while gun-control groups estimate their combined expenditures will total $7 million.

Despite aggressive efforts by both campaigns to reach out to racially and ethnically diverse voters, issues of race and civil rights have also remained in the background during the 2000 election. Although affirmative action was a hot political topic in the mid-1990s, it has remained a risky issue that could divide and alienate voters.

In 1995, the Clinton administration conducted a review of the current affirmative action policy, which attempts to address and compensate for the historical discrimination suffered by minorities and women, particularly in the areas of education, employment, and business development. President Clinton subsequently called for "four standards of fairness" to be applied to affirmative action programs: that they are not based on quotas; that they are not based on illegal discrimination, including reverse discrimination; that they do not show preference towards unqualified candidates; and that a program should be retired as soon as it has succeeded.

The Clinton administration's review came after the Supreme Court ruled in Adarand v. Pena that federal affirmative action programs must meet the "strict scrutiny" standards applied to state and local programs. Throughout the 1990s the Supreme Court's increasingly stringent rulings on affirmative action policies have served as a cornerstone for Republican attacks. As it is likely that the next president will appoint several Supreme Court justices, the outcome of the election could very well determine the fate of federal affirmative action programs.

In his March 1 debate with Bill Bradley, Gore described his stance on abortion: "I will defend a woman's right to choose, regardless of her economic circumstances. I will not allow Roe v. Wade to be overturned." While early in his career Gore opposed public funding for abortions, he says he abandoned this decision when he realized that it caused an "inequitable" result, with poorer women having less access to the procedure. Gore says he has always been pro-choice.  Gore represented a conservative district in Tennessee, and letters have circulated that he wrote early in his career saying "it is my deep personal conviction that abortion is wrong." He never voted against the legality of abortion.  Critics argue that Gore changed his position as he became more politically prominent nationally, but supporters reply that many conservative to moderate democrats similarly changed their views over this period, including Bill Clinton. Bush spelled out his position on abortion during the first presidential debate in Boston. "I think a noble goal for this country is that every child born and unborn ought to be protected in law and welcomed in life." He supports Texas' Parental Notification Law, which requires that parents and guardians be notified by phone or certified mail at least 48 hours before an abortion is performed on a minor, although it waives notification in cases of medical emergency.

Gore proposes several new gun restrictions, including closing the gun-show loophole, restoring a three-day waiting period for new gun purchases and limiting handgun purchases to one per month. He supports mandatory child safety trigger locks on handguns and has promoted a plan requiring states to issue photo licenses to handgun buyers. According to Gore, "I do think that sensible gun safety measures are warranted now." In 1999 he cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate to pass a bill requiring background checks on handgun purchasers at gun shows; however the bill failed to pass the House of Representatives. Bush seeks better enforcement of current gun laws. He says, "...the best way to make sure we keep our society safe and secure is to hold people accountable for breaking the law." He opposes community lawsuits against gun manufacturers and waiting periods for gun purchases. He supports child safety trigger locks and instant background checks at gun shows. In 1995, Bush overturned a 125-year-old Texas ban on carrying concealed weapons, and in 1997 he signed a bill allowing concealed handguns to be carried into amusement parks, hospitals and churches.

Gore endorses the Clinton administration's affirmative action policy. In a response to an Associated Press question about his support for affirmative action, Gore replied, "Our future as a nation depends upon whether or not we can break down the barriers that have been used to pit group against group, and bring our people together. I believe we must take extra steps to acknowledge the history of discrimination and injustice, and to bring all people into the American dream." As vice president, Gore announced $1.4 billion in Small Business Administration loan guarantees targeted towards African-American firms. Bush does not support affirmative action. In response to the same question from the Associated Press, he responded, "I support what I call 'affirmative access' - not quotas, not double standards, because these divide and balkanize, but access - a fair shot for everyone." As governor, he signed legislation that required public universities in Texas to automatically admit the top ten percent of graduates from Texas high schools.



Should restrictions be put on abortion rights, and if so what should they be?

Gore supports a woman's right to choose. However in the first presidential debate he declared that he would sign a law banning "partial-birth abortions", except for cases where the mother's health is endangered. Although Gore says he does not believe in "litmus tests" for judicial appointments, he said in the first presidential debate, "It'd be very likely that [my appointees would] uphold Roe v. Wade." He opposes attempts to restrict Medicaid funding for abortion, and supports reproductive rights for military personnel at overseas bases. · (More on Gore's views and record on abortion rights.)

Bush opposes abortion, except in cases of rape or incest, or if the mother's life is in danger. He also supports a ban on partial birth abortions, as well as parental notification for minors seeking the procedure. Bush would prohibit the use of taxpayer funds for abortions, including Medicaid, and supports reducing abortions through promotion of adoptions and abstinence education. He would not use a litmus test for his judicial nominees, and declared in the first presidential debate "...I'll put competent judges on the bench, people who will strictly interpret the Constitution and will not use the bench to write social policy." ·  (More on Bush's views on abortion rights.)

Should there be mandatory child safety locks on guns?

Gore supports mandatory safety locks as a standard feature, which he calls a "common-sense measures to protect children from guns." He would raise the minimum age for gun ownership to 21 from the current 18.

Bush prefers voluntary use of child safety locks, though he says that if Congress does pass a law making them mandatory he will sign it. He promoted a program to distribute free voluntary trigger locks on guns in Texas. Bush also supports raising the minimum age of gun ownership to 21.

Should the federal government promote hiring and contracting preferences based on race and sex?

Bush supports "affirmative access" - the idea that the government should support programs which offer opportunities to all citizens. He believes government contracts should be broken down to encourage small business growth in all communities and supports mentoring programs to promote minority-owned business opportunities. · (More on Bush and affirmative action.)

Abortions

· Source for abortion facts.

· Reports from the Alan Guttmacher Institute

· The New York Times Abortion Issue Updates (requires free registration)

Guns

· New York Times Gun Control Issue Guide (requires free registration)

· "It'll take more than a million moms"
(Salon)

· "How Quickly Can You Buy A Gun?"
(Slate)

· "The States Take the Lead on Gun Control"
(US News & World Report)

· Policy.com's comprehensive library of articles on gun control

Race

· Washington Post overview of affirmative action

· "Taking Affirmative Action Apart"
(New York Times Magazine)

· "Blacks only"
(Slate)

· "The Issue Before the Court: Who Gets Ahead in America?"
A November 1977 article by McGeorge Bundy about The Regents of the University of California v. Allan Bakke