Principles & Positions Summary

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2024-26 Impact on Issues: A Guide to Public Policy Positions of the League of Women Voters *

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The League of Women Voters believes in representative government and in the individual liberties established in the Constitution of the United States.

The League of Women Voters of the United States believes that all powers of the US government should be exercised within the constitutional framework of a balance among the three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial.

The League of Women Voters believes that democratic government depends upon informed and active participation in government and requires that governmental bodies protect the citizen’s right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings, and making public records accessible.

The League of Women Voters believes every citizen should be protected in the right to vote; every person should have access to free public education that provides equal opportunity for all; and no person or group should suffer legal, economic, or administrative discrimination.

The League of Women Voters believes efficient and economical government requires competent personnel, the clear assignment of responsibility, adequate financing, and coordination among the different agencies and levels of government.

The League of Women Voters believes responsible government should be responsive to the will of the people; government should maintain an equitable and flexible system of taxation, promote the conservation and development of natural resources in the public interest, share in the solution of economic and social problems that affect the general welfare, promote a sound economy, and adopt domestic policies that facilitate the solution of international problems.

The League of Women Voters believes cooperation with other nations is essential in the search for solutions to world problems and that development of international organizations and international laws is imperative in the promotion of world peace.

The Principles are “concepts of government” to which the League subscribes. They are a descendant of the Platform which served from 1942 to 1956 as the national repository for “principles supported and positions taken by the League as a whole in fields of government to which it has given sustained attention.” Since then, the Principles have served two functions, according to the LWVUS Bylaws:

• Authorization for adoption of national, state, and local programs (Article XII)
• A basis for taking action at the national, state, and local levels (Article XII)

The national board suggests that any action on the Principles be taken in conjunction with current League positions to which they apply and on which member agreement and understanding are known to exist. The Principles are rather broad when standing alone, so it is necessary to exercise caution when considering using them as a basis for action.

Summary of Public Policy Positions

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Citizen’s Right to Vote. Protect the right of all citizens to vote and encourage all citizens to vote.
DC Self-Government and Full Voting Representation. Secure for the citizens of the District of Columbia the rights of self-government and full voting representation in both houses of Congress.

Apportionment. Support apportionment of congressional districts and elected legislative bodies at all levels of government based substantially on population.
Redistricting. Support redistricting processes and enforceable standards that promote fair and effective representation at all levels of government with maximum opportunity for public participation.
Money in Politics (formerly Campaign Finance). Support campaign finance/MIP regulations that enhance political equality for all citizens, ensure transparency, protect representative democracy from distortion by undisclosed contributions and big money, and combat corruption and undue influence in government. Support campaign spending that is restricted but not banned. Support public financing, full disclosure, abolishing Super PACs, and creating an effective enforcement agency.
Selection of the President. Promote the election of the President and Vice President by direct popular vote. Support uniform national voting qualifications and procedures for presidential elections. Support efforts to provide voters with sufficient information about candidates.
Voter Representation/Electoral Systems. Support electoral systems at each level of government that encourage participation, are verifiable and auditable, and enhance representation for all voters.

Citizen’s Right to Know/Citizen Participation. Protect the citizen’s right to know and facilitate informed understanding and public participation in government decision-making.
Individual Liberties. Oppose major threats to basic constitutional rights.
Public Policy on Reproductive Choices. Protect the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make
reproductive choices.

Constitutional Amendment Proposals. Consider whether a proposal addresses matters of abiding importance, makes our political system more democratic, protects individual rights, could be achieved by a constitutional amendment or legislative proposal, and is consistent with other League positions.
Constitutional Conventions. Hold constitutional conventions only when certain conditions are in place, including, but not limited to, a specific topic, full transparency, delegates selected by population, and voting by delegates not by states.

Congress. Support responsive legislative processes characterized by accountability, representativeness, decision making capability, effective performance, and transparency.
The Presidency. Promote a dynamic balance of power between the executive and legislative branches within the framework set by the Constitution.

Ensure transparency, accountability, positive community impact, and preservation of the common good when considering the transfer of governmental services, assets, and/or functions to the private sector.

Ensure high-speed, affordable internet access is readily available to all US residents and businesses.

Support credible and ethical journalism as essential to our democracy.

Promote peace in an interdependent world by working cooperatively with other nations and strengthening international organizations.

Support a strong, effective United Nations to promote international peace and security and to address the social, economic, and humanitarian needs of all people.

Support US trade policies that reduce trade barriers; expand international trade; and advance the achievement of humanitarian, environmental, and social goals.

Promote US policies that meet long-term social and economic needs of developing countries.

Reduce the risk of war through support of arms control measures.

Work to limit reliance on military force. Examine defense spending in the context of total national needs.

Promote an environment beneficial to life through the protection and wise management of natural resources in the public interest.

Promote the management of natural resources as interrelated parts of life-supporting ecosystems. Promote resource conservation, stewardship, and long-range planning, with the responsibility for managing natural resources shared by all levels of government. Preserve the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the ecosystem with maximum protection of public health and the environment.

Support the preservation of the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the ecosystem and maximum protection of public health and the environment.
Air Quality. Promote measures to reduce pollution from mobile and stationary sources.
Energy. Support environmentally sound policies that reduce energy growth rates, emphasize energy conservation, and encourage the use of renewable resources.
Land Use. Promote policies that manage land as a finite resource and that incorporate principles of stewardship.
Water Resources. Support measures to reduce pollution in order to protect surface water, groundwater, and drinking water, and set up a process to evaluate inter-basin water transfers.
Waste Management. Promote policies to reduce the generation of solid and hazardous wastes and promote their reuse and recycling.
Nuclear Issues. Promote the maximum protection of public health, safety, and the environment while encouraging citizen participation in the decision-making process.

Promote policies that keep federal public lands under the jurisdiction of the federal government.

Support climate goals and policies that are consistent with the best available climate science and that will ensure a stable climate system for future generations.

Promote public understanding and cooperation in decision-making as essential elements of responsible and responsive management of our natural resources.

Support environmentally sound farm practices and increase reliance on the free market while promoting adequate supplies of food at reasonable prices and regulations to all animal and aquaculture production. Enforce federal antitrust laws to ensure competitive agricultural markets and provide financial support to subsidize agriculture in specific instances. Support the federal government’s funding of basic agricultural research to ensure adequate safety of our food supply.

Secure equal rights and equal opportunity for all. Promote social and economic justice and the health and safety of all Americans.

Support a criminal justice system that is just, effective, equitable, transparent, and that fosters public trust at all stages, including policing practices, pre-trial procedures, sentencing, incarceration, and re-entry.

Promote self-sufficiency for individuals and families and that the most effective social programs are those designed to prevent or reduce poverty.

Equal Rights. Support ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and efforts to bring laws into compliance with the goals of the ERA. Support equal rights for all under state and federal law regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability.
Education, Employment, and Housing. Support equal access to education, employment, and housing.
Federal Role in Public Education. Support federal policies that provide an equitable, quality public education for all children from pre-K through grade 12.

Provide for adequate and flexible funding of federal government programs.

Federal Deficit. Promote responsible deficit policies.
Funding of Entitlements. Support a federal role in providing mandatory, universal, old-age, survivors, disability, and health insurance.
Tax Policy. Support adequate and flexible funding of federal government programs through an equitable tax system that is progressive overall and that relies primarily on a broad-based income tax.

Promote a health care system for the United States that provides affordable access to a basic level of quality care for all US residents, including behavioral health that is integrated with and achieves parity with the physical health care system.

Promote reunification of immediate families; meet the economic, business, and employment needs of the United States; be responsive to those facing political persecution or humanitarian crises; and provide for student visas. Ensure fair treatment under the law for all persons. In transition to a reformed system, support provisions for individuals already living in the country without legal permission to earn legal status.

Support programs and policies to prevent or reduce poverty and to promote self-sufficiency for individuals and families.

Income Assistance. Support income assistance programs, based on need, that provide decent, adequate standards for food, clothing, and shelter.
Support Services. Provide essential support services.
Housing. Support policies to provide a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family.

Support programs and policies to expand the supply of affordable, quality child care for all who need it.

Support policies and programs that promote the well-being, development, and safety of all children.

Support violence prevention programs in communities.

Protect the health and safety of citizens through limiting the accessibility and regulating the ownership of handguns and semi-automatic weapons. Support regulation of firearms for consumer safety.

Promote the economic health of cities and improve the quality of urban life.

Support abolition of the death penalty.

Support the exploration and use of alternatives to imprisonment, considering the circumstances and nature of the crime. Oppose mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses.

Oppose all forms of domestic and international human trafficking of adults and children, including sex trafficking and labor trafficking.

Whatever the issue, the League believes that efficient and economical government requires competent personnel, the clear assignment of responsibilities, adequate financing, coordination among levels of government, effective enforcement, and well-defined channels for citizen input and review.