Infographic: A Side-by-Side Comparison of the 4 Largest Parties

image
Published: 16 Aug, 2016
1 min read

The 2016 election has quickly turned into more than a two-person race as a growing segment of the electorate is looking outside the major parties to viable alternative options. This year, increased interest has propelled Libertarian Gary Johnson near the polling threshold required to appear alongside Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump in the presidential debates, and is helping Green Party candidate Jill Stein gain ballot access in most states.

But as Johnson and Stein rise in popularity, not much is reported on where their respective parties stand on the biggest issues facing voters and the country, or how they compare to each other and the major parties. Here is a breakdown of where the 4 biggest political parties in the U.S. stand on 9 major issues, including jobs, terrorism, immigration, trade, healthcare, drugs, taxes, the environment, and public safety:

Editor's note: The infographic and article were created with the help of IVN intern Marisa Gomez.

You Might Also Like

Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
The latest Independent Voter Podcast episode takes listeners through the messy intersections of politics, reform, and public perception. Chad and Cara open with the irony of partisan outrage over trivial issues like a White House ballroom while overlooking the deeper dysfunctions in our democracy. From California to Maine, they unpack how the very words on a ballot can tilt entire elections and how both major parties manipulate language and process to maintain power....
30 Oct, 2025
-
1 min read
California Prop 50 gets an F
Princeton Gerrymandering Project Gives California Prop 50 an 'F'
The special election for California Prop 50 wraps up November 4 and recent polling shows the odds strongly favor its passage. The measure suspends the state’s independent congressional map for a legislative gerrymander that Princeton grades as one of the worst in the nation....
30 Oct, 2025
-
3 min read
bucking party on gerrymandering
5 Politicians Bucking Their Party on Gerrymandering
Across the country, both parties are weighing whether to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Virginia are all in various stages of the action. Here are five politicians who have declined to support redistricting efforts promoted by their own parties....
31 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read