- Abortion issues: Government should neither fund nor ban abortion. NLP (Natural Law Party) will support education to prevent need for abortion. "The moral responsibility for this decision should not be that of the Federal government." States should have the right to impose waiting periods and /or notification requirements. Abortion should be funded privately only, except in cases of rape, incest, and life-threatening situations.
- Affirmative action: The NLP believes AA is a "necessary evil." but doesn't approve of quotas. Equal opportunity, not equal outcomes. "Laws alone will never end discrimination. For this reason, the Natural Law Party will support the establishment of 'coherence-creating groups' of experts in the Transcendental Meditation program, shown by extensive scientific research to reduce social stress and promote harmony in society and thereby increase tolerance."
- Campaign finance: Supports campaign finance reform. "I will promote crucial democratic reform, including
(1) public sponsorship of election campaigns,
(2) elimination of PACs and 'soft money', and
(3) prevention of lobbying by former public servants on behalf of domestic and foreign interests." Also would end barriers for third parties to putting their candidates on all ballots. - Crime: "I support a truly comprehensive, field-tested, scientifically proven strategy, including effective prison rehabilitation and reducing societal stress, to prevent and reduce crime." The NLP favors a strong penal code, especially for specific, highly egregious violent crimes, but the current effort to extend the death penalty to include a wide range of crimes is opposed as a desperate measure.
- Defense spending: "The Natural Law Party believes that the U.S. should not implement further
major reductions of defense expenditures at this time. "We believe
that a smaller, more flexible force coupled with greater economic and security cooperation will serve the nation's security interests and provide the basis for a more stable world. Through this peace-promoting technology, which is based upon groups of experts collectively practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program, the Natural Law Party can help to ensure a peaceful world."
- Drug policy: Would provide "proven, cost-effective drug rehabilitation programs on a wide scale to end drug abuse." Favors prevention through education to reduce desire and demand for drugs, but is opposed to legalization of drugs.
- Homosexual issues: Said in regard to gay rights: "The NLP supports legislation to protect all minorities." They do not support legislation for or against gay marriage.
- Education money: Supports school choice. "Implement programs that provide parents with vouchers to send their children to any participating school, public, private or religious."
- Environment: "I am committed to increasing both energy efficiency and the use of renewable, safe, and nonpolluting energy sources, such as wind, solar, and biomass. This approach will protect our environment, create energy self-sufficiency, and add to the economic prosperity of the nation."
- Evolution: position not known
- Foreign policy: Interventionist. "Two thirds of U.S. foreign aid is military aid. I would create an immediate shift away from the export of weapons—toward a more life-supporting policy based on the export of U.S. know-how."
- Gun control: The NLP favors the current level of gun control. When coherence is established and stress is eliminated in the U.S., the misuse of firearms will decline.
- Health care: Provide vouchers to the working poor so they can buy into a private health care plan. Supports market-based solutions; health education to prevent disease and promote health, and thereby reduce medical costs by 50%.
- Moral issues: The NLP does not support legislating morality, but believes their educational and stress-reducing programs would lead to greater morality.
- Social security: We recommend privatization of one half of the Social Security system. Under our plan, the workers' personal contributions to Social Security payroll taxes (approximately 50%) would be privatized -- placed in mandatory retirement investment accounts that the workers themselves control. Each worker would thus have his or her own personal retirement account, which could include both private sector investments (e.g., stocks and bonds) and government securities.
- Tax policy: Supports replacing the US income tax structure with a national sales tax. Proposes a flat tax that would start at 19% and gradually decrease to 10% by 2001. "The most powerful fiscal action our government can take to stimulate the economy is to lower taxes. I will cut taxes deeply—and responsibly—without adding to the deficit or cutting essential services... Through my cost-effective solutions to crime, spiraling health costs, and other social problems, I can save the nation hundreds of billions of dollars annually."
- Trade issues: Protectionist. Supports imposing tariffs on products imported from nations that maintain trade barriers that restrict the importation of American products. Support lifting the trade embargo imposed against Cuba. Support NAFTA and supports extending NAFTA into other western hemisphere countries. Favors trade to increase markets for US goods and to stimulate competition.
- John Hagelin is making his second run for president as the nominee of the Natural Law Party, whose goal is 'to bring the light of science into politics. Hagelin also is one of two Reform Party nominees. Hagelin, a physicist, is the author of more than 60 scientific articles and headed a doctoral program in physics at Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa, until he took a leave to run for the White House. Hagelin, who is on the ballot in 45 states, would try to apply the laws of science to the world of politics and public policy. He advocates what he calls 'conflict-free politics,' and a key ingredient in many of his policy proposals is Transcendental Meditation." -- http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/candidates/velection/hagelin.shtml
- Nat Goldhaber, an Internet entrepreneur, is the vice presidential nominee of the fractured Reform Party.
Goldhaber sold his Internet marketing company, Cybergold, to devote himself to politics. Regarding the funding of Hagelin's campaign, Goldhaber, 52, said, "I'll do whatever it takes."
"I'm tired of taking Greyhound buses," Hagelin said. "I'm pleased that my running mate has two planes. One will be painted as Air Force One and one will be painted as Air Force Two."
Goldhaber explained "What makes me qualified is that I'm not beholden to a whole list of special interests," he said. "What makes me qualified is that I'm not qualified."
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