1. Here is a sample: 1900 oppose private monopolies 1908 prohibit the railroads from competing with their shippers 1908 protect resources in timber, coal, iron and oil against monopolistic control 1912 oppose injunctions in industrial disputes 1912 prevent gambling in agricultural products by organized exchanges 1924 pledge vigorous enforcement of existing laws against monopoly 1924 readjust and lower rail and water rates 1924 regulate by governmental agencies the anthracite coal industry 1928 opposed to a monopoly in American shipping 1928 protect products of convict labor 1932 oppose monopoly and unfair trade practices 1932 regulate Exchanges in securities and commodities 1932 regulate Holding companies which sell securities in interstate commerce 1936 protect our farmers and manufacturers against unfair competition 1948 pledge an intensive enforcement of the antitrust law Democrats during their Cooperative Federalism era adopted many platform planks that backed national government. 1952-2016: In their National Authority era, Democrats occasionally did adopt some planks coded Freedom 105 Economy, cutting back on national authority, for example: 1968 dismantle the restrictions placed on foreign investment and finance, 1972 eliminate the unfair, bureaucratic Nixon wage and price controls 1980 conduct an agency-by-agency review to make regulation less intrusive;During Cooperative Federalism from 1900 to 1948,1980
2. Full funding of legislation designed to meet the needs of children with special needs 1980 enact an adequately funded, comprehensive quality child-care program 1984 enforce use of automobile child restraints 1988 expand availability of pre-school education for children at risk 1992 enforce child support by parents 1992 support a family preservation program to reduce child and spousal abuse 1996 cut off children's access to cigarettes 2000 guarantee access to affordable health care for every child 2004 increasing child support enforcement and promoting responsible fatherhood 2016 increase investments to make quality childcare more affordable No longer content to let states alone determine how children are raised and cared for, the Democratic Party sought to set national goals and standards. Equality Planks for LGBTQ Citizens Few Americans before World War II knew that there were many lesbian women and gay men in the United States. Very few people advocated for their rights, and lesbians and gays themselves were certainly not politically prominent. Democrats adopted the first plank to end discrimination against them in 1996 and adopted eleven others by 2018. Here is the full set of twelve planks: 1996 end discrimination against gay men and lesbians 2000 end workplace discrimination against gay men and lesbians 2000 support AIDS-fighting initiatives 2008 allow qualified men and women to serve openly regardless of sexual orientation 2008 support providing Medicaid coverage to more low-income HIV-positive Americans 2008 support the repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" 2012 actively combat efforts by other nations that criminalize homosexual conduct or ignore abuse 2012 request $4 billion over three years for the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS 2012 support marriage equality and equal treatment under law for same-sex couples 2016 commit ourselves to insuring fair treatment for LGBT 2016 Democrats believe that LGBT rights are human rights 2016 fight for comprehensive federal non-discrimination protections for all LGBT Americans 97 Beginning as a political party founded on slavery and white supremacy, the Democratic Party had evolved nearly two hundred years later as a champion of social equality in virtually all aspects of life. Equality Planks for Indigenous People No Democratic planks addressed indigenous people during the party's States' Rights era, but one plank was adopted near the end of its Cooperative Federalism era: 1940 favor payment of any just claims by Indian and Eskimo citizens of Alaska Then in the party's National Authority era, these fourteen planks were adopted: 1952 advance the health, education and economic well-being of our American Indian citizens 1956 assist Indian tribes in the full development of their human and natural resources 1956 Elimination of all impediments to full citizenship for American Indians 1960 assist Indian tribes in the full development of their human and natural resources 1964 Assist our Indian people to improve their standard of living 1972 American Indians should be given the right to receive bilingual medical services 1980 advocate quality education in the Bureau of Indian Affairs 1980 ensure that tribal resources develop at a pace that preserves the existing life-style 2008 assist American Indian communities 2012 American Indian and Alaska Native tribes are sovereign self-governing communities 2016 enforce the Indian Child Welfare Act 2016 strengthen Indian voting rights, including improved access to polling locations 2016 empower Indian nations 2016 expand health care provided by the Indian Health Service 1952 502 favor legislation to perfect existing Federal civil rights statutes 1964 300 enforce the civil rights Act of 1964 1968 505 pledge effective and impartial enforcement of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts 1972 111 restore civil rights to ex-convicts after completion of their sentences 1972 302 include denial of civil rights on the basis of sex 1980 210 enforce all civil rights laws and regulations 1980 210 require the FBI and CIA observe civil rights 1980 405 amend The Fair Housing Act and Title VI of the civil rights Act to include handicapped 1980 503 strengthen Office of civil rights in the Departments of Education and HHS 1980 511 establish civil rights units at appropriate U.S. Attorneys' offices 1984 511 reaffirm the principle that government must protecting the civil rights of all citizens 1992 115 provide civil rights protection for gay men and lesbians 2004 300 restore vigorous federal enforcement of our civil rights laws 2016 205 support the CFPB in enforcing civil rights laws against discrimination in consumer lending 1952-2016 Democrats' concern about taxation spiked in their National Authority era, with 46 planks coded Freedom and 46 coded Order. Over half of the Freedom planks (25) promised tax credits, which benefit only those who owe taxes and claim the credits. Democrats often used tax credits to benefit disadvantaged groups. Here are two examples: 1972 provide tax credit not deductions for blindness, old age, poverty 2000 extend the benefit of the Earned Income Tax Credit to working families Most of the 46 Order taxation planks targeted those with higher incomes, such as these: 1972 make Social Security tax progressive, raise the ceiling on earned income 1980 promote the principle of progressive taxation 1984 limiting benefits of the third year of the Reagan tax cuts to incomes of less than $60,000 2000 end manipulative corporate tax shelters that undercut our tax system 2008 ask those making over $250,000 to pay a bit more in social Security 2012 close loopholes for the largest corporations and the highest-earning taxpayers 2016 support a financial transactions tax on Wall Street to curb excessive speculation From 1840 to 1896, Democrats had sought to limit revenue flows to the national government, keeping it from overpowering states' rights. Although levying a personal income tax was approved by constitutional amendment in 1913, relatively little was raised by that tax for two decades;Midwest Journal of Political Science,1934