Representatives from the College Democrats and College Republicans met ahead of the election Tuesday for a policy discussion forum, debating topics ranging from education to national security.
The forum was moderated by UW-Madison political science professors Howard Schweber and Kenneth Mayer and touched on several important issues including national security and the Middle East, education, and the economy and taxes. Each party alternated responding first with the other then given time for a
The national security portion was mostly focused on Syria and the ongoing civil war there, as well as ISIS. College Republicans favored a U.S.-led intervention with the goal of disrupting terrorism while College Democrats leaned toward NATO coalition strikes. Both sides agreed that it was important to limit Russian influence in the area, whether it was through
Significant differences were revealed between the parties during the discussion of education policy. Junior Natalie Halbrooks of the College Democrats touted Hillary Clinton’s support for universal preschool and increased access to Pell grants. Ben Miller of the College Republicans called for increased funding for charter schools and against Common Core curriculum standards.
No issue was more contentious than taxation, as both parties received significant pushback from Schweber. Junior Neil Udulutch of College Republicans repeatedly asserted that “marginal corporate tax rates are at 35 percent, the highest they’ve ever been. If we lowered this to, say, 20 percent, we could put people back to work.” Sophomore Katherine Kerwin of College Democrats maintained that by closing corporate tax loopholes, the regained revenue could fund most of Clinton’s more ambitious education programs.
Both of these statements were lambasted by Schweber as using a “magic wand” and practicing “voodoo economics.” He argued that whether liberal or conservative estimates, tax cuts must necessitate spending cuts and vice versa.
The event was mostly a cordial affair, with the parties’ speakers not interrupting each other and mostly sticking to their party’s platforms. This was especially poignant when asked by the audience about partisanship and civility. Chair of College Democrats Augie McGinnity-Wake lauded his friendships with College Republicans Chair Alex Walker, whom McGinnity-Wake claimed he “texted all the time,” and opposing panelist Junior Jake Lubenow.
Ending on that high note, both parties agreed that regardless of ideology, it was important to be involved in the political process and to vote in the upcoming election on Nov. 8.
