In the Values section of We Vote, you will find 36 Values (also called "issues" or "topics"). These Values are ways of categorizing organizations (and sometimes public figures) that advocate on behalf of that Value, and we look for Values that have a dozen or more independent organizations focused on that Value. All Values within We Vote have an agenda for changing policy (a "lean" towards a particular outcome). Issue areas or values that do not have a policy direction are not used by We Vote. Our editorial team reserves the right to make judgments about which organizations are categorized within each Value.
These are the current issues, in alphabetical order, including the criteria for tagging an organization under any particular Value. Some values we have designated as being politically "left" or politically "right". We provide a Partisan Analysis here of these Values, and the organizations under these Values, election-by-election, based on the "left" and "right" designation.
| Value Name | Description | Criteria for Inclusion |
| Affordable Housing | Preserving and building housing for people with low to median incomes | Advocates for and support policies that will result in increased amounts of available affordable housing |
| Animals and Wildlife | The effects of population growth on wildlife; animal rights | Advocates for and supports policies which target the protection of endangered species or species at risk of endangerment. Promotes the well-being of all animals and respect for their lives and habitat. |
| Bicycling | Promoting bicycle infrastructure and use | |
| Climate Change | Global climate change is happening and is caused by humans | Affirms scientific data indicating the human-made causes of climate change. Supports efforts to reverse or minimize its harmful impacts on humans and the environment. |
| Common Sense Gun Reform (left) | Background checks, waiting periods and purchase restrictions on firearms | Support restrictions on conceal-carry permits, restrictions on gun ownership and use. |
| Communities of Color | How infrastructure and environmental issues are affecting communities of color | Supports the needs of communities of color which have been historically and systemically disadvantaged. |
| Conservative Values (right) | Limited government, lower taxes and traditional institutions | Advocates for and supports policies which decreases size of federal government, preserves traditional ideas of morality, promotes deregulation and embraces individual liberty. |
| Criminal Justice Reform | Reforms regarding prisons, criminal sentencing and incarceration | Supports the decriminalization of drugs, sentencing reform, and advocates for an emphasis on rehabilitation over punishment for both juveniles and adults. Could also include support for prison reform itself and abolition of private prisons. |
| Democratic Clubs (left) | Groups that gather to discuss or support the Democratic party or candidates | Organizations included embrace the Democratic Party's platform and actively seek to promote more progressive policies throughout American politics |
| Democratic Party Politicians (left) | Politicians or public figures who are part of the Democratic party | |
| Green Party Clubs (left) | Groups that gather to discuss or support the Green party or candidates | Organizations included embrace the Green Party's platform and actively seek to promote more progressive policies throughout American politics |
| Green Party Politicians (left) | Politicians or public figures who are part of the Green party | |
| Gun / 2nd Amendment Rights (right) | Reducing the restrictions and regulations on the ownership and use of firearms | Pursue legal actions against gun restrictions, support political candidates who create policies in support of gun ownership and conceal-carry laws, including teachers carrying guns in schools. |
| Homeless Well-Being | Providing support to the homeless community | Supports programs, such as "housing first" programs, which aim to end homelessness. |
| Immigration Rights (left) | Advocating for the rights of legal and undocumented immigrants, DACA | Supports policies which provide assistance to the immigrant community including, but not limited to, permanent assistance for DACA beneficiaries, a process for all immigrants to earn citizenship, support for asylum seekers and temporary worker programs. |
| LGBTQ | Protecting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people to live with dignity, and without fear from stigma, discrimination and violence | Supports policies which support and protect the LGBTQ community. |
| Libertarian Clubs (right) | Groups that gather to discuss or support the Libertarian party or candidates | Organizations included embrace the Libertarian Party's platform and actively seek to promote more libertarian policies throughout American politics |
| Libertarian Party Politicians (right) | Politicians or public figures who are part of the Libertarian party | |
| Low Income and Unemployment | Supporting and protecting low income communities and people who are unemployed. | Supports policies which work to alleviate the effects of working in a low-income job or being unemployed. |
| MAGA (right) | Supporters of Donald Trump, and his slogan "Make America Great Again". Supporters do not believe Donald Trump lost the 2020 General Election for the Presidency. | |
| Marijuana Legalization | Decriminalizing and regulating the use of marijuana | Supports legalizing the use and possession of marijuana for either recreational or medicinal use, as well as the sale of distribution of THC products. |
| Pro-choice (left) | Supports policies which protect and advance women's reproductive rights and access to women's health care | Supports policies which protect and advance women's reproductive rights and access to women's health care |
| Pro-life (right) | Supports the restriction or elimination of abortion | Supports policies which seek to reinstate legal protection against permission to end life, including abortion, euthanasia and infanticide. |
| Progressive Values (left) | Principles of equity, equality, Democracy, government for a better future, ethical business practices, and a foreign policy that reflects our values. Emphasizes cooperation, supports furthering the rights of historically disenfranchised groups and which dismantle traditional power structures. | Advocates for and supports policies which emphasis cooperation, that further the rights of historically disenfranchised groups and which dismantle traditional power structures. |
| Pro Public Schools (left) | Supporting the work of today's teachers, school administrators, parents or students in public schools | |
| Pro School Choice (right) | Supporting school voucher programs and publicly funded independent schools that operate outside the traditional public school system | |
| Publicly Funded Healthcare (left) | Supports universal, publicly financed healthcare. Advances equity and dignity by treating healthcare as a right to all peoples. | |
| Reducing Money in Politics | Changing the way elections are financed, including public financing and limits on campaign contributions | Supports campaign finance reform. May advocates for programs which encourage small donations from individuals and/or laws which require campaign contributions to be made public. |
| Reducing Student Debt | Seeking systemic solutions to reducing the growing burden of student loans and debt | Supports policies that expand higher education access by reducing the costs of college and public universities. Supports policies which forgive student debt. Advocates for increased funding for higher education at government levels |
| Republican Clubs (right) | Groups that gather to discuss or support the Republican party or candidates | Organizations included embrace the Republican Party's platform and actively seek to promote more conservative policies throughout American politics |
| Republican Party Politicians (right) | Politicians or public figures who are part of the Republican party | |
| Securing Our Borders (right) | Increasing border security and punishing individuals who violate immigration law | Restrictions and legal repercussions for illegal immigrants. |
| Social Security & Medicare | Make ends meet, retire in dignity, prevent and treat illness | Advocates for protecting the retirement age for senior, protecting and increasing benefits, and expanding medicare coverage. |
| Voting Rights & Education | Protecting the right to vote, removing barriers to vote, and considering voting to be foundational for the rights of Americans in our democracy. | Supports and advocates for an expansion of voting rights for all citizens, such as elimination of voter id laws. Also may support voting and ballot reform measures, such as ranked voting |
| Women's Equality | Fight against institutional and cultural barriers to ensure equal economic opportunities, educational equity, participation in politics, and an end to gender-based violence |
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