Values of our Party

1. Democrats believe we are stronger when we fight for equality and protect the right of every person to vote for the people who make their laws.

2. We believe in advancing equal rights and opportunities for women, including support for their sexual and reproductive health and rights and to end gender-based violence

and discrimination.

3. We believe the United States was founded as, and continues to be, a country of

immigrants from throughout the world. We need to urgently fix our broken immigration system—which tears families apart and keeps workers in the shadows—and create a path to citizenship for law-abiding families who are here, making a better life for their families and contributing to their communities and our country. We believe immigration enforcement must be humane and consistent with our values, and we should ensure due process for those fleeing violent jurisdictions.

4. Democrats believe we are stronger when we have an economy that works for everyone—an economy that grows incomes for working people, creates good-paying jobs, and puts a middle-class life within reach for more Americans.

5. We believe that the current minimum wage must be increased to a dignified living wage. No one who works full time should have to raise a family in poverty. We believe that Americans should earn at least $15 an hour and have the right to form or join a union and will work in every way we can—in Congress and the federal government, in states and with the private sector—to reach this goal.

6. Democrats are proud to be the party that created Social Security, one of the nation’s most successful and effective programs. Without Social Security, nearly half of America’s seniors would be living in poverty. We will fight every effort to cut, privatize, or weaken Social Security, including attempts to raise the retirement age, diminish benefits by cutting cost-of-living adjustments, or reducing earned benefits.

7. We believe it should be easier for Americans to save for retirement and prepare for unforeseen risks and expenses. We will defend the right of workers to collect their defined benefit pensions and make sure workers get priority and protection when

pension plans are in distress.

8. Democrats will always fight to end discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or

disability. We need to promote civility and speak out against bigotry and other forms of intolerance that have entered our political discourse. While freedom of expression is a fundamental constitutional principle, we must condemn hate speech that creates a fertile climate for violence.

9. Democrats know that our nation, our communities, and our lives are made vastly stronger and richer by faith in many forms and the countless acts of justice, mercy, and tolerance it inspires. We believe in lifting up and valuing the good work of people of faith and religious organizations and finding ways to support that work where possible.

10. We believe climate change is an urgent threat and a defining challenge of our time. Democrats share a deep commitment to tackling the climate challenge; creating millions of good-paying middle-class jobs; reducing greenhouse gas emissions; slash carbon pollution and protect clean air at home; lead the fight against climate change around the world, and ensure no Americans are left out or left behind as we accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy.