As of March 4th, Ben Carson has suspended his presidential campaign.
ISSUES
Environmental Regulation and Climate Change
Carson believes that climate change is not a pressing concern and that temperature change is cyclical, meaning that at any point in time temperatures are either going up or down. Yet, he also believes that it is humanity's responsibility to take care of Earth. While he has not advanced any formal environmental policies, he has warned against government regulations. In fact, he has stated that if given the opportunity he would change the way the EPA operates. Rather than being “an armed police force,” he would organize it to become “a research and technology coordinator.” Moreover, Carson hopes that one day the U.S. will be energy independent. He does not think that climate change is a valid excuse for failing to develop the nation’s natural resources, mainly fossil fuels. Yet, he continues to encourage the development and growth of cleaner energy sources.
Carson has been met with some opposition from a variety of circles. Georgetown professor Michael Eric Dyson wrote, “when reason gives way to political demonology it mocks the scientific progress on which Dr. Carson’s surgical career depended. That’s why he’d make a bad president.”
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Carson has been met with some opposition from a variety of circles. Georgetown professor Michael Eric Dyson wrote, “when reason gives way to political demonology it mocks the scientific progress on which Dr. Carson’s surgical career depended. That’s why he’d make a bad president.”
Policy Proposals
- Approve Keystone XL Pipeline.
- End all environmental subsidies.
Relevant History
- Because Carson has not served in government before, he does not have experience or relevant history with specific environmental policies.
Representative Quotes
- "What is important is that we recognize that we have an obligation to take care of our environment. I don't care whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, a liberal or a conservative, if you have any thread of decency in you, you want to take care of the environment because you know you have to pass it on to the next generation. There is no reason to make it into a political issue.”
- “Responsible human beings must be concerned about our surroundings and what we will pass on to future generations. However, to use climate change as an excuse not to develop our God-given resources makes little sense.”
- "The current EPA is locked in a constant struggle with business, trying to cut economic growth in the name of the false narrative of global warming. If elected president, my EPA will work directly with all relevant industries to tap the vast natural reserves within our country safely and most efficiently. My EPA would be much more like NASA, coordinating with industries and institutions to advance the current technologies, and much less of an unrestrained police force.”
Gun Control and Gun Violence
Carson’s view on guns is that there should be no limits to gun ownership, except in cases of insanity. He considers the Second Amendment essential in guarding against tyranny and says no-one should be able to tamper with it. He is also a firm believer in the idea of law-abiding citizens having the right to own guns without registration. In terms of semi-automatic weapons, he thinks they should be allowed in the countryside, but not in cities. Carson believes that a database should be constructed to identify “dangerous people” as a way to prevent those individuals from obtaining a gun. His concern with limiting the accessibility of weapons to the people is that it would lead to a potential abuse of power by the government.
Carson faced opposition from Donald Trump on the issue of whether individuals on a terror watch list should be able to buy a gun. Carson stated they should be able to buy guns as he doesn’t want to deprive people of the Second Amendment while Trump said we should keep these individuals away from guns. He also faced opposition from CNN anchor, Don Lemon, who argued that unlike other instruments that can be used as weapons like knives and bats, a gun provides an advantage to kill many at a time. Carson received criticism from both sides of the aisle when he said that he believed if Jewish people in Europe during the Holocaust had more guns the tragedy could have been avoided.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Carson faced opposition from Donald Trump on the issue of whether individuals on a terror watch list should be able to buy a gun. Carson stated they should be able to buy guns as he doesn’t want to deprive people of the Second Amendment while Trump said we should keep these individuals away from guns. He also faced opposition from CNN anchor, Don Lemon, who argued that unlike other instruments that can be used as weapons like knives and bats, a gun provides an advantage to kill many at a time. Carson received criticism from both sides of the aisle when he said that he believed if Jewish people in Europe during the Holocaust had more guns the tragedy could have been avoided.
Policy Proposals
- Fund federal gun violence research.
- Will not compromise the Second Amendment by refusing to pass laws pertaining to gun restrictions.
- Opposes efforts to ban people on terror watch lists from buying guns.
- Eliminate gun free zones.
Relevant History
- Because Carson has not served in government before, he does not have experience or relevant history with regard to gun policy.
Representative Quotes
- “I used to think guns needed to be registered, but if you register them they just come and find you and take your guns.”
- "It depends on where you live. I think if you live in the midst of a lot of people, and I'm afraid that that semi-automatic weapon is going to fall into the hands of a crazy person, I would rather you not have it," However, if you live "out in the country somewhere by yourself… I’ve no problem with that.”
Drugs and Criminal Law
Ben Carson believes drug abuse and crime are caused by poverty and lack of opportunity. Carson believes that education is the key to preventing crime: he advocates for improved school systems and for improved rehabilitative programs in prison, both with the end goal of lowering crime and incarceration rates, which Carson believes are too high. Carson would also like to see incarceration rates drop by reducing mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenders, and would like to help ex-offenders by returning voting rights once released from prison. He does not believe race has caused current police brutality problems, but rather problems that all races are subject to and arise from lack of education; in response to recent issues, “he supports ‘community policing,’ a concept that calls for assigning officers to specific communities or neighborhoods so they can establish trust with residents” and giving all police body cameras, but he has not gone into any detail as to how he would carry out these ideas. Carson is open to marijuana’s medicinal uses, but stands strongly against recreational use and all other illegal drugs, and wishes to strengthen the war on drugs.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Policy Proposals
- Intensify the war on drugs by tightening the U.S.-Mexico border to stop the flow of drugs.
- Enforce federal laws banning the use of marijuana, with a focus on recreational cases instead of medicinal ones.
- In response to recent police brutality cases, he would like to work with states to place body cameras on all officers for their protection along with the citizens’.
- Let states decide if death penalty is appropriate or not.
- Increase criminal penalties for sex trafficking and work with all branches of law enforcement -- federal, state, and local -- to crack down on trafficking.
- Reform prison system by improving education and training programs to more effectively rehabilitate ex-convicts.
Relevant History
- Ben Carson has not been a political figure until this campaign and therefore has no policy history concerning drugs or criminal law.
- In July 2015, Ben Carson spoke against lowering mandatory minimum sentences in the name of public safety, but in November 2015 supported a reduction in sentences.
Representative Quotes
- “I'm not sure that [police brutality] is a police versus black community issue. You know, anger issues get in the way. And if you take race out of the issue altogether, and you take a group of young men and you raise them with no respect for authority, not learning to take on personal responsibility, having easy access to drugs and alcohol, they're very likely to end up as victims of violence or incarceration. It has nothing to do with race.”
- “I think medical use of marijuana in compassionate cases certainly has been proven to be useful. But recognize that marijuana is what's known as a gateway drug.”
Civil Rights - Gender and Sexual Orientation
Ben Carson is firmly pro-life. He doesn’t believe in abortion even in the case of rape or incest. He sees America’s past as one filled with the murder of millions of babies, meaning the abortions performed over history. Carson has stated that his job as a neurosurgeon has meant that he is to protect the lives of all fetuses. He says about these fetuses, “there is no way you’re going to convince me that they’re not important.” Carson supports birth control and supports setting up resources for mothers to have access to day care and to finish their education. Carson has not said much about his thoughts on equal pay for equal work.
Regarding LGBT issues, Carson says he has nothing against homosexuals, yet he has compared their behavior to pedophilia and bestiality. He is against same-sex marriage because he believes it conflicts with the “word of God” and the biblical definition of a marriage. Carson states that he believes in all of what the Bible says, not just parts of it. Carson has also stated on other occasions that “our Constitution protects everyone, regardless of sexual orientation,” but that doesn’t mean he believes in same-sex marriage, he believes them to be two separate issues.
Hillary Clinton was tweeting her supporters after hearing Carson’s comments writing: "Discrimination against the LGBT community is not a myth," she tweeted. "It's a reality for too many Americans and it's wrong." Whoopi Goldberg criticized Carson on The View by telling him that he’s making the mistake of thinking only uneducated, young women are seeking abortions.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Regarding LGBT issues, Carson says he has nothing against homosexuals, yet he has compared their behavior to pedophilia and bestiality. He is against same-sex marriage because he believes it conflicts with the “word of God” and the biblical definition of a marriage. Carson states that he believes in all of what the Bible says, not just parts of it. Carson has also stated on other occasions that “our Constitution protects everyone, regardless of sexual orientation,” but that doesn’t mean he believes in same-sex marriage, he believes them to be two separate issues.
Hillary Clinton was tweeting her supporters after hearing Carson’s comments writing: "Discrimination against the LGBT community is not a myth," she tweeted. "It's a reality for too many Americans and it's wrong." Whoopi Goldberg criticized Carson on The View by telling him that he’s making the mistake of thinking only uneducated, young women are seeking abortions.
Policy Proposals
- Overturn Roe v. Wade and make abortion illegal.
- Allow for civil unions for same-sex couples.
- Support services like day care for single mothers so that they can have the opportunity to finish school, attend college, or get a degree in order to “become independent and teach that to her children.”
- Defund Planned Parenthood, calling out to his supporters, "We the undersigned insist that our tax dollars not be used in any way with Planned Parenthood in light of their Baby Organ Harvesting Programs."
- Support women’s health facilities that aid in the process of adoption or help a woman through her pregnancy/with reproductive needs.
- Revisit the decision to get eliminate Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. In his words, “When our men and women are out there fighting the enemy, the last thing we need to be doing is saying what would it be like if we introduced several transgender people into this platoon. . . . Give me a break. Deal with the transgender thing somewhere else.”
Relevant History
- Has stated that he considers the fact that he took the Hippocratic Oath to mean that he has promised to protect every life.
- Has said that being gay is a choice because he says that “a lot of people go into prison straight, and when they come out, they’re gay."
- Carson believes that LGBT citizens “can do anything they want,” but get married or use their preferred bathroom (he has called for making LGBT bathrooms because he doesn’t believe that their comfort should come before other bathroom users).
- On the board of Costco and Kellog, he supported many initiatives that banned discrimination based on gender identity in the workplace, added workshops, and provided health insurance for domestic partners, and when he received backlash from fellow conservatives he said that he “doesn’t have anything against the gay community,” but he only believes in traditional marriage.
Representative Quotes
- "As a former pediatric neurosurgeon, I have dedicated my life to saving and improving the lives of children. I am committed to protecting innocent lives, especially when they are most vulnerable. The sanctity of life is something that we must wholeheartedly promote and enforce. For far too long, we have become callous to the slaughter of innocents."
- "As a society, we have allowed our sensitivities to be dulled and our disregard for the sanctity of life to grow. The very existence of such an organization as Planned Parenthood is proof of this and the recent videos that exposed them confirm that trend. In our country, we need to invest in better care for women, instead of providing federal funding to a corrupt organization that has been involved in abhorrent practices."
- Claiming that “polygamy is the next argument”: “If you change the definition of marriage for one group, what defense do you have for the next group that comes along and wants it changed? Can you say, ‘oh no we’re just changing it for one group and it’ll be this way forever’ — how is that fair? It just doesn’t make sense.”
Civil Rights - Race and Ethnicity
Ben Carson tends to differ from the other Republican candidates regarding racial and ethnic inequalities. For example, while he disagrees with affirmative action, he has proposed another plan in which schools can judge students based on economic opportunity rather than on race or ethnicity. He has also criticized Black Lives Matter for targeting the wrong people. He believes that strengthening our education system in poor neighborhoods is imperative to fixing racial and ethnic inequalities.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Policy Proposals
- Enact "Compassionate Action," an alternative to affirmative action, which he says focuses too much on race and ethnicity. Instead, he proposed that people in a lower social class who were not given the same opportunity as others due to their specific circumstances should be able to receive the benefit of the doubt in the college process, regardless of race. He believes that by increasing opportunity for the less fortunate, racism will in time fix itself.
- Fix inequality by improving educational opportunities in poor neighborhoods. He believes that if schools teach the children the ways to advance themselves in society and gives them the tools they need to succeed, then racial injustices will be less of an issue.
- Prosecute police officers who have clearly abused their power or otherwise violated the law.
Relevant History
- After Black Lives Matter disrupted one of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders’ speeches, Carson openly defended Sanders, and criticized Black Lives Matter for not focusing on the right people.
- In 1994, Carson and his wife, Candy, founded the Ben Carson Scholars Fund. This organization in part helps schools improve their libraries and promote education as a way to combat economic inequality. This foundation follows Carson’s belief that education needs to be fixed to solve racial inequality.
Representative Quotes
- “What we need to start moving toward here in America is a situation where we actually treat everybody the same. Liberty and justice for all. We shouldn't just let those words roll all over our tongue. We should really embrace them and understand what they mean.”
- “You know, for a young black man, the most likely cause of death is homicide. That is a huge problem that we need to address in a very serious way.”
Fundraising Sources
Money Raised
As of October 16, 2016, Carson raised $31,333,935. Sixty-three percent of this funding comes from small individual donations. Most of these donations come from people who earn more than $50,000, are white evangelical Protestants, and have college degrees. Carson has also donated $25,000 from his personal funds and received $2,088 from super PACs. Carson’s best month was October, when his administration raised $8.8 million, however, it also spent $9.5 million on obtaining these donations.
Criticism
Some worry about the large amount of spending of the money raised by the Carson campaign, with Carson consistently spending 55 cents to raise a dollar and spends 7 out of every 10 dollars. Carson’s campaign committee spends money at a rate of 69% of funding received. This is because his campaign’s technique is to have prepaid mail and advertisements, which causes a constant scramble for additional funds. Such supporters as former Reagan administration official Harold Doley have expressed their doubts about Carson’s ability to handle money and Doley has stated, “They didn’t want to hear any strategy other than their own, which is a very expensive strategy.”
As of October 16, 2016, Carson raised $31,333,935. Sixty-three percent of this funding comes from small individual donations. Most of these donations come from people who earn more than $50,000, are white evangelical Protestants, and have college degrees. Carson has also donated $25,000 from his personal funds and received $2,088 from super PACs. Carson’s best month was October, when his administration raised $8.8 million, however, it also spent $9.5 million on obtaining these donations.
Criticism
Some worry about the large amount of spending of the money raised by the Carson campaign, with Carson consistently spending 55 cents to raise a dollar and spends 7 out of every 10 dollars. Carson’s campaign committee spends money at a rate of 69% of funding received. This is because his campaign’s technique is to have prepaid mail and advertisements, which causes a constant scramble for additional funds. Such supporters as former Reagan administration official Harold Doley have expressed their doubts about Carson’s ability to handle money and Doley has stated, “They didn’t want to hear any strategy other than their own, which is a very expensive strategy.”
Defense and Foreign Policy
Ben Carson believes that the United States' primary foreign policy objectives should be to build up its military and dispose of ISIS. First, Carson would strengthen the military, as he views it as necessary to countering Chinese, Russian, and North Korean aggression. In Carson’s view, the U.S. can only do this by improving and expanding its military. Carson thinks that with a stronger military, the three countries would hold more respect for the U.S. and thus make the U.S. more secure. Carson also believes the U.S. needs to eliminate ISIS by targeting their oil rigs and splitting the state in half. According to him, the Islamic State can be eliminated if the U.S. takes a more aggressive stance against the caliphate.
Candidates such as Donald Trump have berated Carson for his lack of foreign policy knowledge. Trump has expressed his concerns that someone with as little foreign policy experience as Carson may be inept to leading the nation. Trump recently said of Carson: "That's a pretty serious problem. I don't want someone incapable of learning foreign policy when we have ISIS, when we have Iran, when we have all of these problems." It is also of note that a former adviser to Carson said to the media that “Nobody has been able to sit down with him and have him get one iota of intelligent information about the Middle East.” In other words, the adviser was stating that Carson struggled with foreign policy, and also with trying to learn it.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Candidates such as Donald Trump have berated Carson for his lack of foreign policy knowledge. Trump has expressed his concerns that someone with as little foreign policy experience as Carson may be inept to leading the nation. Trump recently said of Carson: "That's a pretty serious problem. I don't want someone incapable of learning foreign policy when we have ISIS, when we have Iran, when we have all of these problems." It is also of note that a former adviser to Carson said to the media that “Nobody has been able to sit down with him and have him get one iota of intelligent information about the Middle East.” In other words, the adviser was stating that Carson struggled with foreign policy, and also with trying to learn it.
Policy Proposals
- Declare war on the Islamic State and then build a coalition of anti-ISIS Arab countries to wage war against the caliphate.
- Target oil rigs controlled by ISIS in order to destroy their source of revenue. By doing this, he would hope to divide the Iraqi and Syrian portions of the caliphate, which would vastly weaken ISIS.
- Repeal the Iran Nuclear Deal, because he questions the reliability of those who would be inspecting Iran’s nuclear facilities.
- Support a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; however, he has added a unique twist as he thinks the Palestinian state should lie in Egyptian land adjacent to Israel. He feels this would be beneficial as the Palestinians could benefit from Israeli agricultural technology and as it would prevent Hamas from being within firing range of Israel.
Relevant History
- Mr. Carson has never served in government, and therefore lacks any specific foreign policy experience.
Representative Quotes
- “We get rid of the caliphate. Unless they have territory, they don’t have legitimacy.”
- “We need to understand that we are in a war, that’s why I called upon Congress to declare war against ISIS. It puts us on a different footing altogether. People need to understand that this is extraordinarily serious. This is an existential threat to us.”
- "If we have learned one thing over the last seven years, it is this: The world is a safer place when the United States engages global problems with strength and resolve.”
Business Regulation and Corporations
Reducing taxes has been a core issue for all Republican candidates, and Carson’s policies don’t stray from this norm. Carson believes that taxes curb the economy’s ability to grow, and reducing them will promote growth and stability. He seeks to reform the “bloated” tax code and replace it with a true flat tax for individuals and businesses alike. He is so confident in his policies that he basically guarantees a 16% increase in GDP (nearly seven times the 2.2% current growth rate) over the next 10 years if implemented. Carson does not believe in raising the minimum wage, and states that the growth caused by his policies will allow wages to naturally rise by 11% over the same previous period.
Carson’s lack of political experience has been a concern for many including fellow candidates. During the third Republican debate in Boulder, Colorado, many of the other candidates criticised Mr. Carson for his “fantasy” tax and economic policies and lack of experience. John Kasich said the following, “We cannot elect somebody that doesn't know how to do the job. You have to pick somebody who has experience”.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Carson’s lack of political experience has been a concern for many including fellow candidates. During the third Republican debate in Boulder, Colorado, many of the other candidates criticised Mr. Carson for his “fantasy” tax and economic policies and lack of experience. John Kasich said the following, “We cannot elect somebody that doesn't know how to do the job. You have to pick somebody who has experience”.
Policy Proposals
- Repeal the tax code and replace it with a true 14.9% flat tax for individuals and businesses-no deductions, tax shelters or loopholes.
- Limit government’s role in the economy by reducing business regulations.
- Eliminate deductions for home mortgage interest, charitable giving and state and local taxes.
Relevant History
- At the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, he gave speech in which he indirectly criticized President Obama’s economic policies, “Our deficit is a big problem. Think about it. Our national debt — $16.5 trillion -- you think that’s not a lot of money? I’ll tell you what! Count one number per second, which you can’t even do because once you get to a thousand it will take you longer than a second, but . . . one number per second. You know how long it would take you to count to 16 trillion? 507,000 years – more than a half a million years to get there. We have to deal with this. ”
Representative Quotes
- "As far as the minimum wage is concerned, people need to be educated on the minimum wage. Every time we raise the minimum wage, the number of jobless people increases. It's particularly a problem in the black community.”
- “Capital gains will not be taxed, only income, to avoid double taxation. Doing this will help stimulate new investment, economic growth and jobs."
Education
Ben Carson believes a strong education system is the ladder which leads out of poverty. Carson claims that America’s educational system took a downward spiral after the federal government took control with the Common Core standards. To restore exceptionalism in our schools, Carson would empower parents, teachers, local school districts, and the states instead of the federal government. Rather than a “one fits all” technique, Carson wants to encourage innovation among the youth at a local level. He also wants to give flexible block grants to reward and advance teacher quality and give teacher evaluation systems to create the best environment for learning. He actively supports school choice programs such as charter schools and school vouchers to help maximize the potential of all students. In terms of college debt, Carson wants to simplify the loan process. He calls for a simpler and more transparent financial aid process, instead of the Department of Education. Unlike other Republicans, Carson is not looking to abolish the Department of Education. Instead, he’ll use it as an investigatory body to keep tabs on colleges and universities with political bias. Carson fears that if the United States continues to be ranked 27 out of 34 countries in math, the United States will struggle in participating in the global economy.
Candidates, especially Democrats, disagree with Carson’s support of school vouchers. The opposition argues that school vouchers take money away from public schools that need it the most, while transferring the money to private and charter schools which are not subject to as much public oversight as public schools. Martin O’Malley has also expressed concern with the rapid expansion of charter schools. He said, “We need strong standards, oversight, and transparency to ensure that charters are acting in the best interest of our kids – and are serving the goals of our education system as a whole.” Unlike Carson, who believes education standards should be decided at a state and local level, O’Malley argues that it leads to a lack of transparency compared to an educational system united under similar standards (such as Common Core).
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Candidates, especially Democrats, disagree with Carson’s support of school vouchers. The opposition argues that school vouchers take money away from public schools that need it the most, while transferring the money to private and charter schools which are not subject to as much public oversight as public schools. Martin O’Malley has also expressed concern with the rapid expansion of charter schools. He said, “We need strong standards, oversight, and transparency to ensure that charters are acting in the best interest of our kids – and are serving the goals of our education system as a whole.” Unlike Carson, who believes education standards should be decided at a state and local level, O’Malley argues that it leads to a lack of transparency compared to an educational system united under similar standards (such as Common Core).
Policy Proposals
- Fund and support, through block grants, school choice programs such as charter schools and school vouchers, which he says school choice programs provoke a “necessary competitive nature” among schools.
- Empower parents, teachers, local school districts, and states by reducing federal control of education.
- Provide flexible block grants to the states to advance and reward teacher quality.
- Support funding to provide funding to local school districts in order to improve academic achievement of disadvantaged students.
- Simplify loan process by getting the Department of Education uninvolved with the lending business, and increase the transparency of the financial aid process to simplify the decision making process for families
- Abolish the Common Core, leaving parents, teachers, local school districts and states the power to define educational standards.
Relevant History
- In an interview with Politico in April 2014, Carson stated that he supports the redistribution of public funds to fund public education. He said, “wouldn’t it make more sense to put the money in a pot and redistribute it throughout the country so that public schools are equal, whether you’re in a poor area or a wealthy area?”
- However, later that year, Carson stepped back from these comments when he posted on Facebook that he does not support the national pooling of property tax receipts.
Representative Quotes
- "I believe that teachers are the greatest resources in our educational system, and hold the keys to learning for our students. We must begin attracting and rewarding great teachers through increased flexibility using block grants."
- "Our education system must be run by involved parents and engaged teachers and principals at the state and local levels. Attempts by faceless federal bureaucrats to take over our local schools must be defeated."
- "Our public schools don't need some central government telling them how to do it."
Taxes and Economic Policy
Ben Carson believes in deregulation to promote growth. He believes the current size and scope of government involvement in the economy is too large and his plans reflect a goal of decreasing this involvement. He has said that the IRS is unnecessary for implementing his goals for the US tax system, though he has not specified if a replacement agency will carry out tax collection. Like many of his Republican opponents, he has criticized the “anemic” 2.2% annual growth in GDP under President Obama. Carson believes growth is the key to a prosperous free market economy, and he believes his plans will double growth in the next ten years.
In an opinion piece at forbes.com, Tim Worstall criticized the following quote from Carson: “if you eliminate the loopholes and the deductions, then you're really talking about a rate between 10 and 15%.” In this statement Carson was expressing support for a flat tax. Worstall said that “this simply is not so. I like my flat taxes but the idea that the US federal government could be funded by one (a tax) 10% or even 15% is simply wrong.” Chris Wallace of Fox News objected to Carson’s proposal by citing experts who said that to allow the U.S. government to have the same tax revenue as it currently has, the flat tax rate would have to be 20% on all taxpayers. Wallace also said “Middle incomes would get a tax hike and wealthy families would get a tax cut.” Carson has said that his proposed tax system is “based on tithing, because I think God is a pretty fair guy.” One critic of this view has said that looking at the Bible to construct an approach to taxation is problematic, questioning whether it makes sense to look at an old religious document in order to make decisions relating to a modern secular tax program. The author points out that, among other things, even the Bible refers to a number of different taxes rather than a single tax rate.
Policy Proposal
Relevant Text
Representative Quotes
In an opinion piece at forbes.com, Tim Worstall criticized the following quote from Carson: “if you eliminate the loopholes and the deductions, then you're really talking about a rate between 10 and 15%.” In this statement Carson was expressing support for a flat tax. Worstall said that “this simply is not so. I like my flat taxes but the idea that the US federal government could be funded by one (a tax) 10% or even 15% is simply wrong.” Chris Wallace of Fox News objected to Carson’s proposal by citing experts who said that to allow the U.S. government to have the same tax revenue as it currently has, the flat tax rate would have to be 20% on all taxpayers. Wallace also said “Middle incomes would get a tax hike and wealthy families would get a tax cut.” Carson has said that his proposed tax system is “based on tithing, because I think God is a pretty fair guy.” One critic of this view has said that looking at the Bible to construct an approach to taxation is problematic, questioning whether it makes sense to look at an old religious document in order to make decisions relating to a modern secular tax program. The author points out that, among other things, even the Bible refers to a number of different taxes rather than a single tax rate.
Policy Proposal
- Repeal the current tax code and replace it with a 14.9% flat tax rate on all income, but excluding individuals and families who fall below 150% of the federal poverty line (who thus make less than $36,375 a year). These people would make a “de minimis” tax payment annually, though he hasn’t specified what this will be or whether it will vary by income.
- Eliminate double taxation of capital gains, dividends and interest income at the personal level. He and other Republicans argue that capital gains savings are double taxed in a way that spending is not because they are subject to a corporate tax and then to a capital gains tax, and that inflationary gains should not be taxed as though they are income gains.
- Eliminate deductions like mortgage interest, charitable giving, and state and local taxes.
- Eliminate the estate tax, which is a 40% tax on an estate after the death of the owner but before it is handed down to the heirs, applicable to homes worth more than $5.5 million for individuals and $7.5 million for couples.
Relevant Text
- In 2013, Carson was recorded talking about his “flat tax plan” that he continues to propose to this day. In this same speech (during a National Prayer Breakfast with President Obama), he brought up his “biblical tithing” idea and argued that God himself always wanted a flat tax rate of 10% on all of his people.
Representative Quotes
- “Let the economy work the way it's supposed to. The free market works.”
- “Bloated government keeps itself busy to justify existence.”
- “Nothing in the Constitution supports redistributing wealth.”
- "You know, you make a lot, you pay a lot. You make a little, you pay a little. But you get the same rights. That's very just. What isn't just is you take half the people that don't pay any federal income tax, and you say you guys get to say on how much these other guys should pay. Come on, does that make any sense at all?"
- “When I pick up my bible, you know what I see? I see the fairest individual in the universe, God, giving us a system. It’s called tithe.”
Immigration
Ben Carson has stated that a priority of the nation must be to secure our borders and have a strong military presence. He wants to make sure that our borders are manned and defended and has suggested using drones for surveillance. He believes that America has a huge problem in regard to immigration; he claims we have taken the “moral low road.” He thinks it is immoral for employers to use low wage undocumented immigrants even though they have no hope of becoming legal citizens and thinks there should be much harsher crimes for employing undocumented workers. Carson also thinks it is immoral to deport so many people who are simply trying to create a better life for themselves and that we should implement a guest worker system similar to that of Canada. He believes that people with clean records should be allowed to stay in our country. Carson also believes in deterrence. He thinks that going into Central and South America and improving the quality of life there will lower the incentive to come to America, and thus the amount of people trying to get in. He also thinks that cutting benefits undocumented immigrants can potentially have the same effect. On Syrian refugees, Carson does not want to let any in. He supports providing financial aid for other countries, such as Jordan, to do so, but does not want to let any into America due to security concerns.
Carson faces some strong opposition from other candidates for the Republican party. For example, Ted Cruz calls parts of Carson’s plan “amnesty.”
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Carson faces some strong opposition from other candidates for the Republican party. For example, Ted Cruz calls parts of Carson’s plan “amnesty.”
Policy Proposals
- Use drones for surveillance of our borders and to destroy human smuggler tunnels (not to target individuals).
- Employ a guest worker visa system likes Canada’s so that people can apply to work in the country.
- Staff more security at the border and increase security measures to make sure the border is secure.
Relevant History
- Carson has very little relevant history with respect to immigration because he has no prior experience or position in politics. He has, however, written multiple books about his philosophy of America where he states his opinion on immigration and discusses the prospect that it is immoral to import cheap labor if there is no chance at naturalization.
Representative Quotes
- “If they have a pristine record, they haven’t been causing problems, I would give them an opportunity to become guest workers — not citizens, not voting people, not people who get goodies. I think that would be a fair way to do it.”
Health Care and Social Security
Carson’s main objective when it comes to health care is to get rid of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) while preserving Medicare and Medicaid and implementing his own market-based plan where Americans can choose whatever health care plan they want. This plan includes what he calls Health Empowerment Accounts, which are accounts in which Americans can put in money tax free and save up for medical expenses over time. He believes that the most important factor in health care is the relationship between doctor and patient. In his opinion, the ACA has ruined this relationship because patients do not have all the doctor and treatment options available to them as they otherwise would. As for Social Security, Carson does not have much to say on it except that he thinks that the retirement age should be gradually increased.
Carson faces opposition from the candidates in the Democratic party. For example, Hillary Clinton supports keeping the ACA in place, while Carson is deeply passionate about removing it. A main criticism Carson receives from his fellow candidates and from many critics is that he is inexperienced in politics, and therefore lacks the necessary understanding of certain issues.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Carson faces opposition from the candidates in the Democratic party. For example, Hillary Clinton supports keeping the ACA in place, while Carson is deeply passionate about removing it. A main criticism Carson receives from his fellow candidates and from many critics is that he is inexperienced in politics, and therefore lacks the necessary understanding of certain issues.
Policy Proposals
- Raise the age at which Social Security benefits are given.
- Slowly raise the eligibility age of Medicare to 70 by going up 2 months each year.
- Create HEAs (described above) that do not reset at the beginning of each year and are tax free so funds will add up as time goes on.
- Open an HEA for every American at birth when they receive their Social Security number, and allow HEAs to be transferable between family members.
Relevant History
- Because Carson has not held elected office, he does not have significant policy history in this regard. However, he did start to propose his HEA idea as early as 2013.
Representative Quotes
- “Obamacare fundamentally changes the relationship between the people and the government. The government is supposed to respond to the will of the people. Not dictate to the people what they are doing. And with this program, we're allowing that whole paradigm to be switched around.”
- “It is time for a change, and as president I will make it a priority to immediately repeal and replace Obamacare. My pledge is to return American health care to these principles, more freedom and less government resulting in lower costs and and more access for consumers.”
Poverty and Social Welfare Programs
Ben Carson, notable among Republicans for the narrative of rising from poverty he often cites, also maintains a more unusual stance of not wishing to reform or reduce welfare programs whatsoever. Instead, his policies for reducing poverty revolve around his tax-reform plan, which in this case proposes a flat tax for everyone except those earning less than one-and-a-half times the federal poverty line, who pay significantly less. His policy generally follows a principle of affording Americans more opportunities to work, through aiding business in the United States, as well as removing barriers to rising from poverty such as the progressive tax system.
Carson does remain consistent with his colleagues for wishing to reduce taxes for the lowest Americans. In fact, few find much fault with his proposals, except the Democrats who take specific issue with the complete removal of the progressive income tax system though not with his message of aiding the poor through opportunity.
Policy Proposals
Relevant History
Representative Quotes
Carson does remain consistent with his colleagues for wishing to reduce taxes for the lowest Americans. In fact, few find much fault with his proposals, except the Democrats who take specific issue with the complete removal of the progressive income tax system though not with his message of aiding the poor through opportunity.
Policy Proposals
- Mr. Carson’s only policy directed towards alleviating policy concerns the income tax system, which he proposes replacing with a flat 14.9% tax rate for everyone earning above $36,375 per year (those below this threshold still pay some minimum tax, a cost of citizenship).
- Besides reforming the income tax code, however, Mr. Carson has not specifically proposed other policies addressing poverty, and has indicated he wishes to protect the current welfare system of the United States.
Relevant History
- Having never held political office, Mr. Carson has no policy experience in this field; he does, however, claim extensive experience with the actual poor of the nation, having risen from the lower economic classes himself. He cites this experience as his reason for protecting the welfare system, and wishing to remove those barriers to opportunity he himself experienced.
Representative Quotes
- “I don’t want to get rid of any safety net programs. I want to create an environment where they won’t be needed.”
- “This is the land of dreams. And our policies should be aimed at allowing people to realize that dream.”