Make America Think Again
Andrew Yang is a first-generation Taiwanese American entrepreneur. Andrew Yang graduated from Brown University and then attended Columbia University to become a lawyer. However, his interest lay in entrepreneurship.
Initially, he was dubbed by many as a “long shot” candidate, but his campaign has grown substantially and is performing comparatively well in the polls. Yang first gained interest in the idea of a Universal Basic Income when he read about it in a book by Martin Ford, “Rise of the Robots.”
Andrew’s Signature Issues
The democratic leadership in Iowa initially named Yang as the candidate with the most comprehensive set of policy proposals at that stage in the campaign. Some of those policies are-
- A Universal Basic Income program that grants all Americans, over the age of 18, $1000 per month. This would be $12,000 a year, independent of a person’s employment status or any other factor.
- He intends to promote the idea of Human-centered capitalism, based on the central tenets that 1) Humans are more important than money, 2) The unit of a Human Capitalism economy is each person, not each dollar. 3) Markets exist to serve our common goals and values.
- He supports the general spirit of MEDICARE FOR ALL. But more than anything intends to be laser-focused on how to bring the costs of coverage down by solving the root problems plaguing the American healthcare system, exorbitantly high.
Issues That Matter
Economy
Andrew Yang has done considerable research and has the most elaborate set of policy proposals. Yang’s unique approach around the Freedom Dividend is a cornerstone of his campaign. His basic economic policies are as follows –
- Andrew would implement the Freedom Dividend, a universal basic income of $1,000/month, $12,000 a year, for every American adult over the age of 18.
- Andrew wishes to shift toward a new form of capitalism – Human Capitalism – that’s geared towards maximizing human well-being and fulfillment.
- He advocates for “An American Scorecard” that would put an end to the gross domestic product (GDP) measurements in favor of more appropriate metrics such as median income, life expectancy, and mental health.
- Andrew recognizes the crisis around Cryptocurrency, and digital asset markets and wants to come up with clear guidelines and regulations so that investment can proceed with all relevant information.
- Andrew advocates Data Rights and wants to build a system so that corporations cannot trick consumers and benefit from their data.
Health Care
Andrew, in his signature defined manner, has laid down precise changes which he wishes to implement to fix the broken healthcare system. Andrew believes that he can tackle the root problems of healthcare through a six-pronged approach:
- He intends to control the cost of life-saving prescription drugs, through negotiating drug prices, using international reference pricing, forced licensing, public manufacturing facilities, and importation.
- He wishes to invest in technologies to finally make health services function efficiently and reduce waste by utilizing modernized services like telehealth and assistive technology, supported by measures such as multi-state licensing laws.
- Andrew wants to Change the incentive structure by offering flexibility to providers, prioritizing patients over paperwork, and increasing the supply of practitioners.
- He wants people to educate themselves in preventative care and end-of-life care options.
- Andrew plans to ensure crucial aspects of wellbeing, including mental health, care for people with disabilities, HIV/AIDs detection, and treatment, reproductive health, maternal care, dental, and vision, are addressed and integrated into comprehensive care for the 21st century.
- Andrew is against lobbying and wants to diminish the influence of lobbyists and special interests in the healthcare industry that makes it nearly impossible to draft and pass meaningful healthcare reform.
Cybersecurity
Andrew believes that shortly Quantum Computers can break all levels of encryptions, and our entire banking and financial data will be at risk. He proposes specific policies to tackle this threat.
- Andrew recommends investing heavily in quantum computing, as it is certain to be a first of a kind technology and poses a serious threat to current encryption techniques.
- Andrew also plans to create a new cabinet-level post “Secretary of cybersecurity” to deal with the threat of cyberterrorism to essential infrastructure.
Criminal Justice
Andrew believes that our incarceration rates, which are four times higher than most of the other industrialized countries, is a national disgrace. He proposes a set of reforms he would like to introduce to strengthen the Criminal Justice System.
- Andrew plans to decommission private prison facilities for federal inmates.
- He proposes a shift in drug policy from punishment towards treatment.
- Andrew also wishes to review the current severe felony laws, which prevent ex-convicts from reintegrating into society.
- Andrew also believes that the implementation of Universal Basic Income will act as a deterrent and has the potential to reduce criminality.
- Andrew wishes to implement a federal program of pre-trial services for states, such as a text message system to remind individuals of their upcoming court dates.
- He plans to fund innovative prison programs that will decrease recidivism and promote reintegration.
- Andrew plans to extend financial support to businesses that hire ex-cons.
- He also wants to consider non-violent drug offenders for probation and potential early release.
Education
Andrew insists on practical education in schools. He believes that the purpose of education should be to enable a citizen to live an excellent positive, socially productive life independent of work and further education.
His educational proposals include-
- Andrew wants to promote leaders in the Department of Education who foster life-skills education at least as much as higher education.
- In the same manner, he wishes to promote leaders in the DOE who envision trade skills as an educational path in secondary school.
- Andrew promises to increase funding to vocational programs within public schools.
- Andrew wants to mandate the Dept. of Education to present materials to all public schools about career paths that don’t require a college degree.
- He also wishes to spark a public education campaign championing vocational jobs and education.
- Andrew wants to work with states to fund their educational systems to improve teacher salaries and reduce layers of administration, leading to better educational outcomes.
- He wishes to mandate the Department of Education to work with states to formulate a universal pre-kindergarten education program.
- Andrew wishes to provide loan forgiveness for education majors who volunteer at places that offer pre-K education.
Immigration
Yang is the son of Taiwanian immigrants, therefore he understands the importance of immigration in the United States to foster economic competitiveness. He believes that the immigration system “has broken down” and proposes new border-security measures, along with an option to legally recognize undocumented residents.
- Andrew wishes to legalize eleven million undocumented residents currently in the country, however, he also wants the fact that these immigrants tried to circumvent the legal immigration system, to be part of the solution.
- His plan would create a path to citizenship for undocumented taxpayer immigrants, who would have clean criminal records, after an eighteen-year period of permanent residency.
- Andrew understands the crisis of illegal immigration. He pledges to increase funding for border agencies and asylum courts. He also supports repealing the law criminalizing illegal border crossings.
- He promises to introduce a new legislation within his first hundred days – Dream Act, which will protect undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, from immigration.
- He wishes to increase H1B visas for skilled immigrants and offer green cards to foreign students who earn their graduate degrees in the United States.
- He wants to increase aid to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras in order to stanch the flow of migrants from the region.
Military
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Gun Control
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Foreign Policy
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Electoral
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Cannabis & Marijuana
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Climate and Energy
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Agriculture
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Social & Religious Issues
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Taxation
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