As students reach the age of adulthood they begin to consider the daunting responsibility of voting and engaging in the democratic process. This year is no exception… Or is it? According to NPR, the turnout of youth voters in Iowa reached a record high number, showing an increase in young voters. 2016 is going to be a monumental year for the youth vote as young Americans become more engrossed in politics. Of course the debate between political parties still exists, but the debate within the more liberal youth vote is between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. What are their differences? Where do they agree? Many are torn between the Jewish Socialist and the Female Progressive and are wondering where to go from here. Below are the two candidates’ views on the hot issues.

Background

Bernie Sanders is a self- proclaimed (Democratic) Socialist. Sanders served as Vermont’s sole congressman in the House of Representatives for 16 years and now has served in the U.S. Senate for nearly a decade, showing his popular opinion with the people. Bernie is nothing if not consistent, and has held the same leftist views since the 80’s, and even marched with MLK in the 60’s.

Hillary Clinton is the former secretary of state, senatorfromNewYork,first lady to President Clinton and a practicing lawyer and law professor. Clinton is seen as a monumental leader in the women’s rights movement in the 1990’s. Clinton ran for president in the 2008 election but conceded when Barack Obama held the majority of the delegate vote.

Terrorism

Bernie Sanders says ISIS must be defeated, but that the United States shouldn’t lead the effort in stopping terror in the Middle East. Sanders says that instead countries in the region should deal with taking out ISIS and The United States should support these efforts but not intervene. Sanders is strongly opposed to another war and hopes to withdraw troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible.

Hillary Clinton advocates for strong US involvement in defeating ISIS but does not want to deploy troops. On the war in Afghanistan, Clinton is open to the idea of maintaining troops abroad. Clinton also supports the training of Syrian rebels to fight ISIS. Clinton has said that maintaining the safety of Americans is among her top priorities and that she has no qualms about intervening in foreign affairs.

The Economy

Bernie Sanders supports raising the minimum wage to $15 and aims to make all public colleges tuition-free by taxing Wall Street. Sanders supports reinstalling legislation similar to the Glass-Steagall Act. Sanders is not a friend of Wall Street and supports breaking up major financial institutions.

Hillary Clinton also supports raising minimum wage but to $12 not $15. She supports charging banks a fee for short-term, high-risk loans, wants to tax high-frequency trading on Wall Street, and hopes to enforce the Dodd-Frank Act. Clinton does not support the Glass-Steagall Act which separated commercial and investment banks.

Gun Control

Bernie Sanders supports thorough background checks for gun owners, but has a history of opposing gun control. Sanders does not support legislation that allows victims of gun violence to sue manufacturers.

Hillary Clinton strongly supports background checks when it comes to guns and has consistently supported restrictions and gun control. Clinton supports legislation that allows victims of gun violence to sue gun manufacturers.

Climate Change

Bernie Sanders wants to end tax breaks for fossil- fuel companies and aims to tax coal-powered plants. Sanders believes in a direct link between climate change and current issues like terrorism. In 2010 Sanders proposed an incentives to create 10 million roofs with solar panels by 2020.

Hillary Clinton wants renewable energy to account for 33% of all energy produced in 2027 and aims to do this by installing half a billion solar panels by 2020.

Health Care

Bernie Sanders wants to replace Obamacare with a single-payer healthcare system, similar to European healthcare. Sanders has called for restoring former prescription-drug discounts for seniors. Sanders would also allow drug imports from Canada and would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies.

Clinton supports sticking with Obamacare, a program that she had a great part in creating. Clinton supports allowing the government to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. Clinton also believes that out-of-pocket charges for prescription drugs should not have a charge higher than $250.

Drug Policy

Bernie Sanders opposes the mass incarceration of Americans for low hazard level drugs like marijuana. He supports the treatment of drug addiction not the criminalization and punishment of addiction. Sanders supports the decriminalization of recreational marijuana at the state level, as well as medical use of marijuana.

Hillary Clinton wants to move marijuana from a schedule 1 drug to a schedule 2 drug so that researchers can start to study the uses of marijuana. Clinton wants to loosen the criminalization of marijuana. Clinton recognizes marijuana as a gateway drug that leads to overdoses and addiction, and hopes to create better programs for those struggling with addiction.