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What is the Political Courage Test?
The Political Courage Test is a key component of Project Vote Smart's Voter Self-Defense system. Major leaders of the media, major parties and Project Vote Smart repetitiously ask candidates one central question: "Are you willing to tell citizens your positions on the issues you will most likely face on their behalf?" The Political Courage Test is administered to all candidates for presidential, congressional, gubernatorial, and state legislative offices.
The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.
Political Courage Test results:
Current Officials in Your State
Current Candidates in Your State
General Political Courage Test Information:
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Why is the Political Courage Test important?
At a time when Americans are increasingly frustrated with the attack advertising and empty rhetoric of many campaigns, the need for this relevant information has never been greater. The public integrity of candidates and the quality of their campaigns can be viewed, in part, as a measurement of their willingness to provide their prospective employers (voters) with this information during a campaign, the point when voters need the most help and when the candidates are asking for their vote.
How does Project Vote Smart choose issues to be addressed on the Political Courage Test?
The issues included in the Political Courage Test are only those that are both consistently the top concerns of the American people and also likely to come up in the next legislative session. They are determined by intense examination of national polls over the last three years, the majority, minority and third party platforms, State of the Union and Response speeches, State of the State and Response speeches, legislative agendas, and by consulting with prominent national political journalists, political scientists and the entire Project Vote Smart founding board to ensure that it is non-partisan and unbiased. All candidates must sign the Political Courage Test before it can be placed in our database or publications. Issues covered in the 2008 Political Courage Test in alphabetical order are:
| -Abortion Issues | | -Gun Issues |
| -Budgetary, Spending and Tax Issues | |
-Health Issues |
| -Campaign Finance and Governmental Reform Issues | | -Immigration Issues |
| -Crime Issues | | -International Aid, International Policy and International Trade |
| -Education | | -National Security Issues |
| -Employment | | -Social Issues |
| -Environmental and Energy Issues | | -Social Security Issues |
| -Legislative Priorities | | -Welfare and Poverty Issues |
Are you a candidate? Go to our For Candidates page.
Project Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any partisan activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.
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