As various states start voting in the democratic primaries, a terrifying question arises: who will you vote for? Trump, Sanders, Biden, Bloomberg, Buttigieg, Warren, Klobuchar, Gabbard, Steyer? With so many names, it is very easy to get confused. If you are like me, you probably recognized two, maybe three, of the names. Here is a comprehensive index of three of the hottest topics—climate change, health care and immigration—and where each of the democratic presidential candidates stand on each of the issues. 

   First is climate change and nuclear energy. Will these presidents make strides to solve these issues, and if so, how? This is an important issue that we need to focus on. With temperatures rising, we need to be active in saving the planet if we want to prevent disaster. Second is health care. Are they promoting health care for all, or some? Perhaps they want to eliminate government-supported health care all together. This is an issue that will inevitably affect everyone. If they want health care for all, taxes will rise, but everyone will be covered. If they don’t, then perhaps you will not be covered in the case of an emergency. Last is immigration. During Trump’s presidency, he has  started building the wall on the Southern border and cracking down on undocumented immigration. Where do each of these candidates stand? Do they support him or directly oppose his policies? These issues have included some of Trump’s strongest stances, and whoever takes over from him will have to decide how they want to move forward. They cannot remain neutral on this issue. The ways each of these three issues are handled will change the way that America functions and will change our individual lives. Now these three policies do not encompass anywhere near all of the issues being discussed or explain the candidates’ entire platforms, but it is a good starting point. Without further ado, let’s start with Joe Biden.

Joe Biden

-For climate change, Biden’s main goal is to make the US economy run entirely on clean energy with no carbon emissions by 2050. He has a plan to accomplish this. As an alternative, he would like to use nuclear power plants. 

-For government health care, he wants to expand Medicare to cover more people, specifically those without coverage, but does not want it to cover everyone.

-He supports the DREAM Act, which is a program where children brought into the country undocumented can pursue legal citizenship. However, he wishes to keep the immigration system nearly the same.

Michael Bloomberg

-He thinks that America should work with other countries to solve climate change. He is also trying to close coal plants.

-He takes a slightly more moderate approach to health care than Biden. He would expand it, but not for all.

-In immigration, he works to prevent families from getting separated at the border. He supports the DREAM Act as well.

Pete Buttigieg 

-Buttigieg wants to tax carbon emissions, as well as crack down on all emissions, so that we can have zero emissions by 2050.

-He wants to redo the entire Medicare system, specifically by reducing drug prices and expanding Medicare, while still keeping the private ones for those who want that.

-He supports the DREAM Act, but he also wants to decriminalize crossing the border to provide immigrants with an easier and safer way to enter the country.

Tulsi Gabbard

-She wants to cut fossil fuels entirely and move to renewable energy. However, she wants to close down nuclear plants.

-She is an advocate for Medicare for all but has a plan to slowly take small steps to get there.

-She is one of the strongest advocates for the DREAM Act but hasn’t taken a strong stance on any other immigration issue.

Amy Klobuchar

-To prevent climate change, Klobuchar wants to place government regulations on carbon emissions, while using nuclear energy as a new energy source. 

-She wants to reduce the price of medications to make them more affordable. While she does want to expand Medicare coverage, she is far more moderate on this issue than most candidates.

-She supports the DREAM Act and argues for more leniency in the immigration process.

Tom Steyer

-He works hard for green energy. He pushes to transition toward sustainability and alternative forms of energy

-He wants anyone to be able to enroll in government health care if they wish but does not want it to be required.

-He criticized the Trump administration’s border patrol, and how they treat people with cruelty. He wants to decriminalize crossing the border.

Bernie Sanders

-He wants to close down the nuclear centers and  impose government restrictions on carbon emissions to prevent climate change and protect the environment.

-He wants Medicare for all, which he says will be funded by taxing the upper class and the super rich. 

-He has some of the most extreme beliefs on immigration. He wants to “decriminalize immigration and demilitarize our border.”

Elizabeth Warren

-She stands with Sanders, wanting to impose restrictions on carbon emissions. But she would also ban fracking which draws the oil up from the ground, creating problems.

-She argues for Medicare for all, no matter the circumstance.

-She also supports making immigration legal, pushing the more extreme beliefs.

  Both Sanders and Warren fall on the more liberal end of the spectrum. However, the main difference between them arises in economics. Sanders is democratic socialist and tends to push those ideas, whereas Warren is a self-proclaimed capitalist through and through. Buttigieg is somewhere  in the middle, more liberal, but not nearly as much as Sanders or Warren. Finally, on the more moderate edge are Biden, Bloomberg and Klobuchar. The democratic primaries for Missouri will be held on Mar. 10. Your vote matters because whoever makes it past the primaries will be one step closer to becoming president and changing the world we live in. America is a place where your voice can be heard. We are unique in this way, where we can speak out. Your vote matters.