Over the past few weeks, the election has been taking over the news. Both presidential candidates have debated each other, showing strength and weakness under pressure.

However, what we lose beneath the insults, taunts and the roar of the audience during the three debates is actual substance. Substance as in what we actually need to know about the candidates. You know, policies. I know that, like me, you were probably lost when it came to knowing the actual plans these candidates would carry out based on what was said at the debate. I have researched and compiled the positions of the candidates on major issues. I cannot emphasize enough how important this information is, especially if you are voting on Nov. 8.

Taxes:

• Trump’s current position is to decrease taxes for businesses as well as families across the country, according to nj.com. Interestingly, back in 2015, Forbes said that Trump was for tax increases on the rich which is similar to Clinton’s current policy. Then again, Trump used to be friends with the Clinton family, so this is not all that surprising. He does have a tendency to flip-flop.
• According to the Longview News-Journal, Clinton’s position is to increase taxes for the wealthy and to make sure that the rich don’t pay less taxes than the middle-class. She also wants to give tax relief to families struggling with health and college costs.

Immigration:

• We all know that presidential candidates make some ridiculous promises and Trump is no exception. In fact, one of the first promises he made was to build a wall. At the debates, immigration wasn’t actually discussed as a specific topic until the final debate. He said that he doesn’t want to give amnesty to any immigrants and that they are the cause of drugs coming into the country. This requires a strong border, so Trump declared that there needs to be a wall and that border patrol wants this wall too (which fact-checkers have claimed false).
• Surprisingly, according to Politifact, Clinton voted for a barrier in 2006 when George W. Bush authorized 700 miles of fencing along our southern border. However, what Clinton supported was not nearly to the extent of Trump’s wall. Anyway, Clinton’s phrase for her immigration plan is “comprehensive immigration plan.” This would provide border security but at the same time would keep families together and get citizenship for those who want and deserve it. She promises to put her policy into action within the first one hundred days of being president, but remember what I said about ridiculous promises. It would be nearly impossible to get this policy past a predominantly Republican Congress.

Abortion:

• According to the Huffington Post, Trump was pro-choice before becoming a candidate but during the election cycle, he became pro-life which has won him many evangelical supporters despite his positions on other topics. He has previously mentioned that there would be exceptions for women who have been assaulted or with health concerns. However at the final debate he said some pretty disturbing things contradicting that, which I’ll let you listen to on your own time (mostly because I feel uncomfortable typing what he said).
• Clinton believes in the constitutional right for a woman to get an abortion, mentioning at the final debate that the mother’s health needs to be taken into account and that it is a very personal decision.

Gun Control:

• Trump is very pro-Second Amendment and mentioned at the final debate that he wants to appoint justices that would keep the amendment in place.
• Though Trump claims that Clinton wants to abolish the Second Amendment, she clarified at the final debate that she supports the right to bear arms. However, according to NBC, she wants to impose stricter background checks and regulations.

Foreign Policy:

• Trump wants the US to build a stronger military, even though earlier this year, according to Global Firepower, the US ranked number one in military strength. He has declared many times that he will bomb and destroy ISIS. As for relations with Russia, Trump and his running mate have praised Putin for being a better leader than Obama. This is why Trump says when it comes to Russia, Clinton has been “outsmarted and outplayed.”
• Clinton wants to maintain our strong military and work with our allies to keep peace. She also claims that Trump should be no where near the nuclear button. Other than that, she claims that NATO is the “most successful military alliance in human history.”

Health Care:

• At the second presidential debate, Trump said, “Obamacare is a disaster,” so he will repeal and replace it with something less expensive.
• Clinton will defend Obamacare and fix it. At the second presidential debate, she talked about how Obamacare has many benefits, and if we just throw it away we will lose all the good things about it.

Education:

This topic doesn’t get nearly enough airtime…

• Trump wants to make it easier for families to afford college and according to The Center for Public Integrity, he believes that education should be managed at a local level and not be decided by the national government.
• Both Clinton and Trump agree that it is important for every child to have an education. They also agree that students should not have student debt. Additionally, according to the National Education Association, Clinton wants to reduce the amounts of tests given by schools and make the ones remaining “fairer and better.”

With all this information, please make an educated decision on who you will vote for if you are voting. If you can’t vote, please make sure everyone that can is well-educated on the policies of each of the candidates.