Photo illustration by Juan Villa / The Collegian

On Feb. 5, 24 states will decide whom they want to nominate for president. California is one of these states. While the presidential field has gotten a lot less crowded, we at The Collegian believe that it’s important for voters to make informed choices. Therefore we’ve dedicated our front page to the front-runners of each party – three Republicans, two Democrats and their stance on a variety of issues.

Barack Obama

Higher education: Plans to create a tax credit that will refund the first $4,000 of a student̢۪s college expenses. Also plans to simplify the financial aid application process.

Economy: Supports a living wage, and plans to identify job opportunities and develop training programs for unemployed and low-income workers. He also plans to reduce taxes on small businesses and middle-class workers.

Health care: Wants a national health care plan that any American could purchase, even ones with pre-existing medical conditions. The plan would also allow young adults to stay on their parent̢۪s coverage until 25. He also plans to decrease drug costs by allowing Americans to purchase their drugs from other countries for lower prices.

Immigration: Plans to increase the number of legal immigrants the United States accepts yearly. Plans to crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants, and promote development in Mexico.

Foreign Policy: Plans to immediately begin removing troops from Iraq, while pressing Iraqi leaders to reconcile and expanding aid to Iraqi refugees. Plans to renew diplomatic talks with many nations, including Iran, and also plans to expand military personnel, equipment and training.

Environmental Policy: Plans to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency. Believes America should be independent from foreign oil and be a leader on climate change. Plans to support development of renewable energy and biofuels.

Hillary Clinton

Higher Education: Plans to create a tax credit that will refund the first $3,500 of a student̢۪s college expenses, increase Pell Grant awards and simplify the student aid process.

Economy: Plans to lower taxes on middle-class families. Plans to balance the budget by funding new projects with new taxes or cuts in other areas. Also plans to strengthen unions.

Health Care: Offers a national plan that anyone can purchase, even people with pre-existing conditions. Plans to cut costs by stressing preventative medicine and streamlining the bureaucracy. Plans to offer small businesses and working families a tax credit for health care.

Immigration: Supports securing America̢۪s borders while also providing a path to citizenship. Plans to rework the immigration system so families can stay together.

Foreign Policy: Plans to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq immediately. Then plans to focus on mediation and funding for reconstruction to stabilize the region. Plans to work with global coalitions to address problems like AIDs, poverty and terrorism.

Environmental Policy: Plans to create a National Energy Council that will work towards reducing electricity consumption and increasing fuel efficiency. Plans to tax oil companies to fund investments in alternative energy.

John McCain

Higher education: No plans stated for higher education.

Economy: Plans to cut taxes on the middle class, and ban taxes on Internet and cell phone services. Also plans to stop wasteful spending by Congress. Plans to change unemployment insurance to a retraining program for workers.

Health care: Plans to increase competition in the health care industry by allowing individuals to purchase their own plans from any provider in the nation. Plans to lower insurance rates by reforming the legal system to discourage frivolous lawsuits against doctors. Plans to lower drug costs by promoting cheaper, generic versions of drugs, including importing some from other countries.

Immigration: Believes that American borders should be more secure, but plans to increase opportunities for skilled immigrant workers.

Foreign Policy: Plans to increase troop levels in Iraq while training Iraqi police and rebuilding infrastructure. Plans to increase military size and implement new training procedures to help the military deal with changing strategies from terrorist groups.

Environmental Policy: Plans to limit carbon emissions, and reduce our dependency on foreign energy supplies, by promoting new technologies such as nuclear energy.

Mitt Romney

Higher education: Has no specific plans for higher education as president. As Massachusetts governor, he established a scholarship fund for high-achieving students that paid for four years of college.

Economy: Plans to establish strict spending limits in Congress and re-institute the line-item veto, which would give him the ability to stop individual elements of a bill without vetoing the whole thing.

Health care: Plans to deregulate state markets and encourage competitiveness for health insurance providers. Plans to make all health care expenses tax-deductible, instead of just the expenses from employer-provided plans that are deductible now.

Immigration: Plans to place emphasis on securing the border and rejecting amnesty for illegal immigrants already in the country. Plans to encourage immigration of skilled workers to the labor force, and high-achieving students to American universities.

Foreign policy: Plans to increase the size of the military and strengthen global alliances.

Environmental policy: Plans to reduce American dependence on foreign energy sources, invest in research and increase American production of energy. The last would include drilling in Alaska.

Mike Huckabee

Higher Education: No stated plan for higher education.

Economy: Supports the Fair Tax, which would shift income taxes, including money taken out for Social Security and Medicare, and replace them with a national sales tax. Plans to cut government spending and supports the line-item veto to help this.

Health care: Supports “consumer-basedâ€Â health care, which relies on individuals to purchase their own plans rather than have employers cover them. Plans to focus on preventative medicine. Would keep costs down by adopting electronic record keeping and allowing individuals to deduct their health care expenses from their taxes.
Immigration: Supports increased security around borders and opposes amnesty. Plans to enact harsh fines for businesses that employee illegal immigrants.

Foreign policy: Believes setting a date for withdrawal from Iraq is a mistake. Does not plan to leave Iraq. Plans to expand the Army and increase the defense budget, and believes the U.S. is currently engaged in a “world warâ€Â against terrorism.

Environmental policy: Plans to achieve energy independence by exploring all avenues of alternative energy, including nuclear, hydrogen, biofuels and solar.

Edwards and Giuliani out

On Wednesday, two big names in the race dropped out: former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, and John Edwards, the vice-presidential nominee in 2004.

Supporters of both ex-candidates are expected to make a large difference in the tight race between the remaining candidates. Giuliani has already endorsed Arizona senator John McCain, while Edwards has not endorsed either Senator Barack Obama or Senator Hillary Clinton.

Giuliani chose not to campaign in several early-voting states, including Iowa and North Hampshire, which are both considered key states to win. Two lesser-known Republican candidates, Duncan Hunter and Fred Thompson, dropped out after losing those states.

Giuliani said in several interviews during the month of January that he was focusing on the Florida primary, which happened Tuesday. However, he finished third in Florida with only 15 percent of the vote. The winner, John McCain, got 36 percent, and second-place Mitt Romney got 31 percent.

Edwards has routinely placed third in the state primaries, except for Iowa, where he placed second.