The year is 2116, there is a budget surplus and it is a time of relative international peace though urban crime remains a well-publicized problem, there are many new debates and old debates with new spins, some of today's raging debates have long since been settled or have become insignificant, and these are the platforms that the two main parties of the United States are running on:
(and I wrote the 12 issues to parallel each other, so you can see both sides of every issue)
Republicans
1= want mandatory cyborg guns implanted in all... so every citizen over the age of 18 without a criminal record is cybernetically implanted with laser-based firearms that can never run out of ammo (due to all cyborg body parts being beamed a constant source of power from space-based solar satellites). They would also receive mandatory information downloaded into their brains, on proper use and directions.
2= oppose the repeal of the 1st amendment
3= support a massive surge of public investment into urban infrastructure, with many corporations pledging to match
4= support unrestricted immigration of colonists/refugees from Mars and the moons of Jupiter (after their newly-independent governments fell into turmoil, see 1800's Latin America), and these immigrants/refugees are wanted due to their genetic modifications that make them excellent contributions to the skilled workforce (terrestrial governments haven't yet unlocked the secrets of their genetic engineering, a closely guarded government secret of the Martian and Jovian governments)
5= support the official annexation of the UK, and oppose statehood for the Yukon, Nunavut, and Northwest territories
6= support recognizing "West Africa, Incorporated" as a sovereign state and ending recognition of their governments in exile
7= support keeping the 31st amendment to the constitution, to keep the established nationwide school curriculum because it promotes a well-educated workforce, and consistent standards of education
8= want to fund projects (in the country and around the world) that would transform heavily-polluted areas and large landfills back into a pristine state and use as national parks
9= support Virtual Reality gaming, despite some saying its an addiction-based mental health epidemic
10= support the stationing of microscopic "surveillance & stun" drones operated by the U.S. military (known for their greater discipline and be better trusted than police) in homes that, according to the data, have a >99% chance to house criminals
11= support PBS (PBS News channel has become a big hit, similar to present-day BBC in the UK)
12= oppose the decentralization of production, say that dreams of "a nanotech-based factory in every home" would lead to mass chaos and crime, including the mass production of WMDs by any individual who wants them
Democrats
1= resist mandatory cyborg gun implants, believing that they should only be optional and that people have the right to choose what modifications should be made to their bodies
2= support abolishing the 1st amendment, to establish Neo-Rationalist Buddhism as the official state religion (though most realize it would be an uphill battle, like the prospect of single-payer healthcare today or an amendment to overturn Citizens United in 2016)
3= strongly support policies that encourage sustainable farming, imposing limits on the number of people allowed to live in a city and gradually decreasing that maximum over time
4= support strict quotas on immigrants/refugees from the colonies on Mars and the moons of Jupiter, out of fear that too many genetically-unaltered humans would lose their jobs (as well as an unsaid but widespread uneasiness with them, feeling their existence challenges foundational ideas like "all humans are created equal")
5= oppose the official annexation of the UK, and support statehood for the Yukon, Nunavut, and Northwest territories
6= oppose recognizing "West Africa, Incorporated" as a sovereign state, and support funding for resistance fighters seeking to re-establish the obsolete nation-states of West Africa
7= seek to repeal the 31st amendment to the constitution, so the federal government no longer has the power to set a micromanaging nationwide school curriculum
8= oppose funding projects (in the country and around the world) that would transform heavily-polluted areas and large landfills back into a pristine state, because the conversion would wipe out the organisms that have since evolved and adapted to living there and possibly drive some of these newly-evolved species into extinction
9= want addictive Virtual Reality gaming to be banned, and its addicts to be classified as substance abuse addicts, and favor policies that strongly encourage mental healthcare for it
10= strongly oppose the stationing of microscopic "surveillance & stun" drones operated by the U.S. military (known for their greater discipline and be better trusted than police) in homes that, according to the data, have a >99% chance to house criminals... saying they leech on a home's energy (though an insignificant fraction, it's the principle) and that it's blatantly unconstitutional according to the 3rd amendment and demands it be a litmus test for new Supreme Court justices
11= want to abolish PBS, or at least the PBS News Channel (similar to today's BBC in the UK, but perceived as too Republican-friendly in its political news reporting)
12= support the decentralization of production, "a nanotech-based factory in every home," to break the power of the corporations, end the influence of the cities, and return to a "rational, natural, and human" way of living
1) The gun control debate never really ended, but the goalposts were moved during the Libertarian Revival of the 2040s when people started advocating for mandatory gun ownership. The invention of high power laser weapons in 2051 and cyborg implants in 2060 changed the debate considerably. Currently, only Florida and Texas are the only states to have made them mandatory. New Hampshire has made cyborg gun implants illegal.
2) Azula Yamashi was highly unpopular among a majority of Americans, and she was tired of the constant criticism. So, she tried to repeal the first amendment to shut up her critics. Republicans were outraged and took the House and Senate in the 2098 midterms as a result. That didn't stop Democrats from taking it up as a major issue. In 2112, South West, a prominent Neo-Rationalist Buddhist added making that religion the official state religion to the platform. Many Democrats accept that. (Neo-Rationalist Buddhism is the religion of 37% of the American people. It was based on the teachings of Jonas, a prophet who advocated for Neo-Rationalism but many disagreed with those teachings and added Buddhist principles to it.)
3) These were ideas proposed by Yamashi and Rosa which their parties elevated to the spotlight. There is constant arguing over which is better.
4) Mars was colonized in 2029 by the United States, and grew to a population of 500,000 before wars broke out. The moons of Jupiter were colonized at different times by different countries, though the first was colonized in 2058 by India. Collectively, they had a total population of 75,000 when wars broke out. After five years of turmoil, waves of refugees are coming to Earth, leading to new waves of xenophobia. Indiana and Utah have blocked refugees.
5) The United States annexed Canada in 2077 to prevent a radical neo-rationalist (not to be confused with neo-rationalist Buddhism or neo-rationalist architecture) coup from taking over. (Neo-Rationalists are very different from neo-Rationalist Buddhists, though both have the same prophet.) In the United Kingdom, a neo-rationalist coup has sparked a civil war, and there is fierce debate over whether to annex the UK to end it as well.
6) A revolt by a reactionary group overthrew all West African governments in 2111 with support from a vast majority of the people. The new West African government is a democracy, but their Constitution took ultra-conservative stances on social issues such as gay marriage, abortion, and others. Democrats were horrified, but Republicans point out that the former governments were gradually moving towards communism.
7) The 31st amendment was passed in 2109 under the supervision of Fred Rosa with the bare minimum that it take for a constitutional amendment to be passed. Many are still opposed to it however, and New York governor Chris Jones attempted to circumvent the law before a 2112 Supreme Court decision (by a 5-4 ruling) forced him to follow it.
The cleanup of the landfills began in 2111 in Arizona, but they quickly discovered newly evolved creatures living there and arguments broke out among partisan lines about whether to continue on or protect the new animals' habitats.
9) Virtual reality was widespread since the late 2020s. However, due to better technology which made it increasingly indistinguishable from reality, it began to look like people were getting addicted. One such person starved to death while spending two months straight doing nothing but virtual porn (Snopes disagrees however). In the 2090s, after a few scientific studies and sensationalist headlines, the Democrats decided to take a stand. At first, they just wanted virtual reality addicts to get treatment, and the Republicans agreed. But Azula Yamashi took a hard stance on the issue. Like with all things Yamashi, the Democrats followed her, and the Republicans ran away.
10) Nanotechnology was first used (in the field of medicine) in 2056. That same year, the government started secret construction of microscopic weapons. They opened up about nanogrenades (which are highly ineffective) and nanodrones in 2097. (Some conspiracy theorists think that they have nanonukes as well but aren't telling us.) Immediately, there was outcry about its use. It wasn't until Fred Rosa brought up the possible benefits that Republicans began to warm to it.
11) PBS gained popularity slowly as a reliable news source as it stayed away from faulty reporting, mistakes,and fake news that plagued every other news outlet. As all the other news sources gradually waned when it came to credibility, PBS and the Associated Press were the only ones left with a major audience by 2080. (The other channels mostly ran entertainment programs or nonpolitical documentaries by that time.) Fred Rosa attempted to give it an increase in federal funding in 2108, but was stopped by the Democratic Senate, as they remained very obstructionist of other parties after President Yamashi.
