Summary of political beliefs

[Crumpets]

Social policy:
Abortion: Pro-choice. I have some personal qualms about abortions after viability, but don't think that the government should be in the business of legislating personal medical decisions. Government and schools should expand (non-abstinence) sex-ed and access to birth control, particularly IUDs. Insurance companies should be required to cover birth control and abortions if they are for-profit.
Marriage: A fundamental right for every loving couple.
Drugs: End the war on drugs, provide for free, anonymous addiction treatment for anyone who needs it. Use of any drug should not be illegal, although trading, selling, and producing dangerous and addicting drugs such as heroin should be illegal.
Stem Cell Research: Support wholeheartedly as well as federal funding for it.
Death Penalty: I can be talked into or out of it on a case-by case basis, although I'd say the against side tends to have better arguments. Lean in favor of repealing.
Gun control: Used to be much more libertarian on this issue, but recently have come to support much greater restrictions both on guns and ammunition. I see no reason to own battlefield-style guns on the streets of America, and I believe everyone wishing to own a gun should undergo a background check and a training course. This would apply to intra-family transfers as well as gun shows, online sales, etc.
Affirmative Action: Only economic, not racial, and only as a tie-breaker between equally qualified candidates.
Prostitution: Netherlands-style system.
Euthanasia: Like abortion, I see no need for the government to legislate personal medical decisions.
Vaccines: Obviously I favor vaccines, but like euthanasia and abortion nobody should go to jail because their views aren't in line with the common consensus. That being said, if children want to attend public school, they should be vaccinated.
Feminism: Extremely and proudly feminist.

Economic issues:
Minimum Wage: There is no practical correlation between the minimum wage and unemployment on the national scale. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Funnel_Graph_of_Estimated_Minimum_Wage_Effects.jpg
However, minimum wage should only be a single component of larger wage reforms including caps on bonuses and a general return to holding employees in higher esteem than shareholders.
Welfare: Scandinavian-style system.
Right-to-Work: Like it in theory, hate it in practice. Generally opposed as a consequence.
Taxation: Support a progressive income tax. Eliminate sales tax.
Healthcare: Ideally, I'd support a single-payer system. That not being feasible in modern America, I think Obamacare is an acceptable compromise.
Social Security: See welfare.
Trade: I support free trade, although the government should put taxes and penalties on buying from countries with poor labor laws and perhaps even questionable political systems. Thus, we should be allowed to do business with Iran and Cuba, as well as China and Bangladesh, although the price of goods from these countries would reflect their true cost.                  
Education: It is important to have certain national and even international standards to ensure that students will not feel at a dramatic disadvantage as they move between schools and levels of education. Support free universal pre-K and 2 years of free community college.
Balanced Budget Amendment: It sounds great in theory, but so does an "Unemployment never goes above 5%" Amendment.

Foreign policy and national security
Afghanistan: Increase soft power, decrease hard power.
Iraq: Largest foreign policy mistake since Vietnam bar none. For now, the best we can do is aid the Iraqi government when our help is requested but ensure that our aid goes to official forces and not the Shi'a proxies.
Iran: We may not like their government because of what they did in '79, but that is no excuse to abandon the people and write them all off as anti-American or terrorists. We need to support local NGOs and maintain cordial relations with the Rouhani administration, which has made a point to reach out to our nation.
Syria: Ensure that the bordering nations have the support they need to ensure their protection, as well as innocent civilians. If that includes airstrikes within Syria, so be it.
Cuba: Went there in 2013. Great country. Not condoning the Castro regime, but seriously, it's 2015 not 1962.
Military Spending: Much of modern technology was popularized because it was first used in the military. If we really want to spend more than any other country by a dramatic margin, use that funding to modernize NOT expand our military. We can remake out army to fight the wars of the 21st century and improve our economic standing.
PATRIOT Act: Stupid law. Repeal it entirely, and then if there's anything we really can't do without, we can vote on it piece-by-piece.
NSA Spying: I don't really have a problem with bulk collection of meta-data, although it's clear that it has compromised our legitimacy among our allies. On balance, I think the program should be eliminated.
Palestine: Support Fatah, and push for expansion of PA-controlled areas to promote democracy.
Israel: Support Israel from external threats, but internal threats are its own problem. Israel should further take responsibility for the thousands of people living in areas of de facto Israeli control, but ineligible to participate in their government. Settlements should end immediately and without condition.
Immigration: The vast majority of "issues" with our immigration system are born from our antiquated visa system, not our borders. Make it easier for people to get and renew their visas, and stop pretending that Donald Trump or Lou Dobbs "has a point." It's race-baiting pure and simple, just like it was when it was the Irish, the Italians, and the Chinese.
Guantanamo Bay: Should be closed immediately, accompanied with a formal apology from the President. Dangerous criminals should face trial under the framework of the Constitution, and all others either extradited to the appropriate country or released without prejudice.

Environment
Climate Change: It's real, it's our fault, and it's our responsibility to either try to cut back on pollution or start preparing for the effects that will result from not changing our ways. Yes, the Earth is naturally going to have climate fluctuations over time, but these alone cannot explain the dramatic increase in temperatures we have seen in recent decades, nor can mere "statistical noise."
Green Energy: Obviously.
Keystone XL Pipeline: Ambivalent as long as it does not go through protected areas, although I think the economic benefits have been largely overstated.

Electoral reform:
Electoral College: Abolish it.
Gerrymandering: I'd much prefer an at-large, proportional voting system on a state-by-state basis.
Term limits: As far as I can tell, the old-timers in Congress don't tend to be the problem.
Voter ID: Violates the 24th Amendment, and is wholly about trying to prevent "their type" from voting.
Compulsory Voting: Sure, as long as people can still make protest votes (Mickey Mouse, blank votes, etc.)
Voter Registration: Automatic with voluntary opt-out (Oregon system)
Statehood: Self-determination (simple popular vote majority) for anybody that wants to enter, Constitutional amendment required for anybody that wants to leave.