What’s the Point of Political Party Platforms?

If you want to cut through some of the election spin and get an idea of what each political party “officially” stands for, party platforms are a good place to start. Both the Republican and Democratic parties draft new platforms during presidential election years, as do most third parties, including the Green Party and Libertarian Party. The documents spell out each party’s positions on a wide range of domestic and foreign policy issues.

In this post from KQED’s The Lowdown, learn more about the history of party platforms and why and how they are important in election years and beyond.