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2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Last updated on: 7/21/2016 9:16:23 AM PST

Should the United States Have Mandatory National Service (Military or Civilian)?



Pro
Con
Clinton
Clinton

Johnson
Johnson

Not Clear or Not Found
Stein
Stein

Trump
Trump






Pro (Yes)

Con (No)

Con
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton
Democrat

"You know, from my perspective, the all-volunteer military has worked and we should not do anything that undermines it because it has provided a solid core of people who are willing to serve our country. The idea of having everybody register concerns me a little bit unless we have a better idea of where that's going to come out."

Source: Susan Jones, "Clinton: 'I Have a Hard Time Imagining the Kind of National Emergency' That Would Trigger Draft," cnsnews.com, Feb. 4, 2016
Con
Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson
Libertarian

"No."

Source: Gary Johnson via Joe Hunter, Email to ProCon.org, July 9, 2012


None Found
Jill Stein
Jill Stein
Green

No position found as of July 20, 2016





None Found
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Republican

No position found as of July 12, 2016.






FORMER CANDIDATES
(Candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria appear below in black and white and in alphabetical order.)



Pro
Con
Sanders
Sanders

Not Clear or Not Found
Bush
Bush
Carson
Carson
Christie
Christie
Cruz
Cruz
Fiorina
Fiorina
Graham
Graham
Huckabee
Huckabee
Kasich
Kasich
O'Malley
O'Malley
Paul
Paul
Rubio
Rubio





Pro (Yes)

Con (No)

Con
Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
Democrat

[Editor's Note: On May 23, 1994, then US Representative Bernie Sanders (I-VT), voted in favor of H.Amdt.570 to the National Defense Authorization Act of 1995. The amendment would have repealed "the statutory requirement that all 18 year-old male citizens of the U.S. register with the Selective Service."]


None Found
Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
Republican

Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Ben Carson
Ben Carson
Republican

Withdrew on Mar. 4, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Chris Christie
Chris Christie
Republican

Withdrew on Feb. 10, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Ted Cruz
Ted Cruz
Republican

Withdrew on May 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Carly Fiorina
Carly Fiorina
Republican

Withdrew on Feb. 10, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Graham
Republican

Withdrew on Dec. 21, 2015; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Republican

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
John Kasich
John Kasich
Republican

Withdrew on May 4, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Martin O'Malley
Martin O'Malley
Democrat

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Rand Paul
Rand Paul
Republican

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio
Republican

Withdrew on Mar. 15, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.








2016 Presidential Election Homepage

Quiz - Find Your Candidate Match!
Compare Candidate Positions Side-by-Side
RECOMMENDED to you...
1
Did You Know?
2
The Electoral College: Top 3 Pros and Cons
3
Pros and Cons of Donald Trump's Cabinet Picks
4
Differences in Conservative and Liberal Brains
5
Candidate Finances
6
Candidate Position Changes
7
US Political Parties
8
Presidential Election History from 1789 to 2012
9
How to Become the US President: A Step-by-Step Guide
10
Order of Presidential Succession
11
Top 10 Most Surprising Things in the 2016 Presidential Candidates' Online Stores
12
How to Register to Vote
+ DIG DEEPER...
2016 Presidential Election Results
ProCon.org Criteria for Inclusion as a Presidential Candidate
Glossary
Jeb Bush - Positions
Ben Carson - Positions
Chris Christie - Positions
Hillary Clinton - Positions
Ted Cruz - Positions
Carly Fiorina - Positions
Lindsey Graham - Positions
Mike Huckabee - Positions
John Kasich - Positions
Martin O'Malley - Positions
Rand Paul - Positions
Marco Rubio - Positions
Bernie Sanders - Positions
Donald Trump - Positions
2012 Presidential Election Quiz
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