Republicans: Friends of Technology?

In case you haven't already noticed, it's the quadrennial presidential election season in the United States; the time when the two dominant political parties state their goals and methods of attaining them, and work to put their chosen party leader into the office of President of the United States.

At the Republican National Convention this week, the Republican party both nominated Mitt Romney as its candidate for president, and outlined its platform, its "statement of who we are and what we believe."

Over the next five days, we will take a look at the platforms of both the Republican and Democratic parties to compare how they plan to handle issues of technology and innovation, and see who has the more outwardly tech-friendly platform.

On Cybersecurity/Cyberwarfare

Security companies such as Kaspersky Lab have repeatedly warned that a full-scale Cyber arms race is going on, and the Republican Party believes the United States needs an "active deterrence protocol" which includes increased offensive capabilities.

"The current deterrence framework is overly reliant on the development of defensive capabilities, and has been unsuccessful in dissuading cyber-related aggression. The U.S. cannot afford to risk the cyber equivalent of Pearl Harbor."

"We encourage an immediate update of the law that was drafted a decade ago to improve the security of government information systems."

"The government collects valuable information about potential threats that can and should be shared with private entities without compromising national security. We believe that companies should be free from legal and regulatory barriers that prevent or deter them from voluntarily sharing cyberthreat information with their government partners."

"We will pursue an effective cybersecurity strategy, supported by the necessary resources, that recognizes the importance of offensive capabilities."

On Intellectual Property Theft and Piracy:

Though piracy is not mentioned explicitly in the party's platform, intellectual property theft is mentioned a number of times, and China is singled out as the principal offender.

"Whether it is a nation-state actively probing our national security networks, a terror organization seeking to obtain destructive cyber capabilities, or a criminal network’s theft of intellectual property, more must be done to deter, defeat, and respond to
cyberthreats."

"Some governments have used a variety of unfair means to limit American access to their markets while stealing our designs, patents, brands, know-how, and technology—the 'intellectual property' that drives innovation. The chief offender is China, which has built up its economy in part by piggybacking onto Western technological advances, manipulates its currency to the disadvantage of American exporters, excludes American products from government purchases, subsidizes Chinese companies to give them a commercial advantage, and invents regulations and standards designed to keep out foreign competition."

"Counterfeit goods will be aggressively kept out of the country. Victimized private firms will be encouraged to raise claims in both U.S. courts and at the World Trade Organization. Punitive measures will be imposed on foreign firms that misappropriate American technology and intellectual property. Until China abides by the WTO’s Government Procurement Agreement, the United States government will end procurement of Chinese goods and services."

"Our serious trade disputes, especially China’s failure to enforce international standards for the protection of intellectual property and copyrights, as well as its manipulation of its currency, call for a firm response from a new Republican Administration."

On Communications Technology

A major achievement of the Obama administration was the implementation of the National Broadband Plan in conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission. The Republican party believes communications laws are too old to be applied to current technology.

"Today’s technology and telecommunications industries are overseen by the Federal Communications Commission, established in 1934 and given the jurisdiction over telecommunications formerly assigned to the Interstate Commerce Commission, which had been created in 1887 to regulate the railroads. This is not a good fit. Indeed, the development of telecommunications advances so rapidly that even the Telecom Act of 1996 is woefully out of date. An industry that invested $66 billion in 2011 alone needs, and deserves, a more modern relationship with the federal government for the benefit of consumers here and worldwide."

"We encourage public-private partnerships to provide predictable support for connecting rural areas so that every American can fully participate in the global economy."

On Net Neutrality

Clearly, the Republican party is against excessive government intervention in matters of the Internet, and believes the industry should be left to itself, with the exception of legacy technology, which it believes should not be given preferential treatment.

"The FCC’s net neutrality rule is trying to micromanage telecom as if it were a railroad network."

"The Internet offers a communications system uniquely free from government intervention. We will remove regulatory barriers that protect outdated technologies and business plans from innovation and competition, while preventing legacy regulation from interfering with new and disruptive technologies such as mobile delivery of voice video data as they become crucial components of the Internet ecosystem."

"We will resist any effort to shift control away from the successful multi-stakeholder approach of Internet governance and toward governance by international or other intergovernmental organizations."

"We will ensure that personal data receives full constitutional protection from government overreach and that individuals retain the right to control the use of their data by third parties; the only way to safeguard or improve these systems is through the private sector."

Nuclear Power versus Renewable Energy:

The consumer electronics industry as a whole is one in favor of nuclear power. Gary Shapiro, head of the Consumer Electronics Association, has been a big proponent of Nuclear Energy. The Republican Party platform for 2012 includes putting nuclear power ahead of renewable energy projects, dismissing them as a gamble.

"Nuclear energy, now generating about 20 percent of our electricity through 104 power plants, must be expanded. No new nuclear generating plants have been licensed and constructed for thirty years.

"We call for timely processing of new reactor applications currently pending at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The federal government’s failure to address the storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel has left huge bills for States and taxpayers. Our country needs a more proactive approach to managing spent nuclear fuel, including through developing advanced reprocessing technologies. We encourage the cost effective development of renewable energy, but the taxpayers should not serve as venture capitalists for risky endeavors."

On Small Businesses and Startups

Finally, the Republican Party platform takes a rather generic approach to small business and startup development, with no specific innovations for harboring the creation of new businesses. Instead, advocacy and encouragement are stressed.

"We will reform the tax code to allow businesses to generate enough capital to grow and create jobs for our families, friends and neighbors all across America. We will encourage investments in small businesses. We will create an environment where adequate financing and credit are available to spur manufacturing and expansion. We will serve as aggressive advocates for small businesses."

The Democratic Party is expected to release its platform next week, and we will compare its topical content next, and then poll experts to see which party is most friendly to the United States tech sector. Stay tuned!

Image: Carsten Reisinger/Shutterstock