Dandy is a first-year  law, politics and society, international relations and economics triple major and can be reached at [email protected]

Most would argue that an election after a president’s first term is supposed to be a referendum on his or her policies during that term. I think, however, that the election is about more than that. It’s also about the proposed policies of each candidate. This is why I’m going to tell you why I’m voting for Mitt Romney.

Romney has a plan that can help America get back on the right track. The first part of his plan is to achieve energy independence for North America. Romney wants to continue to invest in renewable energy, but not solely renewable. We need to expand all resources available in order to maintain a strong energy base.

Part two of Romney’s plan is to make trade that works for America. This means expanding trade in regions that we haven’t always been working with, like countries in Latin America. Romney is also going to confront nations that cheat on trade and steal American jobs.

The next part is to make sure that Americans have the proper skills they need to succeed in the work force. This means improving education, by making sure teachers are trained properly, and by grading schools so that parents know which schools are doing well. Romney also supports giving better access to higher education and retraining programs for workers.

Part four is to cut our trillion-dollar deficit and get our national debt under control. Romney believes we need to limit the size of government to balance the federal budget. To do this, we need to stop spending money we don’t have on things we don’t need. We should also give many federal programs to the state level through block grants such as education, Medicare and Medicaid. The states know their own citizens better than the federal government does.

The final part of Romney’s plan is to champion small business. This can only be accomplished if the conditions are right for them. Taxes and regulations are too burdensome, so Romney would lower taxes for these businesses and for everyone. He is also going to work with Democrats to lower deductions for these high-income Americans so that they will still pay the same amount in taxes. It means small businesses will have the chance to hire more workers and  middle-class Americans will have a bit more money in their pockets.

Romney was a Republican governor of a state that was about 85 percent Democrat. He worked with Democrats to turn a $1.5 billion deficit into a surplus. He also reformed health care and education successfully.

So before you vote, don’t think as a Republican or a Democrat. Instead, think about this: would the country be in better hands under Barack Obama or Mitt Romney? I think Mitt Romney would do a better job and that’s why I’m voting for him.