You said you didn't want links but equally as bad would be retyping what was already listed in the links but I will then, in addition to my previous post that did list various links cite the following to amend to that list:
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2052.html
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contract_with_America
The Contract with America was proposed by the Republicans or call it policy of the Republicans who signed it. Most of it was not implemented due to it not making it out of Congress and Bill Clinton vetoing other parts so some parts did pass but it was responsible for the Republicans taking over Congress.
The reasoning of the Republicans was related to:
Accountability. The government is too big and spends too much, and Congress and unelected bureaucrats have become so entrenched to be unresponsive to the public they are supposed to serve. The GOP contract restores accountability to government.
Responsibility. Bigger government and more federal programs usurp personal responsibility from families and individuals. The GOP contract restores a proper balance between government and personal responsibility.
Opportunity. The American Dream is out of the reach of too many families because of burdensome government regulations and harsh tax laws. The GOP contract restores the American dream.
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The Contract with America stated: (this was their positions/policy)
First: Require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally to the Congress. (Note Obamacare didn't apply to the Politicians so if the Republicans had been successful in this then I doubt they would have ever passed Obamacare because they wouldn't want to have to live under it)
Second: Select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse.
Third: Cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third.
Fourth: Limit the terms of all committee chairs.
Fifth: Ban the casting of proxy votes in committee.
Sixth: Require committee meetings to be open to the public.
Seventh: Require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase.
Eighth: Guarantee an honest accounting of our Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting.
Thereafter, within the first 100 days of the 104th Con gress, we shall bring to the House Floor the following bills, each to be given full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote and each to be immediately available this day for public inspection and scrutiny.
1. The Fiscal Responsibility Act
A balanced budget/tax limitation amendment and a legislative line-item veto to restore fiscal responsibility to an out-of-control Congress, requiring them to live under the same budget constraints as families and businesses.
2. The Taking Back Our Streets Act
An anti-crime package including stronger truth-in-sentencing, "good faith" exclusionary rule exemptions, effective death penalty provisions, and cuts in social spending from this summer's "crime" bill to fund prison construction and additional law enforcement to keep people secure in their neighborhoods and kids safe in their schools.
3. The Personal Responsibility Act
Discourage illegitimacy and teen pregnancy by prohibiting welfare to minor mothers and denying increased AFDC for additional children while on welfare, cut spending for welfare programs, and enact a tough two-years-and-out provision with work requirements to promote individual responsibility.
4. The Family Reinforcement Act
Child support enforcement, tax incentives for adoption, strengthening rights of parents in their children's education, stronger child ****ography laws, and an elderly dependent care tax credit to reinforce the central role of families in American society.
5. The American Dream Restoration Act
A S500 per child tax credit, begin repeal of the marriage tax penalty, and creation of American Dream Savings Accounts to provide middle class tax relief.
6. The National Security Restoration Act
No U.S. troops under U.N. command and restoration of the essential parts of our national security funding to strengthen our national defense and maintain our credibility around the world.
7. The Senior Citizens’ Fairness Act
Raise the Social Security earnings limit which currently forces seniors out of the work force, repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security benefits and provide tax incentives for private long-term care insurance to let Older Americans keep more of what they have earned over the years.
8. The Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act
Small business incentives, capital gains cut and indexation, neutral cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis, strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act and unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise worker wages.
9. The Common Sense Legal Reform Act
"Loser pays" laws, reasonable limits on punitive damages and reform of product liability laws to stem the endless tide of litigation.
10. The Citizen Legislature Act
A first-ever vote on term limits to replace career politicians with citizen legislators.
Further, we will instruct the House Budget Committee to report to the floor and we will work to enact additional budget savings, beyond the budget cuts specifically included in the legislation described above, to ensure that the Federal budget deficit will be less than it would have been without the enactment of these bills.
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I (personally) believe that the Republicans had some great policies, ideas, proposals and I think we'd be far better off if all of them had passed. I also don't remember the Democrats ever putting forth what they believe in and making open and public recommendations as to what they want to do then strive to do it.