Comparison of the 2008 United States presidential candidates

This article compares the presidential candidates in the United States' 2008 presidential election. It does not cover previous elections. Because of ballot access restrictions in the United States, not all candidates appeared on the ballots in all states.

Candidates
Those who were on the ballot in enough states to theoretically win a majority in the U.S. Electoral College are marked in bold. Candidates who are known to have appeared on at least two states' ballots are marked in italic.

Tax policy
The third-party candidates' tax plans were not studied by mainstream media outlets and the Tax Policy Center. Chuck Baldwin supports replacing the income tax with a 10% across-the-board tariff on imported goods. Bob Barr supports replacing the income tax with a consumption tax (the FairTax). The details of his exact plan are not known but consumption taxes tend to be regressive unless accompanied by a negative income tax for the poor to offset necessary expenditures. Cynthia McKinney supports sharply progressive taxation, with higher taxes for the rich and a tax cut for the middle class.