Solve This: NPR's Issues Guide In the final weeks before the 2012 election, NPR explores the major issues facing the next president of the United States.
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Solve This

NPR explores the major issues facing the next president of the United States.

During a campaign speech at Veterans Memorial Park in Manchester, N.H., Oct. 18, President Obama once again embraced the term "Obamacare" while discussing the Affordable Care Act. Darren McCollester/Getty Images hide caption

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Darren McCollester/Getty Images

A boat skims through the melting ice in the Ilulissat fiord, on the western coast of Greenland, in 2008. The glacier is the most active in the Northern Hemisphere, producing 10 percent of Greenland's icebergs, or some 20 million tons of ice per day. But experts say the glacier is in bad shape because of climate change. Steen Ulrik Johannessen/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Steen Ulrik Johannessen/AFP/Getty Images

In A Shift From 2008 Race, Obama's Hush On Climate

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A general view of the Aletsch Glacier on April 21, 2007, near Brig, Switzerland, the largest glacier in the Alps. Unseasonably warm weather with temperatures up to 77 degrees Fahrenheit across Switzerland let snow melt, even at Alpine altitudes. Johannes Simon/Getty Images hide caption

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Johannes Simon/Getty Images

U.S. Marines drive amphibious armored personnel carriers in the Philippines on Oct. 9, as part of the annual joint exercises with Philippine counterparts. Jay Directo/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Jay Directo/AFP/Getty Images

Romney's Defense Plans Call For Higher Spending

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This Sept. 16 image released by NASA shows the amount of summer sea ice in the Arctic, at center in white, and the 1979 to 2000 average extent for the day shown, with the yellow line. Scientists say sea ice in the Arctic shrank to an all-time low of 1.32 million square miles on Sept. 16, smashing old records for the critical climate indicator. NASA/AP hide caption

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NASA/AP

President Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney first debated Medicare on Oct. 3. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Veterans applaud at an Oct. 8 campaign event in Swanton, Ohio, for Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. Health care and unemployment are among veterans' chief concerns this election season, and both the Obama and the Romney campaigns have offered solutions. Mary Altaffer/AP hide caption

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Mary Altaffer/AP

Vets Seek Specifics On How Candidates Would Help

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People eat a free community meal at The Center in Lima, Ohio, earlier this year. Although more than 46 million Americans are poor, the issue has gotten little attention in the presidential race. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption

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Mario Tama/Getty Images

Smoke rises from the stacks of the La Cygne Generating Station coal-fired power plant in La Cygne, Kan. President Obama's regulation of the coal industry has come under fire from his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney. Charlie Riedel/AP hide caption

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Charlie Riedel/AP

On The Campaign Trail, Regulations Dominate The Environmental Debate

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Despite some backlash from their political parties, both President Obama and Mitt Romney have made school choice a cornerstone of their efforts for education reform. iStockphoto.com hide caption

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iStockphoto.com

School Choice: A Subject Both Candidates Support

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Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney shakes hands during a rainy campaign rally Monday in Newport News, Va. Evan Vucci/AP hide caption

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Evan Vucci/AP

Romney's Jobs Plan Relies On His Tax Proposal

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Afghan children run to school on Sept. 24. Whoever takes over as the next U.S. president will have to determine how many troops will remain after the December 2014 deadline to help with long-term security. Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images

President Obama speaks during a campaign event at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., on Friday. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP hide caption

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Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Obama's Jobs Plan Focuses On Federal Investment

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President Obama and Mitt Romney are both calling on the U.S. to become less dependent on foreign oil, though their plans differ. Here, workers with Bramwell Petroleum set up a derrick for a new oil well near Spivey, Kan., in March. Mike Hutmacher/MCT/Landov hide caption

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Mike Hutmacher/MCT/Landov

Candidates Tout Different Routes To 'Energy Security'

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President Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney finish their debate at the University of Denver on Wednesday. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Romney, Obama Far Apart On Closing Budget Gap

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Democrats And Republicans Differ On Medicaid Fix

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Despite millions of troubled mortgages around the country, housing hasn't been a major issue in the presidential race so far. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Candidates Say Little On Difficult Issue Of Housing

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Both President Obama and rival Mitt Romney say the tax code is too complicated. But they haven't been specific about which tax breaks they want to eliminate. Tim Boyle/Getty Images hide caption

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Tim Boyle/Getty Images