Tancredo says that he has "always maintained a deeply held conviction that abortion compromises the sanctity of human life." He has called Roe v. Wade "a scar on the moral and intellectual history of the country." He also believes, however, that overturning Roe "would merely permit and not require states to prohibit abortion." Tancredo favors public education projects that would more robustly preserve life and the rights of the unborn. 

Tancredo has said that because "the history of this nation was written by white Christian men," religion generally – and Christianity in particular – form "the culture out of which we spring" and should not be driven from the realm of politics. Tancredo laments the behavior of "activist judges" that "rip[s] democracy from the hands of the people on issues they most want their voices heard," including the role of religion in public life. He also strongly supports allowing prayer in schools, an issue he has pushed in both Congress and the Department of Education. 

According to his policy director, Alan Moore, "Congressman Tancredo supports the death penalty," and his voting record tends to bear this out. In 2004, for example, Tancredo co-sponsored a bill stating that those who commit "terrorist offense[s] … shall be punished by death." 

Tancredo believes that "education control is best left in the hands of parents" and supports implementing a "no-strings-attached" voucher system to provide parents with the ability to chose schools. He also stresses the importance of children pursuing a traditional curriculum and the need for close parental involvement in educational development. He has criticized the No Child Left Behind Act for constraining school districts' abilities to address local-level educational needs. 

Tancredo has said, "I have no doubt that global warming exists," but has also suggested that scientists are split on the question of whether humans are responsible for it. In his home state of Colorado, he has taken an active role in enacting policies to help protect the environment. 

Tancredo says religious- and faith-based organizations should be designated with the same tax-free status as organizations that are nonreligious in nature. 

Tancredo has stated that "federalism concerns make a constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage an avenue of last resort." Nonetheless, he says he favors an amendment that defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman because there is no alternative legal recourse. He says that the state's sole interest in marriage is procreation because "population is power." 

Tancredo has argued that tort reform and immigration control would free up billions of dollars to expand health care coverage. He is wary of the government providing coverage because "national health plans increase costs and decrease quality." 

Tancredo has made the immigration "phenomenon" the signature issue of his campaign, staunchly supporting the construction of a 2,000-mile fence along the border with Mexico. He opposed the failed McCain-Kennedy bill because it would have provided "blanket amnesty" to illegal immigrants. His views on other issues, such as health care, national security, prisons, education and the environment, are largely derived from his concern for controlling the flow of immigrants, both illegal and legal. Tancredo says that government should crack down on employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens and emphasizes the importance of immigrants assimilating into America's national culture. 

Tancredo voted to authorize the use of force against Iraq in 2002 but has since asserted that American troops' role should be focused on giving "regional powers and Iraqi factions" the freedom they need to "forge a new balance of power." He also has stated that setting a deadline to begin "disengagement" will be the most effective means to reach this goal. Concerning President Bush's troop surge, Tancredo has stated: "I would not have and I did not support [the surge] … and I didn't [do] so because primarily I listened to the people on the ground, I listened to the generals who were in charge of the operation." 

One of Tancredo's plans for combating poverty is to move from an income-based tax to a consumption-based tax. He says that doing so would create an "explosion of job opportunities and economic growth" that would benefit all sectors of society, particularly the poor. He also supports repealing the 16th Amendment and establishing a flat, national sales tax to alleviate the burden on American companies and "put billions back into the economy." 

Tancredo voted against expanding federal funding of stem cell research in 2005 and has stated that embryonic stem cell research is "morally reprehensible in certain ways."