Monthly Archives: July 2022

Contents

The Republican Party, often called the GOP (short for Grand Old Party) is one of two major political parties in the United States. Founded in 1854 as a coalition opposing the extension of slavery into Western territories, the Republican Party fought to protect the rights of African Americans after the Civil War. Todays GOP is generally socially conservative, and favors smaller government, less regulation, lower taxes and less federal intervention in the economy.

Though Americas Founding Fathers distrusted political parties, it wasnt long before divisions developed among them. Supporters of George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, who favored a strong central government and a national financial system, became known as Federalists.

By contrast, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson favored a more limited government. His supporters called themselves Republicans, or Jeffersonian Republicans, but later became known as Democratic-Republicans.

The Federalist Party dissolved after the War of 1812, and by the 1830s the Democratic-Republicans had evolved into the Democratic Party (now the main rival to todays Republicans), which initially rallied around President Andrew Jackson.

Opponents of Jacksons policies formed their own party, the Whig Party, and by the 1840s Democrats and Whigs were the countrys two main political coalitions.

In the 1850s, the issue of slaveryand its extension into new territories and states joining the Unionripped apart these political coalitions. During this volatile period, new political parties briefly surfaced, including the Free Soil and the American (Know-Nothing) parties.

In 1854, opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which would permit slavery in new U.S. territories by popular referendum, drove an antislavery coalition of Whigs, Free-Soilers, Americans and disgruntled Democrats to found the new Republican Party, which held its first meeting in Ripon, Wisconsin that May. Two months later, a larger group met in Jackson, Michigan, to choose the partys first candidates for statewide office.

The Republican goal was not to abolish slavery in the South right away, but rather to prevent its westward expansion, which they feared would lead to the domination of slaveholding interests in national politics.

In the 1860 election, a split between Southern and Northern Democrats over slavery propelled the Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln to victory, though he won only around 40 percent of the popular vote.

Even before Lincoln could be inaugurated, seven Southern states seceded from the Union, beginning the process that would lead to the Civil War.

Over the course of the Civil War, Lincoln and other Republicans began to see the abolition of slavery as a strategic move to help them win the war. Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and by wars end, the Republican majority in Congress would spearhead the passage of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery.

Frustrated by the inaction of Lincolns Democratic successor, Andrew Johnson, as well as the treatment of freed blacks in former Confederate states during the Reconstruction era, Radical Republicans in Congress passed legislation protecting the rights of blacks, including civil rights and voting rights (for black men).

These Republican Reconstruction policies would solidify white Southerners loyalty to the Democratic Party for many decades to come.

During Reconstruction, Republicans would become increasingly associated with big business and financial interests in the more industrialized North. The federal government had expanded during the war (including passage of the first income tax) and Northern financiers and industrialists had greatly benefited from its increased spending.

Scroll to Continue

As white resistance to Reconstruction solidified, these interests, rather than those of blacks in the South, became the main Republican focus, and by the mid-1870s Democratic Southern state legislatures had wiped out most of Reconstructions changes.

Because of the Republican Partys association with business interests, by the early 20th century it was increasingly seen as the party of the upper-class elite.

With the rise of the Progressive movement, which sought to improve life for working-class Americans and encourage Protestant values such as temperance (which would lead to Prohibition in 1919), some Republicans championed progressive social, economic and labor reforms, including President Theodore Roosevelt, who split from the more conservative wing of the party after leaving office.

Republicans benefited from the prosperity of the 1920s, but after the stock market crash of 1929 ushered in the Great Depression, many Americans blamed them for the crisis and deplored their resistance to use direct government intervention to help people. This dissatisfaction allowed Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt to easily defeat the Republican incumbent, Herbert Hoover, in 1932.

The relief programs included in FDRs New Deal earned overwhelming popular approval, launching an era of Democratic dominance that would last for most of the next 60 years. Between 1932 and 1980, Republicans won only four presidential elections and had a Congressional majority for only four years.

Though the centrist Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was president from 1953 to 1961, actively supported equal rights for women and African Americans, a conservative resurgence led to Barry Goldwaters nomination as president in 1964, continued with Richard Nixons ill-fated presidency and reached its culmination with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980.

The South saw a major political sea change starting after World War II, as many white Southerners began migrating to the GOP due to their opposition to big government, expanded labor unions and Democratic support for civil rights, as well as conservative Christians opposition to abortion and other culture war issues.

Meanwhile, many black voters, who had remained loyal to the Republican Party since the Civil War, began voting Democratic after the Depression and the New Deal.

After running on a platform based on reducing the size of the federal government, Reagan increased military spending, spearheaded huge tax cuts and championed the free market with policies that became known as Reaganomics.

In foreign policy, the United States also emerged the victor in its long-running Cold War with the Soviet Union. But as the economy began to show signs of weakness, the growing national debt helped foster popular dissatisfaction with Reagans successor, George H.W. Bush.

The GOP recaptured the White House in 2000, with the highly contested victory of Bushs son, George W. Bush, over Democratic contender Al Gore. Though initially popular, particularly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Bush administration lost support thanks to growing opposition to the war in Iraq and the faltering economy during the Great Recession.

After Democrat Barack Obama became the first African American to be elected U.S. president in 2008, the rise of the populist Tea Party movement harnessed opposition to Obamas economic and social reform policies to help Republicans gain a large majority in Congress by 2014.

The 2016 election, in which Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, left Republicans in control of the White House, Senate, House of Representatives and a majority of state governorships. Democrats gained control of the House in the 2018 midterm elections and in September 2019, a formal impeachment inquiry was launched against President Trump for allegedly attempting to involve Ukraine in the 2020 presidential election.

President Trump was impeached on December 18, 2019 on two articlesabuse of power and obstruction of Congress.On February 5, 2020, the Senate votedto acquit Trump on both charges. Trump was again impeached on January 13, 2021, for his role in the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Trump became the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. Trump lost his re-election bid in the 2020 election and left office on January 20, 2021.

Political Parties in Congress, The Oxford Guide to the United States Government.Republican Party, Ohio History Central.Andrew Prokop, How Republicans went from the party of Lincoln to the party of Trump, in 13 maps, Vox (November 10, 2016).

Excerpt from:

Republican Party - HISTORY

Ever wondered why do people use the terms left and right a lot during the election years? Well, they are not just giving directions by using those terms. These have some meaning to them.

When people try to dig up the meaning of those terms, they usually ask are republicans left or right. The same thing goes for the democrats as well. And we are here to answer all of those questions in this article.

Our team has enough political knowledge to understand these terms. Even after that, we did a lot of digging regarding the topic we have in hand.

And the things that we have learned through the research we have carried out will be in this article. So, get into a comfortable position and start reading!

Before we answer whether republicans are left or right, we would like to ensure that you have enough knowledge regarding the spectrum.

This spectrum is a political system that classifies political positions. It also states the ideologies and the nature of the parties.

However, what does the spectrum depend on? Well, it is based on the social hierarchy and social equality of the parties. Not many of the politician will agree with this system.

They will propose that instead of thinking of the system as two dimensional, think of it as one-dimensional. But that is not what we are after here.

Nonetheless, on this spectrum, the left and right-winged parties are considered to be opponents.

That means the left-winged parties will be against the right-winged parties. Both of them will stand in the election as separate parties and will receive votes accordingly.

So, where and when did this left-right political spectrum start? Well, it began in France. The terms originated there.

The left ones are called the the party of movement, while the right ones are referred to as the party of order. However, this viewpoint has nothing to do with the political system of the USA.

In the viewpoint of modern politics, the left means liberal view. In other words, the parties that are on the left will be supportive of progressive reforms. They will also seek more significant economic and social equality.

However, the far-left will often be used to describe some of these parties. Like you might have guessed, that term means that the parties are more extreme.

In other words, the parties will have a significant revolutionary viewpoint. An excellent example of that would be socialism and communism.

Additionally, the people or citizens who support the extreme viewpoint will be referred to as left-wing or left supporters.

The term right is entirely opposite to what the left means in both directions and in the political sense. But what does it actually mean from a political viewpoint? Well, it refers to the group or parties that are leaning towards conservative views.

This would dictate that the parties on the right are disposed to preserve the presently existing institutions and conditions.

Many would also argue that the right-winged parties want to restore the traditional viewpoint of politics and limit the overall changes that are occurring. Both are right!

Like the left, many people will also use the term the far right to describe a party. That would mean that extreme and major nationalistic viewpoints. And this includes oppressive ideologies and fascism.

On that note, the people and the parties that follow and support this ideology are right-wing.

The Republican Party in the USA is also known as the GOP, which stands for the Grand Old Party. This party is one of the two major parties that are contemporary at the moment. And the rival? Democrats.

This party came to the political scenario in the year 1854. The founders were the opponents of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

During the early days, the party supported economic and social reform. They were the advocates of classical liberalism. And what they opposed the most? Slavery!

Abraham Lincoln was the first president that led the party. Under his leadership, the party could ban slavery across the entire USA in the year 1865. During the 3rd and 4th party system periods, the GOP was highly dominant.

In those times, the ideology of the party was to commit firmly to tariffs and protectionism. However, during the 20th century, the party leaned forward to support free trade.

Up until now, there have been 19 republican presidents. And as of early 2021, this party controls 23 state governments trifecta, 30 different state legislatures, and 27 state governorships.

On that note, 6 of the 9 justices sitting inside the US supreme court were nominated by the Republican presidents. So, you can guess how much influence they have on the whole law and the countrys judiciary system.

We have mentioned and will mention the Democratic Party plenty of times in this article. So, we believe they deserve a proper introduction as well.

They are the other major political party in the USA. And before the year 1860, they supported a limited government system and state sovereignty.

They were highly opposed to the idea of the national bank and high tariffs. This ideology continued till the late 19th century.

During the early 20th century, they were the advocates of progressive reforms. And they are opposed to the idea of imperialism.

As of now, this party holds 15 state government trifecta, 18 state legislatures, and 23 state governorships.

They are still advocating the social issues, and the rest of the three judiciaries sitting in the US supreme court were appointed and nominated by the Democratic Presidents.

Considering the overall ideology of the parties, people would refer to the republicans as right-winged. In fact, they are on the far right. That means their ideologies are on the extreme side. But does that make the Democratic Party left-winged? Not really!

Over time, the Democratic parties have lost all of their interest regarding social and economic equalities. And those ideologies are considered to be the absolute left of the spectrum. This started with the Clintons and is still prevalent at this moment.

Instead of focusing on the real left, which is stuff regarding ethics, morals, and personal freedom, they are now more about preserving the traditional viewpoint of politics.

However, they are not as extreme as the republicans. That makes them stay in the center of the right spectrum.

Additionally, people used to think that the left side was dangerous. But that viewpoint is not valid now.

Left is now considered to be progressive now. So, basically, now the spectrum is about conservatives and progressives. The former viewpoint of the left pushed personal freedom, while the latter goes for progress.

As you know by now, the left wing was for personal freedom and balancing the social and economic scale of the people.

But now, the viewpoint stands for progress. The republicans are now manifesting all of the moral tenets of the right-wing view. To be exact, they are displaying the extreme right.

They now focus on defense and law, which makes them sit perfectly on the extreme right of the scale.

And their concern regarding personal freedom and social and economic balance is not that significant. This ideology is what makes the Republicans right-winged.

Not really! There is no such thing as bad in the political viewpoint. In a state, there will be plenty of parties that will stand in the election.

It is pretty natural for each of them to have a different viewpoint and goal. And just because the ideology of the parties is not the same, it does not mean that they are wrong.

To understand this correctly, you must get back right into the meaning of left-winged parties.

What do they stand for? Before, it was about labor, equality in terms of social and economic conditions. The parties that were extreme about it were on the very left of the spectrum.

Now, the ideology has a bit of change. Instead of going all in the equality, it focuses on progress.

It is firmly against sticking to the traditional viewpoint of politics, which is to conserve what already is established. The ideology is to make progress over the things that are already available.

However, you might be ultimately against this. But that does not put you in a position to say that the left-winged parties are wrong.

The goals that these parties pursue are entirely independent and separate matters. And if there were no oppositions, politics would not exist.

We hope that after reading through the entire article, you got the answer to the question of: are republicans left or right and all the things related to it.

And now that you know all about the system, hopefully, you will not feel lost when someone uses the left and right terms to describe a political party.

Original post:

Are Republicans Left Or Right? What Does Left-Right Political Spectrum ...

The Republican Party (elephant) and the Democratic Party (donkey) are the two main political parties in the US.

Republicans and Democrats are the two main and historically the largest political parties in the US and, after every election, hold the majority seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate as well as the highest number of Governors. Though both the parties mean well for the US citizens, they have distinct differences that manifest in their comments, decisions, and history. These differences are mainly ideological, political, social, and economic paths to making the US successful and the world a better place for all. Differences between the two parties that are covered in this article rely on the majority position though individual politicians may have varied preferences.

Democratic Party:Of the two, the Democratic Party is older and originated from anti-federalism sentiments during the US independence from Great Britain. TheDonkey symbolof the party came into play during Andrew Jacksons 1828 campaign. Party organ, the Democratic National Committees started in 1848 and, during the civil war, this party split into two parties, those who supported slavery left and those who did not, stayed back. The Democratic Party of today is a result of the split. To date, there have been 15 Democrat Presidents.

Republican Party:In 1854, anti-slavery activists and agents of modernity founded the Republican Party (Grand Old Party -GOP) and, Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican President. The party started using theelephant symbol in1874. Lincolns presidency, policies, and ideologies solidified the party and gave it a strong foundation. The US has had 19 Republican Presidents to date.

Democrats:Democrats are usually to the left of Republicans on many issues. For starters, Democrats support domestic social services but majorly are not very aggressive on foreign policy. Being liberal, they root for a strong government to improve social structures and support equality and communal responsibility.

Republican: Republicans advocate for limited government intervention on domestic issues but dominate on international relations. While on the right, Republicans are pro-military, pro-business, pro-religion, and campaigns for people have freedoms and to take personal responsibility for their actions. On approach, this party is socially and fiscally conservative advocating for a lean government and strong free market (Darwinian Capitalism).

Democrats: In general Democrats are more reluctant to use military force against other countries and advocate slow increases of military budgets. Recently, they favor gun control legislation arguing based on the increase in the number of shootings and irresponsibility by civilian gun holders. On social issues, Democrats openly support abortion as well as LGBTQ rights as people have freedom of choice, but when it comes to the death penalty, a majority seem to oppose. Democrats favor higher taxes for high-income earners and the increase of the minimum wage.

Republicans: Republicans mostly favor rapidly increasing the military budget and take hard lines against other countries like Iran. They are pro-second amendment (right to bear arms) and support carrying concealed weapons in public. Party supporters have tough stands on abortion, contraceptive and LGBTQ rights with the belief that legalizing them ruins the social fabric of the society. On tax, Republicans seem to favor tax cut for all, be it rich or poor, and for the market to control the minimum wage. Republican policies favor strong border controls and limited immigration as opposed to more open Democrats.

The Democratic party usually dominates politics in the Northeast and Great Lakes region as well as the Pacific Coast. Recent patterns show Democratic candidates faring well in some Southern states like Arkansas, Virginia, and Florida as well as around the Rocky Mountain states like Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Montana. Republicans control the South and West especially Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

In 2016, there were more red states (Republican-controlled) than blue states (Democrat-controlled). Most young voters affiliate with the Democratic Party as older people tend to support the Republican Party. On gender, Republicans receive more support from men than women.

See the rest here:

What is the Difference Between Republicans and Democrats?

50 most popular Republican politicians today

A look at popular Republicans in America shows that they come in all sizes and shapes.

Stacker compiled a list of the 50 most popular Republicans, based on data collected by YouGov from interviews between May 2019 and May 2020, with at least 7,000 people interviewed for each figure. The list is ranked by Republicans that have the highest positive opinion among voters, with ties being broken by how famous the politician is today.

Some Republicans find avid support from religious communities for their evangelical Christian views, opposing social issues like same-sex marriage and abortion rights. Some win backing for their policy stands, taking hawkish positions on immigration or foreign policy. They might build a following with their fervent belief in the rights of gun owners, or have been judged worthy by their response to crises such as the Sept. 11 attacks.

Still others build staying power among the public as longtime Washington forces of power, exceptionally skilled at making deals or ambitious fundraising. Some build support with bipartisanship and effective networking across party lines, while others cement their fortunes by toeing a strict party line. Many are war veterans, striking a chord with voters with their military service, including those that return home with lifelong scars.

Some come from families with long histories of high-profile public service, and others emerge from seeming obscurity and humble origins. Many maintain a strong fan base with their down-home style or unpretentious approach. Some come from poverty and troubled childhoods and know how to build empathy with voters.

Most have made a bid for the White House at least once, propelling them to national stature. More than a few Republicans found popularity with their opposition to President Barack Obama, especially his Affordable Care Act, which offered an option for health care coverage to uninsured Americans. These days, many are judged by their relationship with President Donald Trump.

You may also like: 100 years of military history

Original post:

50 Most Popular Republican Politicians Today - Stacker

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and former President Donald Trump. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Scott Bauer/AP, AP)

The speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly, Robin Vos, said former President Donald Trump called on him to decertify the 2020 election results in the state last week, more than a year and a half since the race was called for Joe Biden.

In an interview with WISN Channel 12 Milwaukee, the states most powerful Republican said he had talked to Trump within the last week and described the conversation as, Its one of those things thats very consistent. He makes his case, which I respect, he would like us to do something different in Wisconsin, I explained its not allowed under the constitution, he has a different opinion, then he put the tweet out, so thats it.

After the conversation with Vos, Trump wrote in a July 13 post on Truth Social, "Looks like Speaker Robin Vos, a long time professional RINO always looking to guard his flank, will be doing nothing about the amazing Wisconsin Supreme Court decision. RINO, meaning "Republican in Name Only," is used as an insult in intraparty conflicts.

The court decision that Trump was referring to was a July 8 ruling that made most absentee drop boxes in the state illegal in future elections. The former president, who continues to push the baseless conspiracy theory that he did not in fact lose the 2020 election, wanted Vos to use the Wisconsin ruling retroactively to decertify the race, which Trump lost to Biden by 20,000 votes after winning the state by a similarly tight margin in 2016.

Trump added that Vos was letting Democrats get away with murder and said Vos's comments were a waste of a brilliant and courageous decision by Wisconsins Highest Court.

Thanks to an extensive Republican gerrymander of its state Legislature, Vos essentially controls Wisconsin politics, and last year Politico referred to him as the shadow governor, even though a Democrat, Tony Evers, won the governors seat in 2018.

Vos talks to reporters on March 16 in Madison, Wis. (Scott Bauer/AP)

In a post Tuesday night, Trump threatened Vos ahead of the Aug. 9 Republican primary, writing, This is not a time for him to hide, but a time to act! I dont know his opponent in the upcoming Primary, but feel certain he will do well if Speaker Vos doesnt move with gusto. Robin, dont let the voters of Wisconsin down!

I think we all know Donald Trump is Donald Trump, Vos said in the WISN interview. Theres very little we can do to control or predict what he will do.

The view that the 2020 election was stolen is shared by a majority of Republicans, and the GOP nominees in both the Pennsylvania and Maryland gubernatorial races also deny that Biden won the presidency. The promotion of that false belief helped lead to the violence in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to stop the formal counting of the electoral votes. The riot left multiple people dead. The hearings of the House Jan. 6 committee have presented damning evidence that Trump planned and incited the events of that day, but whether he will actually face charges from the Justice Department is still unclear.

Read the rest here:

Top Wisconsin Republican: Trump still asking me to decertify 2020 election

SINCE the 1800s, America has been widely known as a two-party system. The Republican and Democrat parties each have their own views and takes on the way the country should run.

The Republican party, also known as the Grand Old Party (GOP), is driven by a more conservative or right wing ideology and favours smaller government and tax cuts for all.

2

While the Democratic party is more progressive or left wing meaning it advocates larger government and higher taxes for higher earners.

However, many of the parties key policies relate to the unique cultural fabric of America itself.

The right to keep and bear Arms is the 2nd Amendment of the US constitution a document which established the countrys national government in 1787.

This is by far the most controversial part of the constitution with the Republicans strongly opposing any form of gun control.

However, the Democrats, while still favouring gun ownership, want stricter controls on firearms such as automatic weapons.

There were over 20,000 gun murders in the US in 2020.

But conservative politicians claim that gun control doesn't work - pointing to states which have strict laws yet are plagued with violence.

Chicago is the most obvious example of this. There have been over 524 murders in Chicago in 2021 alone, majority of which are gun related.

2

The GOP, which has a large Christian voting base, favours traditional marriage between a man and a woman.

However, the more socially progressive Democrats have in recent years pushed for same sex marriage which is now legal in every US state thanks to the Supreme Court which ruled that restricting marriage licenses would be unconstitutional.

But not all liberal politicians have supported gay marriage. Indeed, until recently, publicly supporting same sex unions was deemed risky when running for public office.

In 1996, Democratic President Bill Clinton signed the Defence of Marriage Act which prevented federal recognition of same-sex marriage.

For nearly a century, Democrats have had at least some form of healthcare reform on their agendas.

Democrats believe the government should take care of its people, providing them with basic necessities. In the Republican mindset, often the less government interference, the better.

Democrats push for quality and affordable healthcare for all citizens, and have been behind getting things like Medicare, Medicaid, and the Childrens Health Insurance Program passed into law.

Typically, the Republican party fights the Democratic party on each healthcare reform they propose. The Republican's believe the government shouldn't be involved with its citizens, as they are supporters of the free market.

Currently, the Affordable Healthcare Act is still in law and is being supported by President Joe Biden.

His healthcare plan states to build and protect on Obamacare, adding that he will be giving Americans more choice, reducing health care costs, and making the healthcare system less complex to navigate.

The Republican party broadly favours executing violent criminals while many Democrats oppose capital punishment although that has not always been the partys official stance.

The issue of the death penalty is a complex one. America remains one of the few western democracies which still executes people.

However, there were zero executions in the country between 1967 and 1977 thanks to a Supreme Court case relating to the eighth amendment which forbids cruel or unusual punishment.

And while the rate of executions steadily increased from that point peaking at 98 deaths in 1999 the number has now started to fall with only 28 in 2015.

While Hillary Clinton still favours the limited and rare use of the death penalty the Democratic National Committee favours abolishing the practice.

Joe Biden's plan for strengthening America's commitment to justice includes the elimination of the death penalty. His statement reads: "Because we cannot ensure we get death penalty cases right every time, Biden will work to pass legislation to eliminate the death penalty at the federal level, and incentivize states to follow the federal governments example. These individuals should instead serve life sentences without probation or parole."

As of 2021, the death penalty is still authorized in 27 states.

Traditionally, Democrats and Republicans feel extremely different about the economy.

For one, Democratic economy plans typically favor low-income and middle-income families. The belief on this end is that reducing income inequality stimulates economic growth, meaning people are more likely to spend than save and invest.

Democrats also support the idea that a government should pay itself out of a recession.

Republicans, on the other hand, push for supply-side economics that traditionally benefits businesses and investors.

Their argument is that tax cuts on businesses allow for the hiring of more workers, which in turn increases demand and growth.

Ironically, research suggests that economic growth is better under Democrats.

Republicans claim to be the "party of maximum economic freedom and the prosperity that freedom makes possible," by showing off their business-friendly approach and pursuing prosperity without government interference.

When Biden ran for president, he made promises of strengthening the middle class, extending healthcare, raising taxes on the wealthy, and investing trillions of dollars into green energy infrastructure.

READ MORE:

Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton in US Presidential debate the six things you need to know

How Anthony Weiners wiener scandal may shaft Hillary Clintons hope of becoming the next US President after FBI probe

Who is winning the US Presidential Election 2016? Latest polls and odds as Hillary Clinton takes on Donald Trump

When is the US Presidential Election 2016? Date, polls and how to watch in the UK

See more here:

What is the difference between Republican and Democrat?

While there are distinct differences between Democrats and Republicans, that wasnt always the case.

By examining American political history, one can see that the two parties even had opposite beliefs from those they have today.

Since its common for political parties to cannibalize themselves or change over time, its important to understand political history to determine the differences between Democrats and Republicans.

Here are the major differences between the Democratic and Republican political parties.

The path the Democratic and Republican parties took to reach their modern platforms is different for each one.

The Democratic Party, at least in name, is older than the Republican Party.

It can trace its origins to the Anti-Federalist movement early in American history.

The Anti-Federalist Party included members like:

The Anti-Federalist Party was formed in protest against the Federalist Party.

The Federalist Party included members like:

The Federalists believed in a strong central government to oversee local governmental bodies.

They believed that it was the central governments job to improve the lives of its citizens and to create and enforce laws to do so.

The Anti-Federalists believed in strong local governments.

They believed that the central government should have little say in the matters of the states.

Instead, each state should determine laws and regulations according to its own needs and the needs of its people.

One might even say that the Anti-Federalists were a precursor to modern-day libertarians.

The Anti-Federalists took on the name of the Democratic-Republican party.

This party would continue in existence for some time although it would ultimately shorten its name to Democrats.

The Republican Party was formed in 1854 by individuals who had an interest in ending slavery.

This version of the Republican Party had one of its most famous members, Abraham Lincoln, become president.

The Republican Party changed following the election in 1912.

In fact, both parties changed.

In 1912, three presidential candidates were running for office.

Woodrow Wilson was running on the Democratic ticket.

Theodore Roosevelt was running on his own ticket called the Bull Moose Party.

Finally, former President Taft was running for election once more on the Republican ticket.

The Bull Moose Party was an offshoot of the Republican Party.

It was more liberal and supported certain regulations like conservation and higher regulations on big businesses.

This was separate from the Republican Party which, instead, wanted to end monopolies but still supported less regulation in the market.

The Democrats at this time were also starting to lean more liberal in their political ideas.

They supported regulation of the market, albeit not quite as radically as the Bull Moose Party.

The result was the victory of the Democrats and the elevation of Woodrow Wilson to the presidency.

Because Theodore Roosevelt, who had been a Republican, split the party, however, two different ideologies formed.

Those who had supported the Bull Moose Party considered themselves progressives.

As a result, they ended up joining the Democratic Party following their loss and threw their support behind more left-leaning policies.

This, in turn, transformed the party into the platform which supports its modern-day beliefs.

The Republican Party, on the other hand, grew more conservative and turned its focus to business interests and economic freedom.

Due to the split in 1912 which fractured the Republican Party, one might even say that the two parties switched their ideologies.

Both were mostly centrist in terms of their ideologies, but the split caused the Democrats to become more left-leaning and the Republicans to become more right-leaning.

Those divisions would only deepen over time.

One of the major differences between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party is each partys approach to the role in government that it has.

The Democratic Party, which now harkens more of a Federalist viewpoint, believes in a strong federal government.

Because it covers a large range of people with different backgrounds, religious beliefs, and sexual orientations, they believe its the federal governments job to ensure everyone receives fair treatment.

Local governments are too small or too skewed a certain way to ensure that fair treatment.

Thus, its the federal governments job to ensure and enforce fair treatment for everyone.

Democrats also prefer a larger federal body.

The more representation the federal government has, the more accurately it can represent the needs of everyone.

Republicans believe in something different.

Their thoughts are more similar to those of the Anti-Federalists.

They believe that the federal government shouldnt be as strong as it is.

In fact, they prefer to have fewer numbers in the government.

Instead, they believe that the bulk of power should come from local government offices and the states.

Each state should be able to pass and enforce laws according to its own needs and representations.

Its because of this belief in the role of the government that you see a lot of opposition on certain issues.

It all has to do with the governments role in the day-to-day lives of the American people.

Democrats and Republicans are different because Democrats believe in a large and powerful federal government whereas Republicans believe in a small and weak federal government with strong state governments instead.

A hot-button issue that both parties have differences on is the military.

Republicans tend to favor a strong military.

Because of that, theyre among those who support military funding increases.

Theyre also more willing to go to war, especially in countries in the Middle East.

Some of this may have to do with their supporters being mostly business owners.

Since Republicans like to consider themselves the party of business, they recognize the profit in war.

Any time the country goes to war, it puts people to work.

Guns and ammunition need to be manufactured and shipped.

Food rations need to be grown, harvested, and processed.

Clothes and uniforms and body armor also need to be produced.

Then theres the military, itself.

People without a job, without direction in life, or those who are looking to improve themselves, protect their country, or receive free secondary education can find employment in the military.

Some may even find a lasting career.

Because war is profitable for America, many Republicans support it.

Democrats, on the other hand, are less likely to support war and thus dont support the military as much.

They prefer a smaller military force and thus tend to promote cutting the military budget.

They believe in using that budget for bettering domestic society.

Democrats are less likely to go to war with Middle Eastern countries.

They instead prefer to use diplomacy, trade embargoes, and other tactics to prove points or to weaken an enemy.

Thats because Democrats tend to see themselves as the party for the people.

They look at war as a moral problem rather than something from which to profit.

The loss of life isnt worth the money that the country can make off of it.

Democrats and Republicans are different because of their stance on the military.

Republicans prefer a strong military and more funding for it whereas Democrats prefer a smaller military and less funding for it.

Perhaps one of the biggest issues that sees a distinct difference between Democrats and Republicans is their stance on gun control laws.

Republicans tend to support individual freedoms.

That means they believe that citizens can make their own decisions about guns.

In particular, theyre strong supporters of the Second Amendment which covers the right to bear arms.

View post:

Democrat Vs. Republican (8 Differences Explained)