How does policy differ between democrats and republicans?

Answer 1

Each of the major political parties focuses on different aspects of the Constitution as most important. In the Preamble to the Constitution, there are five goals (values) of the US government: "establish Justice, to ensure domestic Tranquility, to provide for the common Defense, to promote the general Welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty"

Conservatives think the most important are "to ensure domestic Tranquility" (meaning to promote conformity with 'traditional' ways) and to "provide for the Common Defense". Most conservatives are Republicans, who (nowadays) want group rights (conformity with 'traditional' values) and a large government to ensure domestic tranquility (by enforcing those conservative majority beliefs). Moderate republicans (originally called fiscal conservatives) want a small government, just large enough to provide for the common Defense.

Liberals think it's more important to "promote the general Welfare, and ensure the blessings of Liberty". Most liberals are Democrats, who want individual rights and a large government to promote the general welfare. Moderate democrats don't want a lot of wasteful spending, and want to achieve their goals without causing too many problems. Democrats do have a Conservative wing, which focuses on better ethical leadership and greater protection for both groups and individuals. The main difference is that conservative democrats still don't believe in enforcing their views on the minority, even if their own personal choices would be the same as what conservative republicans would make.

The concept of promoting Justice is important to both camps, but their idea of justice differs. Most camps of the liberal parties believe ensuring Justice requires favoring defendants, preferring the guilty to go free rather than sending the innocent to prison. Republicans and conservatives believe the promoting Justice requires being harsh to those accused, even if that occasionally inflicts sentences on the innocent.

Interestingly, the spectrum is not linear, and has more than one dimension. There are other political parties who focus on different combinations of those values. For example, Libertarians want a small government (no wasteful spending) and very little Welfare (few if any entitlements), but strong on Defense. Libertarians also want lots of protection for individual civil rights, to secure the blessings of Liberty. They feel that Tranquility will take care of itself, and doesn’t need government enforcement of morality. As such, they are moderate about most issues, except for being adamant that the majority should not impose its beliefs on the minority, as part of their way to promote Justice.

So, it basically comes down to which sets of Constitutional values each group thinks are most important.

{EDIT to nicolasraage} Democrats believe in freedom of choice, not government controlled reproduction. That's not a social program. They believe in high educational standards. You could argue that falls under the penumbra of social programs, but so does No Child Left Behind. They believe in environmental protection, by controlling harmful pollutants. Not a social program. They believe in campaign finance reform, written records of electronic voting (I wonder why), and accountability for elected officials. None of which are social programs.

Note. I'm not a supporter of the Democratic party, and oppose much of their platform, including most of their social programs. But if you're going to bash on someone, at least be factually accurate.

Answer 2

Generally Republicans support small federal government. They do support national defense expenditures. R's don't support social programs. Their idea is that business and the market will regulate issues like environmental protection. R's believe in strong state governmental control on issues like education.

Democrats tend to support social programs, big federal government, public debate, international diplomacy and diverse programs like Head Start, Peace Corpse, Social Security, Medicare, and the WPA.

There are plenty of exceptions. For starters, Nixon favored a national health program and started the EPA.

This administration seems to have stumbled into a scheme to limit federal government quite accidentally. By spending TWO BILLIONS DOLLARS PER WEEK down a rabbit hole in Iraq and cutting taxes, no other governmental agencies can be supported without increasing debt. And by naming political cronies and hacks to head agencies and departments, talent and expertise fled leaving only shells. Thus proving once and for all that big government does not work.

We have to discount Bush's policies because he doesn't fit the mold. Perhaps he himself does not understand the meaning of fiscal conservative. After all he has had no personal experience in money management having been a trust fund lad himself. And he is said to take pride in his dislike of reading and scholarship.

Answer 3

Watch Prime Time Fox Cable News and watch CNN. After a week, you see if you can't answer that question.

Answer 4

One likes to ride on a donkey and the other remembers like an elephant!

Answer 5

democrats are socialists (if you disagree, show me one thing the dem's stand for that is not a social program)

republicans believe if you work hard, you deserver your reward.