Republicans vs. Democrats?

Question

Long story short, I'm writing this essay for my Government class at school and I need a basic overview of the issues that are dividing Republicans and Democrats. All I really need is for someone to list some important issues in America and tell me where which one stands on each issue.

Thanks a lot in advance!

Answer 1

Social programs

Not abortion because many republicans are pro-choice

Not immigration because Bush himself is pro-illegal immigration whereas many democrats are against it.

Handling of the war in Iraq.

Failure to capture B. Laden.

War on terror because that is not a war but an idealogy.

Healthcare.

Outsourcing

Corporate welfare.

Republicans are trying to reverse FDR's New Deal

Social security - we should NOT privatize it.

No school vouchers - that is crazy. that is like dooming the extreme poor to crappy schools and throwing away the key on those schools. Why not fix them.

More funding for college grants.

Less government sticking its nose in our lives.

Etc....

Answer 2

Generally, Social and Fiscal conservatives are Republican
and progressives (liberals) are Democrat.

There are exceptions, but they are rare.

Fiscal conservatives believe in small government, basically
only to provide a military. They believe that people can
privately handle their affairs better than any sort of government
and would, if possible like to cut the government back to
its smallest possible form.

Moral conservatives believe that our society has become too
permisive - in this country, moral conservatives are almost
entirely Christian (not a huge surprise since Christianity is
easily the largest religion in the country). They want government
to stop certain behaviors that they view as immoral, such
as abortions, gay marriage, etc.

Interestingly, moral conservatives actually would INCREASE
regulation - making laws against homosexual marriage, etc,
whereas fiscal conservatives abhor regulation - and believe
that the free market will magically do the right thing.

I say "magically" because it doesn't work very well. Generally,
companies will not do the right thing unless it is financially
right for them IN THE SHORT TERM. There are very few
companies that can think in the long term in a purely capitalist
society, which is ultimately where fiscal conservatives want to
go.

The association between moral and fiscal conservatives came
about during the Reagan revolution, which is arguably the
beginning of the Neo-conservative movement.

Liberals believe that government is required or is more efficient
at controlling many things that effect us all from day-to-day
including education, the environment, medicine and poverty.

Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, the environmental
movement, civil rights and attempts at guarenteeing insurance for
all are liberal/progressive programs. Neo-cons have attempted
to claim them as their own and effectively gutted them
(recall that Bush called himself the "green" President).

Many people try to oversimplify the differences by labeling
liberals as communists and fiscal conservatives as anarchists.
Both parties agree that we're better off somewhere between
the two social models.

So: Moral & Fiscal Conservatives generally vote Republican
and everyone else votes Democrat.

Lets take some examples:

Abortion: Moral conservatives abhor it, so to keep the party
unified, the Republican party is against it (though a huge
section of the population does not believe it should be
regulated the way that the Neo-cons want it to be).
Republicans want to reduce abortion rights, Democrats want
to keep them for women.

Gay Marriage: Moral conservatives abhor it so they pressure
the party to outlaw it. Republicans try to outlaw it. Democrats
wonder why Heterosexuals should have all the pain...

Social programs: Fiscal conservatives believe that people should
pull themselves up by their own boot straps and others shouldn't
have to pay for it. Republicans vote against social programs
and (more importantly) are constantly trying to decrease
taxes to "starve the beast". Democrats believe
that many people are incapable of impoving their own lives
without at least some help from the government.

Education: Republicans believe that it should be performed
privately, perhaps by religious institutions, Democrats that
everyone is entitled to a good education and that we should
all pay for that. Republicans have tried to lesson the amount
of money we all contribute to our children's education by
allowing "vouchers": If you don't want to send your kid to
public school, the government will pay you the money they
would have spent so that you can educate them elsewhere.
They reason that since private institutions can presumably
do it more efficiently, you'll end up spending less money.
However, the system requires that you contribute your own
money to the private education system, and the effect is to
remove that money from the public education system
thereby lessoning it for the rest who can't afford private
school.

You get the idea?

Answer 3

Republicans tend to favor the free market and limited regulation of business, in the belief that it will spur the economy, job growth and individual prosperity.

Democrats tend to favor organized labor as a check against unfettered business practices, as well as government programs aimed at helping those small minority groups that can least afford it.

Health care
D's want gov't to subsidize a national system so every citizen (and probably illegal immigrant) is covered, as they see health care as an inalienable right that bygod should be in the Constitution even though it's not.
R's recognize that the health-care industry is a private industry and works best the less gov't has to do with it. They see too much gov't involvement as bordering on socialism, which is contrary to the basis of our system. The problem with socialized medicine is ... why stop there?

Answer 4

Pete Wilson tried to bring legislation against aliens but the democrats blocked it.California Proposition 187 was a 1994 ballot initiative designed to deny illegal immigrants social services, health care, and public education.

Answer 5

Conservatives think by giving lower taxes to the upper class the upper class will prosper and take better care of the rest of society liberals differ somewhat from that

conservatives to a degree think people should be more responsible for themselves liberals want to have more control over people by regulating their affairs

conservatives focus more on foreign affairs liberals more on domestic affairs

conservatives drink in private liberals drink in public

they all answer more to big business and money than to the people

Answer 6

Left: Disagree with Iraq, Agree with United Nations, Support Stem Cell Research, Less Religous(not in all cases however), believe that a stronger ecomony makes a stronger country, disagree with capital punishment, taxes are necessary to support a healthy economy, believe in alternate energy other than oil, opposes free trade, oppose building Mexico wall, America is a country built on immigration, want to separate church and state.

Right: Agree with Iraq, Doesn't believe in United Nations, want to ban Stem Cell research, Generally more religious, believe that a stronger military means a stronger country, agree with capital punishment, tax cuts are needed, believe in oil and Alaska drilling, want free trade, want to build a Mexico wall, believe America is built on white christian values, don't believe in separation of church and state.

As you can tell, its easy to be somewhere between the two. If you are, then your a moderate.

Answer 7

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.

Answer 8

you are gonna get alot of opinion and hardly any facts. But I do know that Democrats were afraid to confront the Soviet Union during the "cold war" and Republicans "Reagan" wanted to out gun our enemies. We did out gun them in an arms race and won the "cold war" I think the same is true today Democrats are afraid to confront " terrorism" and Bush Wants to crush them I beleive the Democrats are wrong this time too.

Answer 9

Republicans would easily kick the Democrats butts. Democrats are spineless cowards.

Answer 10

Republicans - short term gain
Democrats - long term benefit