define: democrat, republican, left-wing, right-wing, liberal, conservative...?

Question

be thorough and civil in your answers. i myself am none of these things. i'm not entirely sure what these mean. no hate speech, please (from either "side").

Answer 1

REPUBLICAN-The Republican Party is the more socially conservative and economically libertarian of the two major parties, and has closer ties to both Wall Street (large corporations) and Main Street (locally owned businesses) than do the Democrats and less affiliation with labor unions. Republicans have a strong belief in personal responsibility, limited government, and corporate entrepreneurship. Republicans generally oppose gay marriage, oppose abortion, and oppose embryonic stem cell research. center-right wing

DEMOCRAT-The party has favored farmers, laborers, labor unions, and religious and ethnic minorities; it has opposed unregulated business and finance, and favored progressive income taxes. In foreign policy, internationalism (including interventionism) was a dominant theme from 1913 to the mid 1960s. In the 1930s, the party began advocating welfare spending programs targeted at the poor. Since the 1970s, environmentalism has been a major new component.
In recent decades, the Party advocates civil liberties, social freedoms, equal rights, equal opportunity, and a free enterprise system tempered by government intervention (what economists call a mixed-economy). The Party believes that government should play a role in alleviating poverty and social injustice, even if that means a larger role for government and progressive taxation to pay for social services. They support gay marriage, abortion, and stem call research.

LEFT-WING-In politics, left-wing, the political left or simply the left are terms that refer to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of, to varying extents, socialism, green politics, anarchism, communism, social democracy, progressivism, American liberalism or social liberalism, and defined in contradistinction to its polar opposite, the right. The left often works to eliminate high levels of inequality.

RIGHT-WING-In politics, right-wing, the political right or simply the right, are terms that refer to the segment of the political spectrum often associated with any of several strains of monarchism, reactionism, conservatism, the religious right, nationalism, fascism, or simply the opposite of left-wing politics.
The right advanced capitalism, whereas the left advocated socialism (often democratic socialism) or communism.

LIBERAL-Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. Liberalism has its roots in the Western Age of Enlightenment, but the term now encompasses a diversity of political thought. Broadly speaking, liberalism emphasizes individual rights. It seeks a society characterized by freedom of thought for individuals, limitations on power, especially of government and religion, the rule of law, free public education, the free exchange of ideas, a market economy that supports relatively free private enterprise, and a transparent system of government in which the rights of all citizens are protected. In modern society, liberals favor a liberal democracy with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law and an equal opportunity to succeed.

CONSERVATIVE-Conservatism is a political philosophy that necessitates a defense of established values. Since different cultures have different established values, conservatives in different cultures have different goals. Some conservatives seek to preserve the status quo, while others seek to return to the values of an earlier time, the status quo ante.

Answer 2

Left Wing Definition

Answer 3

is there a such thing as a far right democrat and or a far left republican?

Answer 4

That's a good question, I was wondering the same thing myself

Answer 5

Yeah it's possible

Answer 6

American Heritage gives this for democrat:

1.a.An advocate of democracy.
b.One who believes in social equality or discounts distinctions in rank.

2. Democrat A member of the Democratic Party.
[French démocrate, back-formation from démocratie, democracy


American Heritage defines republican in perhaps a less satisfactory way:

1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a republic.
2.Favoring a republic as the best form of government.
3. Republican Of, relating to, characteristic of, or belonging to the Republican Party of the United States.
n.
1.One who favors a republic as the best form of government.
2. Republican A member of the Republican Party of the United States

So you end up having to define "What is a republic?" I'll try to sum this up in my own words. A republic is a kind of government where the people elect leaders, but then those leaders act more in their own judgement and according to certain class interests, not by what the majority of the people want. I realize this is vague, and perhaps influenced by my own bias(1).

I define "liberal' as either generous, openminded, or being of a more progressive, more democratic political behaviour or thinking. "Conservative" used to mean "wanting to conserve the traditional way of life." These days, I think it means something more like what "reactionary" used to be, that is, trying to turn back to how things used to be, trying to undo the changes which they feel have weakened or undone the old status quo.

I think Theodore Roosevelt probably believed in the "conserve" part of conservative. However, the Republican Party has lost any of this conservational ethos, and the only thing they seem to want to conserve is the wealth of their backers. The Republican Party has supported some of the most wasteful and environmentally destructive policies ever known to humanity.

But here's American Heritage, again, defining:

con·ser·va·tive (kən-sûr'və-tĭv)
adj.
1. Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change.
Traditional or restrained in style: a conservative dark suit.
Moderate; cautious: a conservative estimate.

4. a Of or relating to the political philosophy of conservatism.
b. Belonging to a conservative party, group, or movement.
5.Conservative Of or belonging to the Conservative Party in the . United Kingdom or the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada.
Conservative
6. Of or adhering to Conservative Judaism.
Tending to conserve; preservative: the conservative use of natural resources.
n.
One favoring traditional views and values.
A supporter of political conservatism.
Conservative A member or supporter of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom or the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada.
Archaic. A preservative agent or principle.
conservatively con·ser'va·tive·ly adv.
conservativeness con·ser'va·tive·ness n. (2)

You could probably write at least a short paper on the definitions and connotations of these words. Thanks for bringing it up.

Answer 7

The Political Spectrum in the United States

Far left: Communism

Left Wing: Liberal and Democrat

Left Moderate: Democratic mainstream

Centrist: Neutral. Democrat and Republican

Right Moderate: Republican

Right Wing: Conservative mainstream

Far Right: Fascism

Answer 8

They are all Americans and finally want to abandon bullying, divisive and destructive politics and work together. November 7th represents a new day in American history where everyone, particularly the "Neoconservatives" which you left out of your list, but who created this awful game. Even these "separatists" are realizing that they're way is not the only highway.

There is too much to lose by separating Americans into compartments.
That tactic worked before when fear was the name of the game, but as of last week, no longer.

Don't think of "sides". The better approach is to come up with new ideas that will enrich people's lives no matter where they live in the US.

Answer 9

im not sure what it all means myself