What are the main points distinguishing Republicans and Democrats from each other?

Question

I want to know which side is for death penalty, which side is pro-abortion, which side is pro-Iraq war, and which side is pro- gay rights.

I consider myself non-partisan. I guess thats the word. Voting on different issues instead of what a certain party might vote for regardless of the outcome. Just wanted a bit more info. is all.

Answer 1

Disclaimer: I am a progressive, liberal or perhaps even communist (depending on how far south I am.) I also on occasion exhibit libertarian tendencies. I'm not really comfortable in either party, but over the last 10-15 years (since the Gingrich revolution and the Clinton impeachment) I've pretty much sided with the Democrats.

Democrats say that people coming together into a group (a.k.a. the government) to do things that we can't do individually is a good idea. Republicans say that government doesn't work, that it leads to corruption and waste and oppression of individual rights ("and then they get elected and go out of their way to prove it." -- P.J. O'Rourke)

But seriously. (and I hope without the slant)..Democrats believe in community/government action to theoretically improve the US and the world. Republicans believe that private action (and perhaps the free market) are better at making these improvements (and until recently thought we were better focusing these efforts at home.) The Republicans make an exception for the military, which they acknowledge as the one of the few legitimate functions of government.

Over the last decade or so the parties have broken in different ways on many of the issues that you mention, but this has more to do with collecting votes from the different groups that support or oppose those issues than their over-arching philosophies.

Republicans claim that they support morality, but this morality appears to only apply to sexual issues (abortion, marriage, etc.) and relies strictly on a traditional Judeo-Christian definition of sexual morality. It does not appear to extend to other aspects of Judeo-Christian morality including compassion for the homeless, poor or mentally ill, protection of the environment, limitation of corporate power, prevention of fraud or corporate malfeasance (or anything else that would get in the way of turning a profit, like operating businesses on the sabbath,) or protection of any life outside the womb or the suburban U.S.

Democrats' conception of morality includes allowances for individual interpretation that may or may not be based strictly on Judeo-Christian tradition.

Both parties also seem to take different approaches to confronting problems. Republicans appear to take a superficial (some would say common-sense or direct) approach to problems, e.g. crime/drug problem = tougher sentencing, death penalty, etc. ; Foreign policy problem = deploy the military ; Abortion = ban it, punish out of wedlock pregnancies. Democrats appear to take a more nuanced and complex (some would say muddled and/or waffling) approach to problems, e.g. crime/drug problem = study statistics, determine root causes, address links to poverty, education, opportunity, etc.; Foreign policy problem = negotiate, seek allies to apply pressure, deploy military first as negotiating tool and attack only as last resort; Abortion = address causes of unwanted pregnancies, offer assistance to single mothers that make alternatives more attractive, provide access to birth control and sex education to reduce the demand etc. (I realize this is a superficial analysis, but the forum doesn't allow for much more.) It's almost as if Republicans view every problem as a nail and for every problem they have a hammer. Democrats might use a screw-driver, or pliers or a saw. It may take them longer, but they're far less likely to damage the furniture. The hammer approach has the benefit of being easily explained and understood by almost anyone. The toolbox approach sometimes bores people to tears.

Oh...and taxes....Republicans have a hatred of taxes that goes beyond all rationality.

Answer 2

There aren't many. Democrats tend to be pro-individual freedom and Republicans tend to be pro-government power.

There are Democrats and Republicans on both sides of the issues you mentioned. The best choice, as always, is to vote the issues and not the party.

Democrats, in general, would find abortion and gay rights to be personal freedom issues, while Republicans would view then as legitimate extensions of government power. War and the death penalty tend to be favored by Republicans as a show of government strength.

Of course, the views of the Democratic and Republican parties differ, sometimes greatly, from the views of those calling themselves a Democrat or a Republican.

Answer 3

Sometimes it is hard to tell them apart; their common objective is to grab power & hold it as long as possible. The people are incidental. Moneyed interests frequently donate to both parties. Since 1913 both parties have spent more than the country produced, therefor charges of fiscal irresponsibility are to be equally distributed over the last century.

Parties represent what people impute upon them.

Neither party will take a serious stand on any issue that doesn't help the party.
Neither one tells the truth if it might not be to their advantage.
Neither one has realistic answers for the serious & worsening problems that face the U.S.

I'm not surprised that you are wondering what if any substantive differences there are. I have wondered the same thing myself.

Answer 4

Republicans used to believe in less government, Morales, the death penalty. Abortion is a split item these days. Some Republicans believe in abortion as do most Democrats. Abortion is an issue more about the rights of the women then the baby. Democrats beleive in big government, more government programs to HELP us help them manage our lives.

Answer 5

The main difference is the role of the government in your life. The Republicans used to be the people who believed that the government should not have much control over your life. The govt should run the military and deliver the mail and that's it.. They were also for strict balanced budgets.
Democrats are the people who thought the government should help people and thought of things like social security.
Now the republicans want to tell you to go to church, decide when you have children, and have given their rich friends so many tax breaks the budget is so unbalanced it may go out and shoot somebody.
Go figure.

Answer 6

IMHO there are some differences:
Democrats stand for Democracy, an ancient highly regarded form of government where the population is allowed some measure of control and weighted with some measure of responsibility, through majority voting.
Republicans Stand for Republicanism, a similarly ancient take on rulership devised to protect the power of elitist interests and to preserve the might of rulership over the population, generally by enforcing the removal of deserved and hard won rights, freedoms, liberties ETC.

Republicans Lie, Cheat, and Steal. Democrats drag their feet, break new ground, and do the right thing.

Answer 7

It looks to me like the difference is how they interpret the phrase 'the end justifies the means'. Republicans believe yes, Democrats believe no.

Answer 8

democrats what you to rely on gov't to do everything for you. it isn't your fault if you have 6 kids by 6 different dads. the democrats will reward you for that. democrats want to take money away from the hard working people and give it to people that don't want to work.
Republicans try to help the working person. yeah some corporations get huge tax breaks. but if you was that person that started that corporation and got it to where it is a huge business wouldn't you want to keep that money. you earned it right. (or even if your great great grand father started the business the money shouldn't be take away from the person now because they inherited it.)

Answer 9

Well, Democrats support homosexual marriages, abortions, and pretty much all immoral activities (Clinton was a great example of that)...Republicans for the most part embrace morality. There are of course those that have really screwed up and are not the example for all.

Answer 10

In a nutshell...

Republicans are for corporations and Democrats are for special interest.

Both are basically playing on the same team though. Neither is for the American people anymore.