What are the fundamental lines that distinguish between a Republican and a Democrat?

Question

What makes a citizen a Republican or a Democrat and why join either of these parties.

I’d like an explanation.
For a non-American watching your news I always see a very thin line except for the current events which showed a huge difference in policies.

Answer 1

After much consideration, I would compare them this way...and please understand that I use extremes to illustrate the point...

Imagine two families....one Republican, one Democrat.

The Republican family is headed by the father. The mother is a stay at home mom of five children. Dad works as a banker, brings home the money and, as such, has the last word as the 'provider'. He takes his family to church every Sunday, and they sit - as an upstanding family in the church - in the same pew every week. They follow the bible's teachings, and as such, believe that abortion is wrong. Dad is a strong patriot...he believes in his country, right or wrong. He has a gun at home, and will use it to defend his family. He does not want the government to get overly involved in his family life, and doesn't believe that he should be over-taxed, just so that his hard earned money can be handed out to worthless hippies who are too lazy to get a job. He pays his mortgage on time, he is always current with his bills and he believes that everyone should do the same.

In the Democrat's household, the parents are 'partners'. They may even be same sex partners. They have children as well, and raise them the best way they know how. There aren't as many rules in the house, and the children are encouraged to think for themselves. They encourage the children to respect everyone else's views...even if they don't actually believe them. They are pro-choice and don't necessarily feel that the church should influence the way they think. They want a peaceful world, where everyone is fed, has access to free healthcare and safe and happy. Not always terribly sensible, but they are humanitarians...and they believe that everyone should share in the providing for others. In essence...they are a very liberal family...some might call them hippies.

Answer 2

I mentally split the two parties in their mindsets in the economy. The Democrats have a history of helping common workers and are responsible for many of the social programs that are still in place today. The Democrats in my opinion work on the lower economic ladder steps. The Republicans are more big business. They believe in things such as the trickle down effect. They tend to dislike government involvement with the people and as this party currently has demonstrated plays into highly religious and controversial issues such as Roe v.s. Wade and Gay Marriage Bans. The individual canidates are not bad but the Republican party has become corrupt and ineffective due to an imbalance of power. There was no check and balance in the last few years and i fear the country has suffered and will suffer due to mismanagement of the de facto ruling party.

Answer 3

Republicans tend to be Conservative and Democrats tend to be Liberal (although many are actively embracing Socialism in greater numbers, which is a source of conflict with Conservatives.) This isn't always the case, however; there are Liberal-leaning Republicans, but the Conservative branch of the Democratic party is almost extinct (just ask Zell Miller.)

With that in mind, Conservatives put their faith in the individual, and will proudly say in true Jeffersonian form: "Government is evil by its very nature, so the smaller and less intrusive it is, the better off we all are." As such Conservatives demand personal responsibility and accountability from individuals, and will recognize that society starts to unravel if all members do not actively contribute.

Liberals put their faith in institutions, and think that government should play a prominent role in everyone's lives.

Answer 4

there are a few steps involved...

1st step, asnwer the question
1) are you pro-choice (d) or pro-life(r)?
2) are you for more taxes (d) or lower taxes (r)?
3) do you go to church (r) or not (d)?
4) do you think gays can marry (d) or not (r)?
5) do you think man causes global warming (d) or is it natural (r)?
6) do you think monitoring int'l phone calls is bad (d) or good (r)?
ect...
tall those up, the more (d) you get, the more you are a democrat and vice versa.

step 2,
if you are a democrat then listen to anything the replubicans want to do and oppose it.
if you are a republican, blame the democrats for not doing anything to solve the problems.


after you follow these 2 easy steps, you'll be on your way to becoming a sheep.

Answer 5

How observant of you!
Democrats are presumed to be more liberal and push for more domestic policies/spending that will benefit the people of the U.S.
Republicans are considered more "conservative." Which means they favor the rich and to hell with the poor and social programs. They cost too much in their opinion and just perpetuate the poverty cycle. The money is better spent on foreign aid and programs which could lead to more foreign contacts and dollars to benefit the rich.
That's my take on it. As a poor person I naturally embrace the Democrats. They are the lessor of two evils. All are usually rich white people who don't really have a clue about living from paycheck to paycheck. You can't run a campaign without being wealthy. At least the Democrats have been known to throw us poor dogs a bone.

Answer 6

Try to condense. Democrat likes to question and make own choices. Republican believes following a set of standards and loyalty to the standard.

Answer 7

republicans live in the now and in reality

democrats, live in the bong smoke choked back rooms of the 60's.

"peace and harmony" are nice things to think about, and make you feel all warm and fuzzy,, but its very unrealistic

a "pipe dream" if you will

Answer 8

Liberals tend to believe in the social contract, that we are stronger as a nation when we empower each other and conduct our government for broad social benefit rather than for individual benefit. Conservatives, on the other hand, operate from a lower level of human development where individual empowerment means "survival of the fittest", "a sucka's born every minute", "dominion over the planet means plunder rather than guardianship" and "me first".

Genocide, rigging elections, gerrymandering, lying and torture are OK if it means their survival. They believe that the end justifies the means. Liberals do not. Conservatives have never believed in the American Dream. Since the beginning of this democracy, the dream to be free and have a fair chance has been under attack by the Conservative's belief system.

Conservatives do not believe in the U.S. Constitution, unless it serves their self-interests. Liberals believe in free speech. Conservatives do not. Liberals look out for each other's rights in our pluralistic society. Conservatives do not. Conservatives do not care for anyone but themselves and their own viewpoints, their own religions, their own bank accounts. They are not believers in the common good. They plunder, even from the weak. They do not care about their own neighbors or their own communities or people who are different than they are. They prefer to live in gated communities and build massive fences and walls. They relentlessly strive to disenfranchise as many people from the American Dream as possible.

According to the Supreme Court record, they fought against Americans who wanted slavery abolished. They fought against black Americans who wanted to vote. They fought against female Americans who wanted to vote. They fought against Americans who wanted to keep church and state separate. They fought against older and disabled Americans who wanted American public restrooms and sidewalks to accommodate wheelchairs. They fought against American workers who wanted a decent minimum wage and a forty-hour work week. They fight to this day against poor people by refusing to raise the minimum wage yet voting themselves raises in legislative bodies.

While claiming to support "family values," they fought against American children and forced them to work like slaves in factories and mines. They spent our money making arms dealers rich while taking money away from the public school system. They fought against working American mothers who needed equal pay and decent childcare. They fought against hungry American babies and slashed preschool nutritional programs for the poor. They fought against pregnant poor Americans and slashed prenatal care programs.

They fought against American healthcare professionals who were struggling to stop the spread of AIDS and they blocked the distribution of condoms that would have saved millions of American lives. They fought against American homosexuals who wanted to be able to rent a house or an apartment and live together in peace.

They fought against American police organizations that pleaded for a ban on the guns that slaughter police officers and over 40,000 Americans every year. They fought against Americans who tried to protect the environment and people from pollution and poisons that are being put in the air and water.

They fought against every American in court who has struggled to protect our freedom of speech. They fight against Americans who want the Internet to remain free. They fight against Americans who want peace and they fight to protect their right to profit from war. They fought against a common ground like this Yahoo site, a common ground where people from all tribes and nations of the world could gather and share ideas and problem-solving, the United Nations.

Their vision has plunged this nation in horrible debt, set back science and technology and our national math and science scores to the point where our young people cannot even pass the new global job market tests while they pandered to fringe religious groups for their votes, sold us out in NAFTA based contracts that thus far have benefitted only a few and have divided this nation in order to plunder even the future of our children.

Liberals stand for growth, change, evolving. Liberals stand for tolerance, respect, diversity. Liberals stand for compassion, spirituality and love for fellow humans. That's why I'm a liberal.