If Democrats and Republicans all have the same thing in mind, a better America. Why cant they ever agree...?

Question

on anything? Whats the deal? Wouldnt it be best for the country if they learned to compromise?

Hankster- Thanks. I will have to check it out.

Answer 1

They have a plan for a better America (or more correct- for themselves and their associates), but for the sake of this answer, I'll leave my personal views out of it.
Liberals (Democrats) want to shape America and morals through larger government and social control. Liberals are the ones that support welfare and more taxes for more police, roads, ect.
Conservatives (Republicans) are in more support of free market/capitalism ideas. They believe in a smaller government, but have a strong emphasis on family and religious morals.
Libertarians are about a full free market, with a very, very small government.
There are also varies sects of each, for example NeoCons (Bush being one), however I won't go into too much detail about that.
I hope I've answered your question. One thing one must be careful about government is that you don't ever want a government that all agree with everything. While Congress would certaintly pass laws faster and with more ease, is that really the best. The founders of this great country knew that the way they set up the three branches, it wouldn't be easy for laws to pass, and for a great reason.
I applaud you for thinking of solutions, however, I encourage you to read a book called Great Ideas, Grand schemes. It's a book that covers the different parties, who they are, and where they've come from, very fascinating stuff.

Answer 2

It's because their priorities are different. They both want a "better" America, but does that mean an America in which individual businessmen can rise to immense positions of power, or does that mean an America in which the rights of the individual employees are strongly protected (through minimum wage, mandatory insurance, etc -- all of which costs the employers money.) Does that mean an America in which people can lead whatever kind of private life they wish, even if that's a life of homosexual marriage, or an America in which an image of heterosexual marital fidelity is pushed as a "good example" (despite the many divorces and affairs among even the "Family Values" crowd)? Etc.

Our best hope is compromise. Generally if one party is strong for awhile, then the other party is strong for awhile, we achieve some small measure of balance in the middle.

Answer 3

A most excellent observation! I have noticed the same thing, and I wonder WHY we think we must hate on each other, it didn't used to be like this. Can't blame them, it's what they were taught in school - "Hegelian dialect" - it's DESIGNED to keep everyone rooting for their side instead of looking for answers. I am so shocked at how well it's worked. We have stopped being Americans with different opinions, we have now become the parties of good vs bad, my way or the highway. Y'all DO realize that every minute we spend in this futile effort to insult each other endlessly, we are NOT paying attention to what is actually going on in DC? We get OPINIONS from PAID by corporations, talk show/TV hosts who are ACTUALLY entertainers, NOT journalists and think it "news" - it's right or wrong. No, it's one man's OPINION, you might agree with their opinion, it's STILL ONLY one man's opinion, there are others, many, many others, it never hurts to listen. ONLY by working together, do we accomplish anything worth accomplishing. We need to stop listening to those who spread hate & divisiveness. We NEED to get our act together and start working on solutions and quit with the doom and gloom. Now is a good time. Compromise is NOT a dirty word, spread the news, tell your reps.

Answer 4

Both parties are run by self interested politicians so I won't talk about parties.
Lets talk about Liberals and Conservatives.
I'm conservative and I have no political party to represent me.
I used to vote Republican because they came closest to being conservative, but they have betrayed Conservatives.
Now they have fallen back to the OLD or should I say ANCIENT tenancy of being the party of BIG BUSINESS.
Liberals tend to like big government taking care of all problems. Since Government is both corrupt and inefficient that doesn't work very well. It also opens the door to more control over the lives of individuals and puts more power in the hands of those who are eager to be corrupted by power.
Conservatives like less intrusive government that lets you handle your own problems.
That is less costly and more efficient, but leaves the ultra poor, ignorant, sick, and incapable or handy capped individuals with the need to rely on the charity of others. All too often that charity fails to perform adequately.
Those two views are opposite and incompatible by their nature. Compromise is possible, but never easy.

Answer 5

Because not only is the method of achieving said goal different, but the goals aren't even necessarily the same.

There can't be any good compromise when one side believes that it is best when the people decide and act for themselves, and the other side believes government should make the decisions for them.

Answer 6

Because for a Republican a better America may be one where you are allowed the opportunity to go to school, get an education, get a good job, start a business ect...

For a Democrat a better America may be, more money for food stamps, free healthcare, more welfare, free abortions...

Answer 7

Because one thinks one thing would make it better and the other thinks the opposite. They cant compromise, because they dont work together, either one is in charge, or the other is.

Answer 8

Both parties want a "better America", but they have different visions of the "better America".

Democrats want bigger government, higher minimum wage, higher taxes, stricter gun control laws, etc., etc.

Republicans want smaller government, a lower minimum wage, lower taxes, more lenient gun control laws, etc., etc.

They both want the same thing...they just have different views of what it is.

Answer 9

Smoke and mirrors is the deal and the average Joe is the loser, don' tell me we can't have a better running country if we gear it correctly. The gearing is wrong.

Answer 10

Because Republicans vote based on what their preacher tells them and not what makes sense in life.