5.2 - Political Parties Flashcards
Political parties - Values of Dems - Immigration
- Legal immigration is positive as diversity is integral to US society
- Immigrants tend to vote Dem
- Dems very supportive of a pathway for illegal immigrants to gain citizenship (EG Dreamer Act under Obama)
- Supportive of idea that anyone can come to the US and start a new life
Political parties - Values of Dems - National Security
- Dems generally oppose high levels of defence spending
- Typically believe in the use of diplomacy and minimal use of armed forces unless absolutely necessary
- Dems have been very vocal about not treating all people as terrorists
Political parties - Values of Dems - The economy
- Dems believe in positive freedom - empowering the roles of the state within the economy
- Believe the economy is rigged against working and middle class families
- Believe in Big Gob (gov intervention)
- Favour increase in taxation of the rich and support the Buffet Rule (billionaire investment)
- Supports the creation of a bigger welfare system and a safety net to stop people falling into poverty
- Anti trickle-down economics
Political parties - Values of Dems - Civil rights, voting, and gay rights
- Informed by modern liberalism and equality of opportunity for everyone
- Recently used terms such as progressive which can be understood as advocating change and reform EG Civil Rights Act 1964 and Voting Rights Act 1965
- Sought an end to legal segregation and give black Americans full civil and political rights
Political parties - Values of Dems - Healthcare
- Medicare for all - believe that healthcare is a right not a privilege - therefore have been fighting to secure universal healthcare
- 2010 Affordable Care Act - led to over 20 million American gaining healthcare coverage - the rate of uninsured Americans has almost halved
- Bipartisan congress passed the 2020 CARES Act under Trump
- Pro choice in terms of abortion
Political parties - Values of Dems - The environment
- Dems are super strict on env controls and believe climate change poses a real threat to economy, national security, and children’s health and future
- The Green New Deal is a framework launched in Congress by AOC for mobilising the federal gov to create millions of family-sustaining union jobs and fight the climate crisis at the same time
- Dems want to reduce dependence on foreign oil
- Dems want to use the savings to provide consumer relief and develop energy alternatives, and investing in energy and independent technology
Political parties - Values of Reps - Immigration
- Republicans place particular importance on border security and deportation of illegal immigrants
- 91% of Republicans believe border security should be a top priority
- Rep immigration policies include Trump’s border wall
- Half of Reps (47%) say the US should decrease the amount of immigrants coming in legally
Political parties - Values of Reps - National security
- Very strong national defence with strong domestic and overseas presence
- Only 4 Senators and 3 House Reps opposed the Vietnam War in the 60s
- Strong non-interventionist wing of the Party called American First
- 61% of Reps supported US troops in Iraq in 2018 - down from 89% in 2003
- Typically support a strong national security system
Political parties - Values of Reps - The economy
- Reps believe that the gov should not be involved in the economy as a whole
- Believe free market enterprises are central to the US - EG Reagan who promoted the idea of trickle down economic which promotes low taxes and powerful businesses
- Reps also favour keeping inflation in check as a means of controlling the economy as opposed to employment - monetarism
Political parties - Values of Reps - Tradition
- Reps wish to preserve the US’ organic society from social fragmentation
- Uneasy with the social and sexual revolution that began in the 1960s and feel as though this has fragmented society
- Most Reps are heavily influenced by Christianity and believe there are clear rights and wrongs
- Tend to oppose abortion, gay marriage and recreation drug use
Political parties - Values of Reps - Healthcare
- Reps believe in a patient centred healthcare system
- System based on free markets and fostering competition - believe that the free market will regulate itself to bring prices down
- Believe a healthcare system run by gov will reduce efficiency and the standards of care and increase waiting lists
- Oppose the Affordable Care Act EG California v Texas 2020
Political parties - Values of Reps - Guns
- Reps view gun ownership as highly integral to the functioning of the US and society due to their belief that the gov needs a check on its power
- Believe that the main check on the Constitution would be an armed population
- Very supportive of the rights of individuals and believe that these rights trump the rights of the group
- GOP receives large donations from the NRA - %12.2 million across 145 Congressional races in 2020
- 44% of Americans own a firearm
Democratic Factions - What are the three democratic factions?
- Liberals/progressives
- Moderates
- Conservatives
Democratic Factions - Liberals/progressives - Stance on justice, death penalty, LGBTQ+ rights, tuition fees, environment, healthcare, which caucus, key names?
- Social and racial justice, opposing the death penalty, pro LGBTQ+ rights, free college education, pro environmental deals (green new deal), medicare for all
- Associated with the Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Key names - Bernie Sanders, AOC (102 members)
Democratic Factions - Moderates - Stance on healthcare, minority rights, reform of police, affordable college, tax reform, climate change, and immigration, which caucus, key names?
- “Public option” for healthcare IE creation of a gov run health agency to compete with private insurers (EG NHS)
- Pro minority rights but more cautious about wholesale reform of the police, making college more affordable, tax reform, reducing climate change, humane immigration
- Associated with the New Democrats Coalition Caucus (94 members)
- Key names - Joe Biden and the Clintons
Democratic Factions - Conservatives - Stance on budgets, LGTQ+ rights, gun control, NRA, Obamacare, where representing, which coalition, key names
- Favour a balanced budget, less supportive of LGBTQ+ rights, less supportive of gun control, a few members have received high ratings from the NRA, anti Obamacare, tend to represent Red states in the Midwest and South
- Linked with the Blue Dog Coalition (26 members)
- Key names - Joe Manchin and Jim Cooper
Republican Factions - What are the three Republican factions?
- Moderates
- Social Conservatives
- Fiscal Conservatives
Republican Factions - Moderates - Which group in congress, stance on the role of the state, Obamacare, immigration, public spending, key names?
- Associated with the Tuesday Group (15-20 members)
- Advocates for a bigger role for the state in society and the economy
- Unwilling to repeal Obamacare, more sympathetic towards migrants, and for high public spending on education
- Key names - Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski
Republican Factions - Social Conservatives - Stance on heterosexual marriages, death penalty, abortion, policing, sentencing, strong links to which demographic, prayers in public schools, second amendment, recreational drug use, which caucus, key names?
- Strong supporters of traditional heterosexual marriages, pro life, death penalty, robust policing, and tough sentencing
- Strong links to the “religious right” and white conservative evangelical Christianity
- Supports prayer in public schools, staunch defenders of the second amendment, opposes legal usage of recreational drugs
- Associated with the Republican Study Committee (159 members)
- Key names - Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Mike Pence
Republican Factions - Fiscal Conservatives - Stance of gov spending, size of gov, tax cuts, environment, balanced budgets, reducing budget deficit, Obamacare, Trump, which caucus, key names?
- Keen to reduce gov spending
- Advocates for “small gov”, tax cuts, and cutting environment protection
- Strong supporters of balanced budgets, reducing budget deficit, keen to repeal Obamacare, large Trump supporters
Associated with the Freedom Caucus (Roughly 50 members) - Key names - Rand Paul, Scott Perry
