Chapter 5 - 2/5 - Democratic and Republican parties Flashcards
Who described the two US parties as being “Like two bottles with different labels, both empty”?
Professor Dennis Brogan, 1954
What is the Republican Party heavily influenced by?
Neo-conservatism
What informs the Republican Party’s values?
Christianity
What does Republicans oppose of religious and moral grounds?
Abortion.
What was Trump the first sitting president to do in January 2020?
Attend an anti-abortion rally.
What is the Mexico City Policy?
The requirement for non-governmental organisations receiving state funding to not provide abortions.
Who implemented the Mexico City Policy?
President Ronald Reagan
When was the Mexico City Policy first implemented?
1984
What does the Republican Party’s neo-conservatism lead them to support?
The Second Amendment - epitomised by Mark and Patricia McCloskey who stood out the front of their house brandishing guns during BLM protests.
What is the Republican approach to the use and distribution of drugs and gangs?
They are intolerant and favour strong punishments.
What is the ‘religious right’?
Mainly white, Protestant evangelical Christians that support traditional social values and are allied with the Republican Party.
What was the Republican Party’s 2016 election pledge to traditional family values?
“recognise marriage as the union between one and and one woman”
What is the Republican view on government intervention in the economy?
They take the neo-liberal view and prefer negative freedom and a limited government which interferes minimally in the lives of individuals - laissez-faire.
What has been rolled back to further the interests of industry and business under Republicans?
Environmental protections, seen in Trump withdrawing from the Paris Accords in 2017.
What did the Paris Accords seek to do?
Reduce carbon emissions and promote greener energy sources.
What aspect of neo-conservatism can be found in Republican ideology?
Nationalism and support for the nation state.
What is an example of Republican neo-conservative pragmatism in times of crisis?
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, 2020
Why are Republicans willing to put their neo-conservative ideas ahead of their neo-liberal ones?
Because neo-conservatism stresses the importance of protecting society which neo-liberal laissez-faire can threaten.
What is Republican Party ideology a blend of?
Neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism
What does the Republican’s neo-conservatism lead them to support?
Social welfare
What example of social welfare does the Republican party support?
Medicaid
What is Medicaid?
A health insurance programme for low-income, disabled, or elderly people.
What is the Republican attitude to social welfare?
They recognise that those worst off need to helped, but stress the importance of personal responsibility.
What is Democrat ideology informed by?
Modern liberalism with its belief in positive freedom to ensure equality of opportunity.
What term is used to describe Democrat policies?
‘progressive’ - understood as advocating change and reform.
What two Acts did the Democrats pass to end legal segregation?
- Civil Rights Act
- Voting Rights Act
When was the Civil Rights Act passed?
1964
When was the Voting Rights Act?
1965
What is the Democrat’s approach to dealing with crime?
A mixture of punishment and rehabilitation.
What are Democrats strong supporters of?
A pro-choice position on abortion.
What was the Democrat’s platform on abortion in the 2016 presidential election?
They said that every woman should have access to “safe and legal abortion”.
Which policy did the Democrats repeal that showed their support for LGBTQ+ rights?
Don’t ask, don’t tell
What was ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell?
A US military ban on gay persons serving in the military.
When did the Democrats repeal the ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy?
2010
What do Democrats champion?
LGBTQ+ rights
Which Act demonstrates the Democrat’s support of LGBTQ+ rights?
The Hate Crime Prevention Act
When was the Hate Crime Prevention Act passed?
2010
What dd the Hate Crime Prevention Act do?
Allowed violence motivated by the victim’s gender and sexuality to be investigated and prosecuted.
Who was the first openly gay candidate to mount a bid for the presidential nomination of the Democrat Party in 2020?
Pete Buttigieg
What sort of state does the Democratic Party favour?
An enabling state providing positive freedom.
Which economist have Democrats been influenced by?
John Maynard Keynes and his advocation of government interference to promote full employment and economic growth.
What prompted the Democrats to take a more interventionist approach to the economy?
The Great Depression
Which two recent examples demonstrate the Democrat’s support for Keynesian economics and an enabling state?
- CARES Act 2020
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009
When was the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed?
2009
What did the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act do?
Provide $787 billion of stimulus to the American economy in the aftermath of the 2008-09 financial crisis.
What did President Johnson launch in the 1960s?
A ‘war on poverty’
Which Act demonstrates the Democrat’s support for social welfare?
The Affordable Care Act
When was the Affordable Care Act passed?
2010
What are the 3 factions of the Democratic Party?
- Liberals/progressives
- Moderates/centrist
- Conservative
What are the 3 factions of the Republican Party?
- Moderates
- Social conservatives
- Fiscal conservatives
What are the 3 factions of the Republican Party?
- Moderates
- Social conservatives
- Fiscal conservatives
What are the key values of the Liberal/progressive faction of the Democratic Party?
- Social justice
- Racial justice
- LGBTQ+ rights
- Ending the death penalty
- Support for environmental protection
- Gun control
Who are two key Liberals/progressive figures in the Democrat Party?
- Bernie Sanders
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
- Elizabeth Warren
What did Ocasio-Cortez say about the factions in the Democrat Party?
“In any other country, Joe Biden and I would not be in the same party”
How does the moderate faction of the Democratic Party view the liberal/progressive faction?
As socialist
What is the ideology of the moderate liberal faction?
The are modern liberals.
What faction does Biden belong to?
Moderates
What are the key moderate Democrat faction values?
- Lower prescription drug prices
- Tackling climate change and reaching net-zero by 2050, re-joining the Paris Accords
- $15 minimum wage
- Building affordable housing
Where are the tensions between Liberals and moderates in the Democratic Party?
- Cheaper prescriptions; universal healthcare
- Net-zero by 2050 and the Paris Accord; banning nuclear power and fracking
- $640 billion on affordable housing; Sanders would spend $2.5 trillion
What is the difference between Sanders and Biden on housing?
Biden committed to $640 billion over ten years on affordable housing, whereas Sanders wanted to spend $2.5 trillion.
What is the conservative faction of the Democratic Party sometimes called?
Blue Dog Democrats
Who is the weakest of the three Democrat factions?
The conservatives
What social justice advancements did the conservative faction of the Democrat Party oppose?
- Repealing ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’
- Same-sex marriage
What Republican policy did the conservative Democrat faction support?
The building of a border wall with Mexico
What are the key values of the moderate faction of the Republican Party?
- Less socially conservative and support LGBTQ+ rights
- Advocate positive freedom
- Unwilling to repeal Obamacare entirely
In which areas does the fiscal conservative faction of the Republican Party favour limited government?
In all but one: defence spending.
Which caucus represents the fiscal conservative faction of the Republican Party?
The Freedom Caucus
What are the key values of the fiscal conservative faction of the Republican Party?
- Want to cut government spending
- Tax cuts and a small state
- Repeal of Obamacare
Which Republican Party faction is referred to as the ‘religious right’ or ‘Christian right’?
Social conservative
What are the key values of the social conservative faction of the Republican Party?
- Anti-abortion
- Opposed to same-sex marriage
- Strong links to Christianity
- Defenders of the Second Amendment
Which caucus is the social conservative faction of the Republican Party associated with?
Republican Study Committee - the largest ideological caucus
Who is a key figure in the social conservative faction?
Ted Cruz
How do black Americans always tend to vote?
Democrat - they have always given at least 83% support to them between 1980 and 2020.
How much of the white vote did Trump get in both 2016 and 2020?
58%
How much of the black vote did Trump get in 2016 compare to 2020?
In 2016 it was 8%, but in 2020 it had risen to 12%
How much of the black vote did the Democrats get in 2016 compared to 2020?
In 2016 they got 88%; in 2020 it actually decreased to 87% - still, it is an overwhelming support despite the drop.
What was the Latino support for Trump in 2016 compared to 2020?
29% of Latinos voted for Trump in 2016 compared to 32% in 2020 - that is despite his anti-Mexico agenda.
What was the Latino vote for the Democratic Party in 2016 compared to 2020?
65% in both elections
Which religious group is a staple support for Republicans?
Protestants, giving them between 54% and 62% in the last six presidential elections.
How much of the Protestant vote did Trump win in 2016?
81%
Who did the Catholics traditionally vote for?
The Democratic Party
Why has the Catholic Democrat vote wavered since the 1970s?
Because of the party’s support for abortion
How many Catholics voted for Biden in 2020?
52%
How many Protestants voted for Trump in 2020?
76%
How much of the atheist vote did Biden win in 2020?
72%
Who do women tend to vote for?
The Democratic Party
How many men voted for Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 election?
53%
How may women voted Democrat in 2020?
57%
Why might women vote for the Democrats more than Republicans?
- They have more high profile women.
- Their policies favour women more.
- Trump’s attitude towards them.
Who do college educated and higher voters support?
Democrats
How many college graduates voted for Biden in 2020?
55%
How did Professor Denis Brogan describe the two major US parties?
“Like two bottles with different labels, both empty”
