Democrats Flashcards
Key Stances
progressive attitude on social and moral issues, including crime
greater governmental intervention in the national economy
government provision of social welfare.
Internal Divide
Divides can be seen as further widening on Israel/Gaza war as Biden declares the ICC charges against Netanyahu as it was “outrageous” to apply for arrest warrants. There was “no equivalence - none - between Israel and Hamas”. (BBC- 21st May)
Dems Value
Democrats support greater protection of individual liberty and prevention of discrimination. Also, some of them including the progressive and moderate democrats are more cooperative with unions and focus on labour rights protections.
LGBTQ stance
Modern Democrats support stronger rights for racial minorities and the LGBTQ+ community.
Greater intervention in the national economy, e.g. Infrastructure Act 2022 that allows trillions of dollars funding federal transportation, clean water, electric grids, and broadband access. This acts as a way of providing social justice (similar to social liberals)
Socio deprived groups
Greater protection for lower socio-economic groups who have little control over the economic situation they find themselves in and long favoured government provision of social welfare including higher levels of benefits and funding or social programmers to help those who are the less well off and resolve social problems
Climate change
Division can be seen on climate policies and economic policies where the conservative Democrats like Sen. Joseph Manchin voted against the Build Back Better Act 2021 on climate change and social policy with $1.75 trillion spending.
Progressive Vs traditional
Some Democrats including the former President Bill Clinton support capital punishment whereas the progressive Democrats mostly oppose it.
AOC
Medicare for All: A single-payer healthcare system that would guarantee universal healthcare coverage for all Americans.
The Green New Deal: A comprehensive policy framework aimed at combating climate change by transitioning the U.S. to 100% renewable energy while also addressing economic inequality by creating millions of new jobs in green industries.
Tuition-Free Public College: Advocating for the elimination of tuition fees at public colleges and universities to reduce the burden of student debt.
Abolishing ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement): Criticizing the agency’s practices as harmful to immigrant communities and calling for its replacement with a more humane system.
Federal Jobs Guarantee: Ensuring that all Americans have access to a job with fair wages and benefits.
Taxing the Wealthy: AOC has proposed increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans, particularly through measures like a marginal tax rate of up to 70% on incomes over $10 million.
AOC quotes
Critique of Capitalism: AOC has argued that the current economic system promotes inequality. She famously said, “Unemployment is low because everyone has two jobs… Capitalism has not always existed in the world, and it will not always exist.”
Climate Change: She has likened the fight against climate change to the mobilization effort during World War II, arguing for a massive investment in renewable energy to avoid an existential threat.
Palestine-Israel Conflict: AOC referred to the situation in Palestine as an “occupation,” later admitting she was not an expert on the issue but calling for a two-state solution.
Josh Shapiro - a centrist stance
What He Stands For:
Healthcare Access and Affordability: Shapiro supports expanding access to healthcare but stops short of endorsing Medicare for All. He focuses on strengthening the Affordable Care Act and lowering prescription drug costs.
Energy and Climate Policy: Shapiro advocates for a balanced approach to energy policy, supporting renewable energy development while also recognizing the role of natural gas in Pennsylvania’s economy. He backs initiatives to reduce carbon emissions but avoids endorsing the Green New Deal outright.
Education and Workforce Development: Shapiro champions increased funding for public education, universal pre-K, and expanded vocational training programs. While not calling for tuition-free college, he supports making higher education more affordable through grants and debt relief programs.
Immigration Reform: Shapiro favors comprehensive immigration reform, emphasizing pathways to citizenship and humane treatment of immigrants. However, he does not call for the outright abolition of ICE, instead advocating for reforms to the agency’s practices.
Economic Growth and Worker Protections: He promotes raising the minimum wage, strengthening union rights, and supporting small businesses through tax incentives and infrastructure investments. Shapiro supports targeted policies to reduce inequality without endorsing a federal jobs guarantee.
Tax Policy: Shapiro backs closing tax loopholes for large corporations and ensuring the wealthy pay their fair share but avoids proposing dramatic tax increases, preferring incremental reforms.
Key quotes from Josh Shapiro
Bipartisanship: Shapiro has positioned himself as a pragmatic leader, saying, “Pennsylvania is at its best when we find common ground and put the people ahead of politics.”
Voting Rights: In response to election denialism, Shapiro has consistently defended democracy, stating, “We respect the will of the voters here in Pennsylvania.”
Abortion Rights: Shapiro strongly supports abortion access, framing it as a matter of personal freedom: “I trust women to make their own healthcare decisions – the government doesn’t belong in that room.”
Public Safety: On balancing policing and reform, he remarked, “We can fund the police while demanding accountability – these are not mutually exclusive.”
Progressive (liberals):
represent the more radical, left wing elements of the party. They use the federal, national government to achieve social justice by providing welfare, health and education to the disadvantaged, increase taxes on the wealthy, and support more government intervention in the economy and less military intervention abroad. e.g. pro-Affordable care, pro-Infrastructure Act 2022
Individuals: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (member of The Squad, Rep. from New York), Bernie Sanders (independent, senator from Vermont)
Moderate (similar to one-nation tories):
centrists who identify with compromise, most typically in areas e.g. economy and welfare, where they take a middle ground approach (e.g. accepting limits of abortion, restrictions on civil liberties like anti-terror laws (Patriot Act), death penalty). They are the dominant force in the Democrat Party at the moment.
Individuals: Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton (increase army in Afghanistan, pro-death penalty), Barack Obama, Hakeem Jeffries, Joe Biden (before presidency)
Conservative (Blue Dogs):
socially conservative on moral issues e.g. religion, gun control, while disagreeing with Republican conservative views on trade and tax (e.g. anti-affordable care, anti-abortion, anti-infrastructure act, anti-voting rights). There are only 10 congressional members left in the Blue-dog coalition now so they can be seen as a dying breed in the Democrats.
Individuals: Joe Manchin (senator from West Virginia, opposed Obama’s energy policies including reductions and restrictions on coal mining, because his family owns a waste coal brokerage company), Mary Peltola (Rep. from Alaska).
