Democrats 5.2

Question 1

Key Democrat Principles

Answer 1

Broadly liberal, larger role for the state.

Support desegregation, civil rights, environmentalism, LGBTQ+ rights, and female reproductive rights.

Favor interventionist policies in healthcare and poverty reduction.

Question 2

Progressive Attitudes

Answer 2

Informed by modern liberalism and equality of opportunity.

Advocate change and reform.

Question 3

Civil Rights Acts

Answer 3

Instigators of the Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965).

Aimed to end legal segregation and ensure full civil and political rights for black Americans.

Question 4

Crime and Rehabilitation

Answer 4

Favour a mix of punishment and rehabilitation.

Called for a Justice in Policing Act to address institutional racism.

Question 5

Pro-Choice Stance

Answer 5

Strong supporters of abortion rights.

Oppose attempts to weaken access to abortion.

Pro-choice stance dominates Democrat lawmakers.

Question 6

Championing LGBTQ+ Rights

Answer 6

Democrats have championed LGBTQ+ rights over the past decade.

Obama administration was the most pro-LGBTQ+ in US history.

Question 7

2020 Platform

Answer 7

Linked LGBTQ+ rights to immigration and foreign policy.

Promised to defend LGBTQ+ rights globally and counter violence and discrimination.

Question 8

Key Actions

Answer 8

Repealed ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ (2010).

Passed the Hate Crime Prevention Act (2010).

Ended legal defense of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) (2011).

Ensured hospital visitation rights for LGBT patients (2011).

Advanced equality for LGBT federal employees.

Question 9

Increasing LGBTQ+ Representation

Answer 9

Pete Buttigieg: First openly gay candidate for a major party’s presidential nomination (2020).

Tammy Baldwin: First gay senator, elected in 2012.

Question 10

Modern Liberalism

Answer 10

Influenced by modern liberalism and the idea of an enabling state.

Prefer positive freedom, implying a positive role for the state in the economy.

Question 11

Economic Intervention

Answer 11

Until the Great Depression, both parties followed a small-state model.

Franklin D. Roosevelt adopted Keynesianism to address economic downturns.

Question 12

Keynesianism

Answer 12

System of economic management with government intervention to stimulate the economy.

Aims for full employment and economic growth.

Question 13

Democratic Presidents

Answer 13

Roosevelt, Johnson, Carter, Clinton, and Obama preferred modern liberalism.

Supported state intervention to finance a larger welfare state and enable positive freedom.

Question 14

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009)

Answer 14

Inspired by Keynesian deficit spending.

$787 billion stimulus package after the 2008–09 financial crisis.

Question 15

CARES Act (2020)

Answer 15

$2.2 trillion economic stimulus for the Covid-19-ravaged US economy.

Question 16

Market Regulation

Answer 16

Democrats support regulating the free market.

Dodd–Frank Act (2010) brought significant regulatory control to prevent financial crises.

Question 17

Taxation

Answer 17

Favour increased taxation for the wealthy.

Support the Buffett Rule to ensure millionaires pay a fair share.

Question 18

Influence of Modern Liberalism

Answer 18

Strongly influenced Democrats’ views on the enabling state and social welfare

Question 19

Great Society Policies

Answer 19

President Johnson’s 1960s policies expanded federal responsibility for education, health, housing, and the environment.

Question 20

Affordable Care Act (2010)

Answer 20

Obama succeeded in passing healthcare legislation where Clinton failed.

Question 21

Rights for Illegal Immigrants and Gun Control

Answer 21

Democrats support increased rights for illegal immigrants and greater gun control, despite challenges from the Second Amendment.