Parties Flashcards
Democrat key values
-Lift the poorest Americans out of poverty
-Big government
-Higher taxes on wealthiest
-Expansion of affordable health care to all Americans
-Civil rights for minorities
-Pro choice position on abortion
-Separation of church and state
-Tightened gun control measures
-Introduce humane and sensible reforms to the immigration system including supporting DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)
-Reforms to policing especially to reduce racial inequality
-Work with organisations and other countries to tackle climate change
Republican key values
-Poverty is best solved by incentivising Americans to get jobs
-Preference for limited government
-Support lower taxes especially for the richest to cause ‘trickle down’ economics
-Healthcare should reflect the ability to pay: most Republicans agree with existing federal Medicare programme
-Civil rights have gone too far and no further extension is needed
-Accept gay marriage but oppose liberals who want to push rights further
-Pro-life position on abortion
-Religion should have a place in public life and support prayers in schools
-Second Amendment should be upheld in principle and in practice
-Support SC justices who are ‘originalist’
-Fear the US has become too diverse culturally and racially
-Immigration needs to be more tightly restricted
-Many are skeptical of the science behind climate change
Leadership
Parties do not have a clear leadership. Caused by separation of powers as the leader in the White House is not the overall ‘leader’. Currently is Hakeem Jefferies for the Democrats in the House. The President or the challenging party’s nominee has no direct power over their party in Congress. This can lead to a lack of party discipline and can cause Presidents’ bills to not be passed even if they have the majority like Trump’s healthcare reforms. Leadership is solely based on strong personalities
100 party system
Not two parties in the US but 100 as there are 50 state Republican parties and 50 state Democrat parties. State parties play an important role in organising primaries and have their own structures but have minimal direct role in candidate selection.
National Committees
The central structure of parties are very weak as their main role is to organise the national convention and to draw up the party’s national platform. They have no say in the actual nomination. Their chair’s are never household names
Four ‘Hill Committees’
-Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)
-National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC)
-Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC)
-National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC)
Primarily coordinate campaigns and donors and where this money ends up. Also sometimes run their own ads and campaigns. They don’t have a formal role in choosing the candidate but often aid or encourage promising candidates
