PARTIES - key ideas and principles of the two main parties Flashcards
BASIC INFO
Which country’s parties are wider (in terms of ideology)? The UK or USA?
US Parties are far wider in the ideology spectrum too as they facilitate a varying range of opinions.
E.g., Senator Susan Collins is a pro-choice Republican.
Senator James Inhofe is a pro-life Republican. He introduced a bill to congress which would not allow the taxpayer to fund abortion.
BASIC INFO
On which level are US parties organised?
Nationally!
National infrastructures - Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee head their parties.
E.g., the party platform is produced by the RNC etc.
BASIC INFO
So, do state level organisation not exist?
NO
Parties in America are also organised at a state level - every state has its own Democrat and Republican Parties with their own party platforms which are relevant to the state they’re in.
What divides America’s two main parties?
How do Americans identify themselves?
Most Americans identify themselves as Conservative - 35% approx
20% approx identify themselves as Liberal
What divides America’s two main parties?
How is the word, ‘liberal’ used differently in the US and Europe?
In EU, liberalism refers to classical liberalism and the likes of Maggie T and laissez-faire economics.
In the USA, liberalism refers to modern/social liberalism which advocates for a mixed economy and the welfare state.
What divides America’s two main parties?
What policies do American liberals tend to support?
Fiscal liberals believe in a small government which fights inequality, supports low taxes, and has greater regulation.
Socially, liberals advocate for civil rights, abortion rights, gay marriage, gun control rights etc.
What divides America’s two main parties?
What policies do American conservatives tend to support?
Fiscal conservatives want a small government, low taxes, and limited regulation.
What divides America’s two main parties?
Why are America’s parties described as big tent parties?
There have been moments where voting behaviour of Dems and Reps in Congress have overlapped.
There are Conservative Reps and Liberal Reps and there are Conservative Dems and Liberal Dems.
What divides America’s two main parties?
Define the 100-party system
Nelson W Polsby argued that variations in the 50 political cultures of states have considerable differences overall in what it means to be an affiliate of either the Reps or the Dems.
He argues we have a 100-party system because the Dems in NYC differ crazily from the Dems in Texas.
What divides America’s two main parties?
Why do Americans feel like there is a substantial overlap between the two main parties?
Civil Rights Act 1964 was supported by 80% Reps and 64% Dems = support for the bill was geographical, and not ideological.
Policy differences
Social and moral issues | death penalty
evi :)
Democrats oppose the death penalty and want a fairer legal system whilst Republicans are more supportive of the death penalty and support the rights of states to execute citizens necessary.
29% of Dems strongly oppose death penalty.
9% of Reps strongly oppose death penalty.
Policy differences
Social and moral issues | same-sex marriage
evi :)
Democrats are forward thinking but they recognise that there is work that still needs to be done. Republicans believe in the nuclear family based on heterosexual marriage.
Obergefell v Hodges 2015 - Reps disagreed with this ruling and Dems agreed with this - O was a gay man who was married to Arthur, who was dying of cancer. Ohio didn’t recognise their marriage, but by a 5-4 ruling, the SC stated that if you’re married in one state, other states must recognise it.
The Dems supported the ruling, the Reps disagreed with the ruling.
Policy differences
Social and moral issues | abortion
evi :)
Dems believe that women should have access to quality reproductive healthcare services, including a safe and legal abortion. Reps believe however, that the sanctity of human life and unborn human children have a right to life which cannot be infringed.
Trump became the first sitting president to attend an anti-abortion rally in Jan 2020 - he argued that ‘every person is worth protecting’
2021 Dec abortion legislation - state legislatures made headlines when they enacted laws that restricted abortions e.g., Texas forbidding abortions after six weeks, has become the first state to effectively eliminate most procedures statewide since Roe v Wade.
Policy differences
Social and moral issues | environment
evi :)
The Dems are committed to the climate crisis - they want to ensure that 50% of their electricity came from clean energy resources within a decade.
Republicans support the development of any and all forms of energy that are beneficial or profitable for a free economy without subsidies (oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear power, hydropower)
Trump’s govt withdrew from the Paris Agreement in 2017 which sought to promote greater greener energy sources.
Biden re-joined the Paris Climate Agreement and wants the US to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Policy differences
Social and moral issues | guns
evi :)
Dems want to expand and strengthen background checks to close dangerous loopholes that enable access to weapons of war - Reps firmly support firearm reciprocity legislation which acknowledges the right of individuals to use firearms to protect themselves or their family.
Mark and Patricia from Missouri 2020 June - during George Floyd protests, they pointed firearms and yelled at trespassing protesters - they were charged and they were forced to pay fines. They later criticised the BLM protesters at the 2020 RNC.
