Political parties Flashcards
What are the similarities between Democrat and Republican ideologies
- Similar outlook on the economy
E.g. both share a strong attachment to capitalism and the free market - A preference voting system
E.g. FPTP electoral system, both would suffer from any change to a more proportional voting system, which would encourage the rise of third parties and independents - Similar outlook on the role of America in the world
E.g. both believe that America should maintain a powerful presence in the world and remain the pre-eminent global power
What are the differences between the values of Republicans and Democrats?
- Republicans emphasise individual freedom and self-help, especially in economics, ??
What are the policy differences between Republicans and Democrats?
(taxes…)
- (tax)
Republicans are keen to keep tax as low as possible and support cutting taxes of the wealthy/corporations
E.g. the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reduced corporate tax rate from 37% to 21%
Democrats are less willing to cut taxes for the wealthy and keener to put money in the pockets of ordinary Americans
E.g. in 2010 Obama cut payroll taxes by 2% while reviving an inheritance tax on estates worth over 5 million
- (gun control)
Republicans are very reluctant support tougher gun laws. Strong ties to the NRA
E.g. many Republican-controlled states such as Mississippi, back ‘open carry’
E.g. Republican senators blocked Obama from passing any meaningful gun legislation
Democrats are supportive of gun control measures such as tighter background checks
E.g. Clinton supported the Assault Weapon Ban passed by Congress in 1994, but it expired in 2004 and despite attempts was not renewed
- (LGBT rights)
Republicans are generally hostile to LGBT rights
E.g. some Republican states have tried to pass ‘bathroom bills’
(restricting use of toilets for transgender people)
Democrats are generally supportive, reflecting a socially liberal approach
E.g. Obama came round to endorsing equal marriage, and he signed a bill repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’, in 2010 that had previously banned gay Americans from serving in the military
What are the policy differences between Republicans and Democrats?
(healthcare, immigration, abortion)
(healthcare)
1. Republicans oppose the extension of publicly funded healthcare
E.g. Republicans strongly opposed Obamacare, as they see healthcare as an individual responsibility for working people
Democrats support greater state healthcare
E.g. Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) were seen as a major step towards reducing the number of working Americans without health insurance
- (immigration)
Republicans are keen to restrict immigration, especially from Mexico and Latin America
E.g. Trump strongly support a border wall ‘Build that wall’
Democrats favour immigration reform and particular making citizenship possible for many existing illegal immigrants
E.g. the ‘Dreamers’ (those brought to the USA illegally as children)
- (abortion)
Republicans are strongly pro-life and anti-abortion
E.g. George W. Bush signed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in 2003, and was keen to defund Planned Parenthood
Democrats are increasingly pro-choice, although many are still pro-life
E.g. in 2003, 63 House Democrats backed the 2004 Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act.
Why have Republicans and Democrats become more polarised since the 1960s?
- The impeachment of Bill Clinton
E.g. this was a clearly political effort by Republicans to win the next election - Trump has moved the Republicans to the right, increasing the divide
E.g. in 2018 Trump had approval ratings of 89% among Republicans and just 9% among Democrats - Republicans and Democrats increasingly vote against each other
E.g. not a single Republican voted for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in 2010, and not a single Democrat senator voted for Trump’s tax cuts bill in 2017 - Senate nomination votes have become more polarised
E.g. in 2018 the SC justice nominee Brett Kavanagh saw all but one Republican vote for him, while all but one Democrat voted against him, so he was confirmed 50-48. By contrast in 1993, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was confirmed 96-3.
Are parties facing decline or renewal?
- Party decline, split ticket voting grew until the 1980s
E.g. in 1988 it reached high levels of 50%
Party renewal, split ticket voting has declined in recent years
E.g. in 2016, every state where there was a Senate race voted for the same party’s candidate as the president
- Party decline, the rise of primaries
E.g. New Hampshire Primary, reduced the control of the ‘party machine’ in candidate selection
Party renewal, undemocratic primaries
E.g. Democrats have unelected super-delegates comprising 20% of delegates at their national nominating convention
- Party decline, party leaders in Congress and even the President struggle to persuade legislatures to toe the party line
E.g. Bill Clinton tried to persuade Congress to pass the Healthcare Reform Bill but his request was denied
Party renewal, the growth of party unity and partisanship
E.g. not a single Republican voted for Obama’s Affordable Care Act 2010, not a single Democrat voted for Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 2017
What are the roles of factions within parties?
- Factions highlight the different political traditions of America’s regions
E.g. most conservative Democrats will come form the South or Midwest, while moderate Republicans such as Susan Collins are most likely to come from the North East - The fluctuating fortunes of various factions can reflect the overall direction of the party and recent polarisation
E.g. the Blue Dog numbers have declined significantly in recent years from 54 in 2010 to just 14 in 2017 - Party factions can make it harder for leadership to get a measure through Congress
E.g. moderate republicans opposed ‘Trumpcare’ in 2018.
What are the key factions?
- Freedom Caucus (republican), very conservative, especially fiscally
- Tuesday Group (republican), moderate Republican congressmen/women
- Blue Dogs (democrat), fiscally conservative
- New Democrats (democrat), centrist and socially liberal
How does party organisation occur in the US?
- Both parties have ‘Hill committees’,
E.g. the National Republican Congressional Committee work for the election of Republicans to the House and Senate by raising funds for strong candidates in competitive races - Candidates can be endorsed and publicly supported by leading politicians
E.g. candidate Luther Strange was endorsed by leading Republicans like Mitch McConnell (but still lost) - There are chairs of national bodies
E.g. Ronna McDaniel, chair of the RNC in 2018
(limited influence has these posts rarely have high profile)
How are third parties represented in the US?
- Independents
Why do third parties and independents do poorly in US election?
- Lack of media
E.g. televised debates where third parties and independents were last featured in 1992 - Majoritarian electoral system
E.g. FPTP provides no prize for the 2nd place candidate, which discriminates third parties and independents - The primary system enables voters to have a wide choice within the main parties and offers opportunity for outsider candidates
E.g. Trump in 2016 - Cost of election
E.g. the most recent independent with relative success was Ross Perot, who was a billionaire who largely self-funded in 1992
How has the Republican Party changed in terms of ideology and policies over the past 40 years?
- It has become more hawkish in its attitudes to
confronting America’s enemies overseas
E.g. George W. Bush and the Iraq war - It has become more socially
conservative with regard to issues such as
abortion and gay rights
E.g. Texas recently banned abortion - It has become more right wing and
conservative generally, especially under Trump
E.g. Trump had an approval rating of 89% among Republicans but just 9% of Democrats
3 ways in which parties are experiences renewal rather than decline?
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