Political Parties
Note: The only parties covered in this section will be the Democratic and Republican parties as they are the only ones represented by candidates in Sparta's election.
Democratic Party
The Democratic Party is the oldest political party within the US, founded in 1828, primarily by Martin Van Bueren. The values the party stands for are generally left leaning, liberal and progressive ideals. Currently, the Democratic party retains control of the White House with Democratic President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in office.
Main Democratic Party Stances:
https://democrats.org/where-we-stand/
Advocate for higher tax rates for those with higher wages
Favor stronger government regulation
Decreased military spending
Civil Rights for minorities
Combating climate change
Backing social welfare programs
Overhauling the criminal justice system to better protect minorities
Legalizing abortions
Support Gay Marriage
Universal Healthcare
Greater push for offering citizenship to undocumented immigrants
Stronger gun control policies
Information found from: https://democrats.org/where-we-stand/party-platform/
Leaders of the Democratic Party in Congress:
Speaker of the House- Nancy Pelosi
Senate Democratic Leader- Chuck Schumer
Republican Party
The Republican Party, also known as the GOP, was founded in 1854 and is one of the two major contemporary parties in the United States. The Republican party generally stands for right-leaning, conservatism, and economic libertarianism ideals. The most recent Republican in office was President Donald Trump's administration.
Leaders of the Republican Party in Congress:
Republican Leader- Kevin McCarthy
Senate Republican Leader- Mitch McConnell
Main Republican Party Stances:
Support a proportional tax
Favors a weaker central government with more power granted to the individual states
Increased military spending
Supports the Death Penalty
Private companies can provide better healthcare than the government
Pro-life
Supports stricter border control
Based on individual rights and justice
Supports increased spending on cyber security
Believes in pursuing free-market policies
Supports the 2nd Amendment and gun-ownership
Views foreign aid as a tool to use only when it directly benefits the United States
information from: https://www.republicanviews.org/