The U.S. Parties

For students in their senior year, 18 is rapidly approaching, and with it, the ability to vote. Many people don’t realize, but this can be a big change, and it can be difficult to adjust and learn everything there is to know. Last month, the Blue Devil Beat featured an article talking about the current presidential election, but what if you don’t know who to vote for? Luckily, I’m here to help. Below is a list describing both of the two “main” parties, as well as a couple of popular third parties in the running.

To start with, New York is typically a Democratic state, as we usually vote blue in elections. The Democratic Party was founded in 1828, and as of 2022 has 47,194,492 members. Although President Joe Biden is a Democrat, there are fewer Democrats in the House of Representatives and in the Senate as of the last elections. The Democratic party stands for social liberalism. The definition of social liberalism is “ The Government has the definite duty to use all its power and resources to meet new social problems with new social controls—to ensure to the average person the right to his own economic and political life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” In simpler terms, Democrats focus on equality and social type issues, while placing more power in the government. Most but not all Democratic states are found along the East and West coasts, most likely because of the major cities like NYC and LA in those states, which tend to be more “liberal.”

The Republican Party is the other major party, founded in 1854. As of 2022, there are 35,723,389 people in the party. While the Republican candidate Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, there are still more Republicans in the House of Representatives and in the Senate. The Republican Party leans more towards individual freedoms, rights, and responsibilities, and with less government control. Most Republican states are found in the South and the Midwest, with a few exceptions.

There are also a few third parties that have been gaining popularity in more recent years. The third largest party in the U.S. right now is the Libertarian Party.

The Libertarian Party was founded in 1971 and has 727, 776 members as of 2022. There are currently no Libertarians in the Senate or in the House of Representatives. The Libertarian Party believes in individual liberty in personal and economic standing and free trade and migration, with little government intervention, among other things.

Another popular party is the Green Party founded most recently in 2001.  As of 2023, it has 239,474 members. There are also no Green Party members in the Senate or House of Representatives. The Green Party has very similar beliefs to the Libertarian Party, along with a focus on improving the environment.

Each party has individual opinions and action courses on each issue, but today I just covered the main themes. There are also dozens of parties I haven’t mentioned, with many different beliefs and ideologies, and I encourage you to learn about parties that interest you, especially as you get closer and closer to voting age. Happy voting!