1.2: Where the Parties Stand

Objective:

I will be able to identify how my values align with the values Democrats emphasize and the values Republicans emphasize.

Some useful vocabulary:

Centralized authority: The power that lies with the federal government.
Conservative: A philosophy that emphasizes economic freedom and traditional values. Typically associated with the Republican party.
Economic: Relating to jobs, poverty, and wealth.
Liberal: A philosophy that emphasizes social justice and economic equality. Typically associated with the Democratic party.
Philosophy: Fundamental principles and values. A political party's philosophy is its basic views about politics.
Social issues: These are issues related to personal morality. Abortion and LGBTQ rights are examples of social issues.
Voting base: The part of the country that readily supports a particular party or candidate.

American politics has been traditionally dominated by two political parties, organizations of like-minded people looking to win office and use political power to pursue shared policy goals. Since the Civil War, these parties have been the Republican Party (or the Grand Old Party) and the Democratic Party. Every president and every majority in Congress since then has belonged to one of these two parties.

Over their long lifespan, these parties have changed their position, their core ideas, and their main voting bases many times. And they continue to change as new political problems, ideas, and figures arise. However, since the 1980s, Democrats and Republicans have been relatively consistent in the core values and policy priorities.

Republicans

Democrats

"The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom"

- Ronald Reagan

"The Great Society rests on abundance and liberty for all. It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice... But that is just the beginning"

- Lyndon B. Johnson

Conservative economic philosophy

Government should get out of the way to allow people and businesses to develop innovative solutions to social problems.

Government is at best inefficient and and incompetent at solving these problems.

Liberal economic philosophy

Government has an obligation to use its power to create a more equal society and solve social problems.

Markets and big business can't be trusted to solve social problems and not enrich themselves.

Conservative social philosophy

Government can and should use policy to promote certain moral or religious values.

Liberal social philosophy

Government should avoid legislating how people ought to live their lives and let them choose for themselves.

Video Option

Select one video to watch:

1: Democrats v. Republicans (5 minutes)

2: Democrats v. Republicans (8 minutes)

Directions:

Given what you know about the two parties, read each purple box (people, policy positions) and think about which political party best matches the box.
In your workbook page 1.2, drag and drop the purple boxes into the bucket for the Democrats or Republicans. Use the guiding principles of each party to inform your choice about whether each party is likely to support or oppose that issue.

Next Page: 1.3

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