Democrats vs. Republicans - Essay Example

Democrats vs. Republicans Democratic Party Introduction The Democratic Party (PDEU) is one of the two major political parties in the United States of America and is currently the party in the government. The president of the United States, Barack Obama belongs to it. It also has a majority by a relatively narrow margin in the Senate of the United States. The Democratic Party is considered a liberal party but has also been described by academics, politicians and even the U.S. general public as progressive and center-left. However, in reality it is a party with a large and multifaceted ideological divergence and features. The sectors range from the center-right conservative, through the center, classical liberalism, the socio-liberalism, the Social, union sectors, labor, progressive and left (Elder, p.268). This persuasive essay provides essential information through which the point of persuasion can be explained. Information is vital for decision making and persuading someone. Producing facts rather than baseless allegations can help in effective persuasion. Thesis Statement Democrats are the best for the future of United States and its people. Stage prior to the Civil War Southern Democrats fanatically defended the institution of negro slavery, hence, most Northern Democrats dropped their heads and did not dare to oppose their fellow South, anti-slavery Democrats were unhappy with this party. The Democratic Party and Civil War When Southern states declared their separation from the United States to create a new independent country (the Confederate States of America), and took up arms, the Southern Democratic Party became the political force supporting armed rebellion, and made criminals, responsible members of rebellion and treason. The Northern Democratic Party remained loyal to the Constitution and laws, and recognized the government of Lincoln, supporting the use of force to suppress the rebellion. The struggle against racial segregation and civil rights, and the "War on Poverty" President Roosevelt initiated a radical reform program known as the New Deal ("New Deal" to face the chaotic social situation. Roosevelt was a supporter of the free market economy; he was also responsible for the creation of the Minimum Wage in the United States. Moreover, he greatly increased public spending to fund its many programs to alleviate poverty, fight unemployment and stimulate the economy; however, he increased the taxes to achieve this goal (Wattenberg, p.205). When Democrat, John F. Kennedy, won the presidential election of 1960, what he did was to defend something which defended all democratic leaders left or right: equality between citizens of any ethnicity. After Kennedy’s assassination, the vice president at that time, Lyndon B. Johnson became president and completed the work on behalf of African Americans. Latest measures were adopted which allowed blacks to vote without danger or threats to their lives, in addition, other laws were granted which gave them access to work and education on an equal basis with whites. The Democratic Party – An Analysis of a Century The Democrats have always opposed the austerity measures in the category of public spending. The Democrats always continue the programs initiated by the previous Democrat government; as a result, they never reduce the amount of money which is spent on social programs initiated in the past. Clinton’s rule is one of the classic examples of this measure where he increased the state intervention in the economy as a result the economic conditions of the country improved over the period of time. Clinton’s policy measures are known as ‘Clintononomics’. Ideology of the Democrats The trend of the Democratic Party is to promote liberalism in the United States. However, several groups co-exist within the Democratic Party, having different thinking and ideologies. Nonetheless, they all come under the banner of democrats. The democrats were divided into three basic categories which include the conservative, liberal and progressive democrats. Democrats are truly in favor of the capitalist system and believe that the free market economy is the only solution which can improve the state of economy, also, the removing of protectionist policies. During their regimes, markets are free and as such efficient regulations are not imposed due to which the economy faces several issues. The conservative Democrats believe that government spending should be reduced, taxes should be increased and social issues should be addressed in the light of conservative beliefs. They do not promote gay marriage and abortion issues. However, Liberals place more focus on freeing the economy and the people. They let them do what they want within the limits of law and mutual coordination. They promote government spending, reduce taxes and believe on pro-choice as well as gay marriages. They support and promote freedom of speech and expression. They believe that everyone has the right to say what they desire. They oppose capital punishment. Progressive democrats keep a balanced approach towards the economic conditions and societal issues and therefore address them properly (Wattenberg, p.205). GOP - Republicans The Republican Party of the United States (PREU) is one of the two major political parties in the country. It is the party which currently holds a majority in the House of Representatives of the United States. In 1854, the Whig Party of the United States finished disintegrated and disappeared. On March 20 of that year the Republican Party was founded in honor of Thomas Jefferson. Lincoln stage The Republicans were able to realize their program: decreed the freedom of slaves and the abolition of the institution of slavery. They implemented protectionist policies and increased government spending on "federal improvements". The Absolute Dominance Stage After the Civil War, began the hardest part of the historical process known as Reconstruction, which helped to consolidate the rule of the Republicans. Thanks to the reforms, and the ban on South whites so they could not vote until the past rebellion was forgiven The Republicans gained control of the southern states with the votes of blacks which added to their majority in the Northern States I. High tariffs allowed U.S. industry to develop without foreign competition, although the huge domestic market size was almost equal to the size of the market formed by the rest of the world at that time. However, in the second decade of the twentieth century, because of the Great Depression, the country was plunged into the worst economic and social crisis in its history. The Conservative Revolution and the New Republican Party In the Reagan, Republican Party took a turn towards neoliberal domestic policy of the United States. Republicans made tax cuts deep to get closer and closer to the State Minimum, which is the ideal state of liberalism. Furthermore, Republicans made tax cuts a philosophy, as public spending cuts and the government bureaucracy. Also, they considered reducing or eliminating social programs which encouraged people to "live without working." Ideology and internal trends GOP The Republican Party is the more conservative of the two major parties in the country. Ideologically speaking, they could be labeled "conservative layman" to distinguish them from the Christian Democratic parties who play right in other Western nations. On the economic front, its doctrine is economic liberalism (called by some neo-liberalism). In the United States there is little public or the state. The Republicans want to further reduce the state privatizing other areas. As an example, many want to partially privatize the pension system Social Security, making young workers allocate a portion of their Social Security contributions to mandatory pension funds managed by private companies that invest in the stock market. In the twentieth century, most talked about three major trends in the Republican Party: liberals, conservatives and moderates. The Republicans were the liberal wing of the party closer to the ideas that are often associated with Democrats. Unlike most of this party colleagues, they are less favorable to reduce taxes, are more willing to increase public spending (especially on social programs). They are more tolerant on social issues (abortion, homosexuality, etc.). Conservative Republicans are more radical wing of the party, are the most right and therefore the harshest critics of the Democrats. In most subjects, they take absolute positions, especially on social or moral issues. Hence, they defend the death penalty. Meanwhile, moderate Republicans claimed to be between liberals and conservatives representing the Centre Party politician can act as liberal on some issues, and as a conservative in others (Elder, p.268). Conclusion As per the facts discussed above and based on the overall behavior of the party, it’s believed that Democrats can better improve the situation of the economy. Obama Government is the proof which had granted several rights to the people of the country who are able to live the way they want which primarily highlight the issue of gay marriages. They believe in free market economy with reduced government intervention and are not aggressive in resolving the conflicts of the society. Last Elections proved that Democrats enjoy a favorable position among the people in United States. Republicans favor government intervention in the market system, which Is not at all healthy for free market mechanism because, intervention will restrict the free market performance and at the end marketers will not be able to develop themselves create new opportunities due to government restrictions. Democrats have a liberal through process which never leads to limiting the ideas of the people. Liberal thought process leads to idea generation because there are no boundaries for the thought process. Freely practicing the values across United States leads to a more peaceful coexistence of people living there. This helps in developing the people and promoting their thing. The republicans on the other hand does not favor a liberal mode of society they are more inclined towards developing the values of the people and thus limiting the thought process and actions of the individuals. These actions stop the natural development of society and lead to frustration and anger among the people who wish to live the way they want (legal way) and thus develop more anger, hatred and intolerance in the society because their thought process has been restricted. Thus I strongly believe that democrats can bring in prosperity through their manifesto and thinking which is liked by the people of United States. However the difference of choices will continue to exist among those who do not wish to pursue a liberal mode of life. Works Cited Wattenberg, Ben J. Values matter most: how republicans, or democrats, or a third party can win and renew the American way of life. Free Press, 2010. p. 205. Elder, Larry. "Republicans Versus Democrats."Showdown: Confronting Bias, Lies and the Special Interests That Divide America (2003): p.268. Read More