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Difference between Democrats and Republicans

Introduction

There are vast differences between the two major political parties in the United States of America - the Democrats and the Republicans. The two have entirely different philosophies regarding the major issues of national concern such as health care, taxes, government spending, and country's engagement in armed conflicts etc. For an ordinary observer, both parties seem, at least sometimes, to have come from two entirely different worlds. However, when it comes to real life politics, the characteristics distinguishing the parties are derived more from the emotions than the philosophical standings. Democrats are of the view that a vast majority of Americans share support their philosophy and share their view of the nation and the world. Same is the case with the Republicans who also believe that the great majority of US citizens are supporter of their philosophy and political views. According to them, they represent the views of majority of those living on American soil (Coyle, pp. 12-17).

This paper aims at exploring the ideological, philosophical, and political difference between the Republicans Democrats, while discussing how these differences between both parties have shaped the course of American politics.

Discussion

Democratic Party

The Democratic Party is the older and stronger with respect to the number of members and also one of the oldest political organizations in the world. Fifteen of the previous 44 U.S. presidents were Democrats, including the current US President Barack Obama. It has also been observed during the past few elections that nearly 72 million registered voters in US voted for the Democratic Party. The party is traditionally represented by blue color. The Democrats emerged in the early 19th century and at that time they were also known as Jefferson Republicans. The Democratic Party was founded in 1792 by Thomas Jefferson. The Democrats dominated the politics of America in the first decades of the 19th century. But their attitude toward slavery has resulted in ending their supremacy. The Civil War (1861 to 1865) resulted in the decades of loss of legitimacy for the party, as the Southern wing of the party was disenfranchised during the military occupation (Peter and Binstock, pp. 23-37).

As the advent of 20th century brought about many social changes in the wake of industrialization, it also resulted in a change in the policy of the party. The Democrats picked up on demands of the workers and favored state intervention in social and economic fields. In the 1960s, the Democrats were profiled, under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson as a leader of the black civil rights movement and the left-liberal welfare state. The Democrats are considered a liberal party of America. However, the political spectrum within the party ranges from conservative to the left (Pittsburgh Post).

The Democrats have always advocated a stronger role for the state in economic and social affairs. They also see it as a duty of the government to provide economic social and programs for the needy. Social issues are the bastion ...