16.5 Democrats and Republicans Flashcards
State level organisation
US parties are decentralised meaning that most party organisation is at the state level.
The state parties have the power to select candidates for election to the House of Representatives and the Senate in Congress.
At the state level, state party conventions are held.
Within the state, there are party committees in each county, district, city, ward and precinct.
Congressional leadership
At the national level, the Democrats and Republicans have congressional leadership and congressional committees that oversee their party’s election campaign to Congress.
Committees include the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Republican Senatorial Committee.
National organisation
At the national level, the Republicans and Democrats have national committees.
The national committee raises money for the party and coordinates the party’s election strategy for candidates in national and local elections.
The national committee organises the national party convention.
Democrats and social issues
Democrats are progressive on social issues.
Democrats often support gay rights and same-sex marriage, a women’s right to abortion and pro-environment policies.
Democrats and government intervention
Democrats believe in more government intervention in the economy than Republicans, including higher taxes.
Democrats believe that the government should provide social welfare including free healthcare and education.
‘Obamacare’, President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, was supported by most Democrats but opposed by Republicans.
Republicans and social issues
Republicans generally have a conservative approach to social issues, including being opposed to a women’s right to abortion, gay marriage, gun control and supporting the death penalty.
Republicans in Congress voted against more gun control background checks in 2013.
Republicans and government intervention
Republicans believe that there should be limited government intervention in the economy, including lower taxes.
Republicans prefer personal responsibility over social welfare.
Donald Trump’s opposition
President Trump planned on dismantling Obamacare but has not yet been able to do so.
Party renewal
Political parties still dominate the American political system.
All elected presidents are either Democrats or Republicans.
The majority of politicians in Congress are members of the two main parties.
Polarisation
The political parties are increasingly polarised.
The Republicans and Democrats are opposed on major policies such as government intervention in the economy and social issues including healthcare, abortion, gun rights and education.
There is partisanship in voting in Congress, where members of one party group together to oppose the other party’s members.
Party decline
Voters focus more on the candidate and political issue when voting than on the party label.
Split ticket voting has increased where voters vote for candidates of different parties standing for different positions at the same election.
Presidential candidates are chosen by voters in primary elections rather than the party’s delegates at the party’s national convention.
Examples of opposition
In 2018, the Senate voted 50-48 along party lines in favour of judge Brett Kavanaugh becoming a Supreme Court justice.
The Senate voted 60-39 along party lines to pass the Affordable Healthcare Act in 2009.
