Democrats and Republicans
Since the Declaration of American independence by the founding father, the nation has been famed for observing the rights of the people and being governed by the rule of law. The respect for and observation of the human rights is deeply embodied in the constitution, and the leaders since then seek to rule in accordance to the set regulations. The observation of the democratic regime was enforced and encouraged by the famous words of President Washington as he tried to define what democracy was; a government of the people, by the people, for the people. This implies that the people are at the core of the management. Currently, and for quite a long time now, the US is known as a two party system country where there are the Democrats and the Republicans. Even in the recent presidential polls, the candidates rose from these two mainstream parties; Barack Obama of the Democrats who won for the second term and Mitt Romney of the Republican Party who was not as lucky. The Americans participated in their democratic right and their voice was heard. However, there is the need to go into history and understand some of the principles governing the US politics. How did the two party system begin? What are the differences and how are the two parties run? The essay below seeks to explore these issues in detail so as to bring a deeper insight and understanding into the American political system. In a nutshell, it can be argued that being a Democrat or a Republican in 2012 is related to how one associates with the different party platforms, and how one agrees or disagrees with the stands of the two parties in the matters of national interest.
At the time of the declaration of independence, there were no two parties in the US (Study Notes, 2012). However, there came a time when Washington was the president of the US. He appointed Alexander Hamilton to be the finance minister in the country. However, Hamilton had quite a radical way of doing things. He interpreted the American constitution to mean that what the constitution did not specifically forbid, that it allowed. He used his radical ways to try and streamline the American economic system. At the same time, his plan had three provisions. First of all, it provided that after the declaration of independence, the federal government would assume the debts of all the thirteen states. At this point, it is worth noting that the states had accumulated quite a lot of debts in the fight against colonial Britain. His second aim was to make sure that the Confederation’s debts would be assumed at par; therefore the interests would be included at the time of the repayment. He argued that such an act would make the people develop respect for the government and it would also foster unity in the nation. His third strategy was to start up a national bank, in an emulation of the bank of England. Hamilton’s idea was that the federal government should hold more authority than the individual states, as only then could the unity be easily achieved and cemented.
However, Hamilton’s ideas were not free of criticism. There was Jefferson who was more strict in interpreting the constitution (Study Notes, 2012). His interpretation of the constitution was different from that of Hamilton where he argues that whatever was not written on the constitution was forbidden. He also felt that the powers should not be vested in the federal government. Rather, most of the powers should lay with the state governments since they were closer to the people and the, therefore, would be less prone to abuse their powers. The arguments of the two assistants to Washington were quite edifferent, though both represented the public opinion. It, therefore, implied that each of the had a portion of the population that was backing him up. Already, a rift had started arising amongst the people, dividing them between the Jefferson’s and Hamilton’s camps. President Washington chose to remain neutral in this battle.
The greatest division came about when the Congress, in 1979, passed a tariff recommended by Hamilton on the tax to be levied on manufactured goods. The tax included a levy on whiskey which was a main source of income for Western farmers. They organized a protest to the same, and Hamilton responded by urging the president to take action after the distillers started getting violent. The president sent an army of 13,000 men to bring down the uprising. Three people died in the aftermath, and this brought about the division.
After the uprising, there arose two distinct camps, the Federalists who supported Hamilton’s ideas of a unified government, and the Jeffersonian, labeled as the Democrat-Republicans who argued that the government had employed excessive force in controlling the situation. After this division, the two camps never saw eye to eye again, with each developing its ideologies differently. Surprisingly, it was the Democratic-Republican party that later came to split and form the two current parties. The split was based on the differences that will be discussed later in this paper.
There are different platforms on which the parties stand. However, it is worth noting that these ideologies are based on the values of the two parties. According to Svgop.com. (1), the political affiliations of the parties can be used to tell the significance difference between them. The Republicans are for the idea that each individual is responsible for his or her position in the society. As such, the individuals have the ability to secure their own benefits as well as the benefits of their families. They also believe that the government should not interfere in the affairs of the people except in some occasions. Furthermore, the Republicans are opposed to the issue of federalism, believing that the resources of the states should be kept close to the people, not in the federal government agencies which are far from the people. Based on this core values, the Republican Party is seen as a party of the rich. It argues that the people should be given a free will and not be interfered with in their activities. In other words, it is seen as a capitalist party.
The Democratic Party, on the other hand, stands for the assertion that it is the responsibility of the government to take care of the interests of all the American citizens. This has to be the case even if it means sacrificing individual rights for the good of the majority. This party is rooted in the issue of federal government in which a centralized government controls the resources and distributes them amongst the people. For this reason, the party is seen as a party of the poor, addressing the needs of all.
There are different platforms upon which these parties are based, especially in the current affairs. According to Cooper (1), the Democratic Platform currently supports the issue of same-sex marriage of or gayism. This is based on a liberal argument which holds that the people have their right of choice. This indicates that the party is quite open to liberalism. On the other hand, the Republican Platform is opposed to the issue of gaysm and abortion. They are in support of a constitutional amendment that would prohibit any act of abortion or the union between a man and a man or a woman with another woman.
On the issue of Medicare, the Democratic Platform holds that there is no way that the program should be privatized as this would go against the interests of the people. On the other hand, the Republican Platform holds that the program should be re-organized so that the citizens who are under the age of 55 would get income-adjusted regulation towards the health scheme that the individuals choose. This would include a government plan.
There is also a different in the platforms of the two parties in relation to the social security issues. The Democratic Party is again opposed to the privatization of the program while the Republicans are quite open on the matter, arguing that the people should be given the freedom to choose whether they want the personal accounts to act as supplements to the system. There is the newest platform on the security of Israel where the Obama administration and the Democrats have it that they are fully committed to the security of Israel. The Republican Party has no platform on this issue, which was a major concern in 2012. Based on these platforms, it can be seen that the parties tend to look in different directions. The Democrats take a more liberal, centralize argument while the Republicans are for the conservative system but one which gives the citizens the freedom to choose what they think is best for them. This has been the nature of affairs between the two for quite a long time. They simply take opposing stands on many of the issues, based on the beliefs and values of the parties.
Jeff (1) summarizes the main differences between the two parties, highlighting that these are the same differences which are seen in the beliefs that the people associated with these parties have. While the Republicans are for the opinion that the government has too much control on the corporations in the country, the Democrats believe that it is the other way round. The corporations have so much influence on the people. The republicans believe that the corporations, if left to be free by the government would do the best for the American people. They also believe that everyone should not be a burden to the government but should strive to be independent by working for what they got. Generally, all the arguments in relation to the Republicans have it that the state should not do much for the individuals and neither should it interfere with their lives. Rather, it should be a free reign system where the government gives the people their independence and only comes in when there is the absolute need to do so.
The Democrats, on the other hand, are of a different opinion. They believe that the government has the right and the role of protecting all its citizens and making sure that they are well taken care of. It considers even the rights of the less privileged, holding on to the position that they are citizens of the country and are, therefore, entitled to equal protection by the law. By looking at these differences between the two, it is quiet apparent why the Democratic Party is referred to as the party of the people while the Republican is seen as the party of the rich. It is all based on the values and the ideologies that are followed by the two parties.
Svgop (2-5) summarizes the core beliefs and differences between the two parties in five major areas. In the economic sense, the Republicans believe that the capitalist process should be allowed to take place. The people should be given an equal ground and be allowed to trade freely without the interference of the e government. The Democrats believe that the economic issues are quiet complex and individuals cannot manage them alone. As such, there is the need for the government to be involved in the labor issues as well as the interests of the workforce. On the issue of taxes and government expenditure, the Republicans believe in cutting down on the taxes and reducing the government spending. Democrats, on the other hand, argue that the government knows what is good for the citizens and can make decisions on the public expenditure.
On the national defense, the Republicans hold that the government should invest in the military to ensure that the people are well catered for. On the other hand, the Democrats go for a reduction in the government spending. In education, it is the belief of the Republicans that all students deserve to have an education regardless of their backgrounds, histories or race. They should become proficient in reading and math. The Democrats hold that the tests are a burden to the teachers and waste the students’ time, so they should be disregarded. Lastly, on the issue of immigration, the Republicans are for the opinion that the immigrants are an enrichment to the nation as they can bring about new changes that can lead to development. However, they also acknowledge that the lack of border security has led to the increase in illegal immigration and human trafficking. Democrats, on the other hand, hold that being the world super power, the US should give unconditional comfort and aid to the citizens of other countries. They believe in open borders and unconditional amnesty as well.
In conclusion, this essay has looked at the tow main parties in America, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The discussion was centered on the history of the two party system in the US, the history of the parties as well as the differences between them. It has also highlighted the positions of the different parties in the issues of interest in the country, besides looking at the platforms that the two parties have over these issues. For one to be described as a democrat or a republican, he has to ascribe to the ideologies of these parties. As such, based on the above description of the parties, it can be argued that the definition of a democrat and a republican as been effectively addressed.
Cooper, Michael. “Party Platforms are Poles Apart in Their View of the Nation.” The New York Times, Sept. 4, 2012. Web. 11th Nov. 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/05/us/politics/how-the-party-platforms-differ.html
Jeff. “Fifteen Differences between Democrats and Republicans.” Addictinginfo.org, 2012. Web. 11th Nov. 2012, http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/09/01/fifteen-differences/
Study Notes. “Development of the Two Party System.” Study Notes.org, 2012. Web. 11th Nov. 2012, http://www.apstudynotes.org/us-history/topics/development-of-the-two-party-system/
Svgop.com. “Differences between Republicans and Democrats.” Svgop.com, 2012. Web. 11th Nov. 2012, http://www.svgop.com/files/Differences%20Between%20Republicans%20and%20Democrats.pdf
