The Democratic vs. Republican parties

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Please see response below. I hope this helps and take care.

RESPONSE:

1. Compare and contrast the two major political parties (The Democratic and Republican parties). You are to:

Let's look briefly at the two parties, and then look at the specific questions, which you can then draw on to formulate your own list of values (if they differ) that are important to you.

a. Republican Party

The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic
Party. It is often referred to as the Grand Old Party or the GOP. It is the second oldest active political party in the United States. The current U.S. President, George W. Bush, is the 18th Republican to hold that office. After losses in the 2006 Congressional elections, Republicans fill a minority of seats in both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, and hold a minority of state governorships and control a minority of legislatures. Founded in 1854 by anti-slavery expansion activists and modernizers, the Republican Party rose to prominence with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president. The party presided over the American Civil War and Reconstruction and was harried by internal factions and scandals towards the end of the 19th century. Early in the 20th century, Theodore Roosevelt's presidency briefly associated the GOP with progressivism, but by the Roaring Twenties, the party's economic ideology had developed into the pro-business model seen today. Today, the Republican Party supports a strong pro-business platform, with further foundations in social conservatism, nationalism and economic libertarianism. (1)

b. Democratic Party

Sometimes Democrats are called "the left" or "liberals", even though not all Democrats are left-wing or liberal. Many Democrats, particularly in the South and Rocky Mountains of the United States, are conservative or middle-of-the-road (moderate). In the United States, each of the parties is a large coalition that covers many different kinds of ideology. There are few issues on which all Democrats agree, but most support:

· Graduated income taxes (rich people pay more than poor people),
· Ethics reform in the Congress, health care reform, abortion rights (pro-choice),
· More stem cell research to cure sickness, and
· A timetable for taking American troops out of Iraq. Most support for Democrats comes from states in the Northeast,
Midwest, and Pacific Coast areas of the USA, but there are Democrats elected to office in all other states too.
· By ...