Comparing the Democratic and Republican Parties

Comparing the Democratic and Republican Parties

Ralph Nader campaigned for the 2001 Presidency by arguing that there are no real differences between the two major parties. In a broad sense, that statement might seem true. Major political parties play a majoritarian role in an otherwise pluralistic democracy in the United States. They are both majoritarian institutions trying to win control of the government. The differences between the parties lie in each party’s beliefs about the purpose and scope of government.

The United States is a government run by the people and for the people. The whole population may participate in governing through the device of having a much smaller number of people act on their behalf. In a pluralistic democracy, every citizen does not need to be knowledgeable about all politics in general. But a specialized group of citizens need to be especially knowledgeable, in particular, leaders.

“The government operates through competing interest groups rather than public opinion. The competing interest groups represent the people’s interest to government decision makers. Democracy exists when many (plural) organizations operate separately from the government, press their interests on the government, and even challenge the government.” The public is best served if the government structure provides access for different groups to press their claims in competition with one another. A pluralistic model of democracy allows minority interests to organize and press their claims on government freely also.

Purposes of Government

Why do we have government? Government may be defined as a set of institutions that regulate behavior within territorial boundaries thru the legitimate use of force. Go...

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Kessler, Glenn 2001. “About That Growing Surplus…” The Washington Post National Weekly Edition 18:15 (February 5-February 11): 12