Democrats and Republicans: Is There a Difference?

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Recommended: Conservatism and liberalism

Everyone has heard the following words at one time or another "Democrats are liberal, while Republicans are Conservative". Is this really true? In order to resolve this question, two questions must be answered, what do the two terms mean? What is liberal and what is Conservative? Some Democrats are conservative and some Republicans are liberal. In this time of turmoil, Democrats and Republicans must work together to promote the common welfare.

What exactly is liberalism? According to Sidlow (2013), liberalism is the belief that "big government" is necessary for the promotion of the common good (p.16). Without government action, many social and economic outcomes for many people would turn out badly. In other words, without government intervention, many children of poor individuals would never have access to health care in the first few critical years of life and may not get enough food to eat. Liberalism is the belief that social progress can be obtained by putting into action laws and reform rather that upheaval. It is a policy based on the rights of the individual. The accustomed view of liberals was freedom from tradition, and freedom to practice new policies and institutions. Liberals advocate change, Conservatives avoid it.

What is Conservatism? It is the policy of looking to traditional practices and institutions for answers to the problems of society. Traditionally, conservatism referred to people who wished to 'conserve' traditional values and institutions (Sidlow, 2013, p.16). Conservatism accepts change slowly and values the traditional norm.

Democratic influences can be seen in American culture. In 1971 the voting age was changed to 18. This meant that many younger people were now able to vote. ...

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...2, September 6). The 10 Best Economic Ideas in the Democratic Platform . In Bloomberg Politics The Ticker. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-06/the-10-best-economic-ideas-in-the-democratic-platform.html.

Troy, T. (2013, March 21). Can Republicans Close the Pop Culture Gap?. In Real Clear Politics. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/03/21/can_republicans_close_the_pop_culture_gap_117568.html.

WATSON, B. (2013, March 22). Lee Harvey Oswald's rifle, and the gun control debate it ignited. In WFFA.com ABC. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from http://www.wfaa.com/jfk/Oswalds-rifle-and-the-gun-control-debate-it-ignited-199595691.html.

Yglesias, M. (2013). Ten Good Economic Policy Ideas From the GOP Platform. In Moneybox A Blog About Business and Economics. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from

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