Who ARE the Democrats and
Republicans???
• Political parties consist of combinations of
groups, which consist of combinations of
individuals. The larger the coalition the
more likely the candidate will win. Party
candidates and party position on policy are
designed to attract more groups of voters,
putting together a winning coalition
Strong Democrat States
Strong Republican States
U.S. Senate
54 Republicans/44 Democrats/1
Independent
U.S. House of Representatives
245 Republicans/188 Democrats
Gubernatorial Offices
18/31
National Party Leaders
Reince Priebus
Debbie Wasserman-Schultz
2014 Gallup Poll
43% identified as Democrats
39% identified as Republicans
But when you include the “leaners”
41% Democrats
42% Republicans
42% Independents (2013)
In the Presidential elections of 2008
and 2012, the Republican coalition
included the following…
Who were those that supported the
Republican candidates?
(1) veterans’ groups
(2) Religious conservatives-evangelical
Christians
(3) pro-life supporters
(4) Opponents of gay rights
(5) Supporters of a strong military
(6) Opponents (against) of affirmative
action
is the policy of favoring members of a
disadvantaged group who are perceived to
suffer from discrimination within a culture
(7) Cuban Americans
(8)
Supporters of the development of
national resources on public lands
(9) Against the Affordable Care Act
(10) Support the Death Penalty
(11) Against amnesty (pardon or
forgiveness) for any undocumented
immigrant; oppose President Obama’s
Executive Order putting a moratorium on
deporting certain workers; stricter
enforcement at the border
(12) Support the right to own a gun-want
less regulation
• In the same elections, the
Democratic coalition included
the following…
(1) Supporters of pro choice
(2) African Americans
(3) Members of labor unions
(4) Intellectuals-those who have
masters and doctorate degrees
(5) People with lower incomes
(6) City-dwellers
(7) non-Cuban Latinos
(8) feminists
is a collection of movements and ideologies that share
a common stated aim: to define, establish, and defend
equal political, economic, cultural, and social rights for
women. This includes seeking to establish equal
opportunities for women in education and employment.
A feminist generally self-defines as advocating for or
supporting the rights and equality of women.
(9) Jewish people
(10) Environmentalists
(11) Supporters of Affordable Care Act
(12) Greater overall support for a
moratorium on deporting or offering a
pathway to citizenship to certain
undocumented immigrants-those with no
criminal record and those who have lived in
U.S. for 5+ years
• (13) Support restrictions on gun
ownership
• While there are always exceptions to the
rule, the two parties rely on these groups
as a base of support
• Regionally, it appears that the East and
West Coasts and the Upper Midwest are
more Democratic, while the South and
lower Midwest are more Republicans
Ideological Differences
Between the Parties
• While there are
general ideological
differences between
the two parties, there
are also a number of
similarities
• For example, neither
party questions the
validity of the nation’s
capitalist economic
system
Liberals v. Conservatives
What is Political “Ideology”?
An ideology is a coherent (clear-logical)set
of thoughts and beliefs about politics and
government.
Conservatives
• Stress that individuals should be
responsible for their own well-being and
should not rely on government assistance
• They tend to oppose government
interference in the private sector
• Also oppose most federal regulations
(controls), preferring that the market
determine costs and acceptable business
practices
• Believe strongly in individual rights and
justice
• Social Conservatives who make up a
powerful wing of the conservative
movement, do support government action
on “social” issues (like gay marriage, decriminalization of drugs)
Liberals
• Believe that government should be used to
remedy (fix) the social and economic
injustice of the marketplace
• Based on community and social
responsibility
• Tend to support government regulation
(control) of the economy
• Support government efforts to redress (fix)
past social injustices through programs
such as affirmative action
• Believe the government should strictly
enforce the separation of church and
state, therefore oppose school sponsored
prayer and proposed bans on abortions,
which they perceive as motivated by
religious beliefs
Moderates
• Moderates make up the largest portion of the
American public
• Nearly half of Americans identify themselves as
“moderate”
• Beliefs of moderates do not constitute a
coherent ideology…
• Instead, moderates view themselves as
practical voters who apply common sense rather
than philosophical principles to political
problems
The so called party base-refers to a group of
voters who almost always support a single
party’s candidates for elected office
• While appealing to those “moderates” voters
during election campaigns, each party counts on
its base to get out and vote
• Party leaders must use great care in choosing
policy positions so they do not lose their party
base
• They must also avoid alienating (make sure they
don’t turn away) the moderates of the part by
taking extreme left or right positions