History of political parties

1. The U.S.
Political Spectrum
LIBERAL (“Left”) CONSERVATIVE (“Right)
DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN
Where do YOU stand?

2.  The Democratic Party came fromThomas Jefferson &
James Madison's Democratic-Republican Party.
 The modern-day Democratic Party was founded around 1828
by supporters of Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest
political party.
 The Republican Party is the younger of the two parties.
Founded in 1854 by anti-slavery expansion activists, the
Republican Party rose with the election of Abraham
Lincoln, the first Republican president.
Origins of the 2 Parties

3. History of the Parties
YEARS PARTY PARTY
1792 – 1824 Federalist Party
(Alexander Hamilton)
Democratic-Republican Party
(Madison & Jefferson)
1824 – 1854 Whig Party
(Henry Clay)
Democratic Party
(Andrew Jackson)
1854 – 1890s Republican Party (“GOP”)
(Abraham Lincoln)
Democratic Party
(Andrew Jackson)
1896 – Present Republican Party Democratic Party

4. History of the Parties - President
35 Kennedy, John F. Democratic
36 Johnson, Lyndon B. Democratic
37 Nixon, Richard M. Republican
38 Ford, Gerald R. Republican
39 Carter, James Earl Jr. Democratic
40 Reagan, Ronald W. Republican
41 Bush, George H. W. Republican
42 Clinton, William J. Democratic
43 Bush, George Walker Republican
44 Obama, Barack Hussein Democratic
45 Trump, Donald Republican
25 McKinley, William Republican
26 Roosevelt, Theodore Republican
27 Taft, William H. Republican
28 Wilson, Woodrow Democratic
29 Harding, Warren G. Republican
30 Coolidge, Calvin Republican
31 Hoover, Herbert C. Republican
32 Roosevelt, Franklin D. Democratic
33 Truman, Harry S. Democratic
34 Eisenhower, Dwight D. Republican

5. Comparisons of Ideologies
or
the Issues
LIBERAL (“Left”) CONSERVATIVE (“Right)
DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN
Where do YOU stand?

6. While there may be several differences in opinion between individual
Democrats & Republicans on certain issues, what follows is a generalization
of their stand on several of these issues.
 REPUBLICAN:
• Republican philosophy is based on a limited influence of government
& a dominant foreign policy.
• The far right generally is pro-religion, pro-military, pro-business and
pro-personal responsibility.
• Conservative (with $ as well as socially), pro-business and against
unecessary regulations
• Republicans, see "big government" as wasteful & an obstacle to
getting things done.
Differences in Philosophy

7. Differences in Philosophy
 DEMOCRAT:
• A Democrat is typically known as a supporter of a broader range
of social services, typically provided by government.
• They tend to favor an active role for government in society &
believe that such involvement can improve the quality of
people’s lives and help achieve the larger goals of opportunity
and equality. Whereas, Republicans tend to favor a limited role
for government in society.
• Democrats favor environmental regulations & anti-discrimination
laws for employment.

8. Democrat (Liberal/Left) Republican (Conservative/Right)
Minimum wages and progressive taxation,
i.e., higher tax rates for higher income
brackets.
They support higher taxes on the wealthy to
pay for public programs.
Democrats favor increase in the minimum
wage to help workers.
Government can product jobs.
Believe taxes shouldn't be increased for
anyone (including the wealthy) and that
wages should be set by the free market.
They consider higher tax rates on the rich a
form of class warfare.
Republicans oppose raising the minimum
wage because it hurts businesses.
Business’s produce jobs.
Democrat (Liberal/Left) Republican (Conservative/Right)
Based on community & social responsibility.
In contrast, Democrats attach greater
importance to equality and social/community
responsibility.
Based on individual rights & justice.
Republican philosophy leans more towards
individual freedoms, rights and
responsibilities.
Economic Ideas
Social & Human Ideas

9. Military Issues
Democrat (Liberal/Left) Republican (Conservative/Right)
Decrease spending.
Prefer lower increases in military spending &
are comparatively more reluctant to using
military force against countries like Iran, Syria
and Libya.
Supporting gaining “worldly support” instead
of acting alone.
Increase spending.
Prefer increasing military spending & have a
more hard line stance against countries like
Iran, with a higher tendency to deploy the
military option.
Supporting acting “alone” when necessary.
Gay Marriage (LBGT) Issues
Democrat (Liberal/Left) Republican (Conservative/Right)
Support (some disagree).
Democrats tend to favor equal rights for gay &
lesbian couples e.g. the right to get married &
adopt children.
Democrats are also more supportive of rights
for transgender people.
Oppose (some disagree).
Republicans believe that marriage should be
defined as between a man & a woman so they
do not support gay marriage, nor allowing gay
couples to adopt children. Conservatives
typically follow Christian-right beliefs.

10. Abortion
Democrat (Liberal/Left) Republican (Conservative/Right)
Should remain LEGAL; support Roe v. Wade
Supreme Court decision.
Democrats support abortion rights and
keeping elective abortions legal.
Should NOT be legal (with some exceptions);
oppose Roe v. Wade.
Some Republicans go so far as to oppose the
contraception mandate i.e. requiring
employer-paid health insurance plans to cover
contraception.
Death Penalty
Democrat (Liberal/Left) Republican (Conservative/Right)
While support for the death penalty is strong
among Democrats, opponents of the death
penalty are a substantial fraction of the
Democratic base.
A large majority of Republicans support the
death penalty.
Opponents of the death penalty form a much
higher fraction of the Democratic Party when
compared to the GOP.

11. Taxes/Taxation
Democrat (Liberal/Left) Republican (Conservative/Right)
Progressive (high income earners should be
taxed at a higher rate). Generally not opposed
to raising taxes to fund government.
Democrats support progressive taxes i.e. they
want high-income individuals to pay taxes at a
higher rate. They support higher taxes on the
wealthy to pay for public programs
Tend to favor a "flat tax" (same tax rate
regardless of income). Generally opposed to
raising taxes.
Republicans support tax cuts for everyone
(rich & poor alike).
They consider higher tax rates on the rich a
form of class warfare.
Government Regulation
Democrat (Liberal/Left) Republican (Conservative/Right)
Government regulations are needed to
protect consumers.
Democrats want to expand governmental
programs. They argue that with
unemployment rate high in the economy,
many families need assistance.
Government regulations hinder free
market capitalism and job growth.
Republicans favor a small government — both
in terms of the number of people employed
by the government and in terms of the roles
and responsibilities of government in society.

12. Healthcare
Democrat (Liberal/Left) Republican (Conservative/Right)
Support universal healthcare; strong support
of government involvement in healthcare,
including Medicare & Medicaid.
Generally support Obamacare.
Healthcare is a “right” & should be provided
by the government.
Private companies can provide healthcare
services more efficiently than government-run
programs. Oppose Obamacare provisions like
(1) requirement for individuals to buy health
insurance or pay a fine, (2) required coverage
of contraceptives.
Immigration
Democrat (Liberal/Left) Republican (Conservative/Right)
There is greater overall support in the
Democratic party for a moratorium on
deporting - or offering a pathway to
citizenship to - certain undocumented
immigrants. e.g. those with no criminal
record, who have lived in the U.S. for 5+ years.
Immigration laws should be changed.
Generally against amnesty for any
undocumented immigrants. They also oppose
President Obama's executive order that put a
moratorium on deporting certain workers.
Republicans also fund stronger enforcement
actions at the border.
Illegal immigrants are breaking U.S. laws.

13. Gun Control
Democrat (Liberal/Left) Republican (Conservative/Right)
Democrats favor more gun control laws e.g.
oppose the right to carry concealed weapons
in public places.
Republicans oppose gun control laws & are
strong supporters of the 2
nd
Amendment (the
right to bear arms) as well as the right to carry
concealed weapons.
Civil Rights
Democrat (Liberal/Left) Republican (Conservative/Right)
Are committed to protecting voting rights,
freedom of religion, women’s right to make
their own health care decisions, & equal
federal rights for LGBT couples.
The present dynamic is that minorities like
African Americans and Hispanics are more
likely to vote Democratic than Republican.
Historically, Abraham Lincoln belonged to the
Republican Party, so the roots of the party are
in individual freedom & the abolition of
slavery. Indeed, 82% of the Republicans in
the U.S. Senate voted in favor of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 while only 69% of
Democrats did.

14. Democrat (Liberal/Left) Republican
(Conservative/Right)
Traditionally strong in
states
California, Massachusetts,
New York
Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas
Symbol Donkey Elephant
Color Blue Red
Founded in 1824 1854
Website www.democrats.org www.gop.com
Senate Leader Harry Reid Mitch McConnell
Chairperson Tom Perez Ronna Romney McDaniel
Famous Presidents Franklin Roosevelt (FDR), John
F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton,
Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy
Carter, Barack Obama
Abraham Lincoln, Teddy
Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan,
George Bush, Richard
Nixon
Membership 43.1 million (as of 2012) 30.7 million (as of 2012)
Other Facts