In todays two-party political system, it is often difficult to differentiate between the Democratic and Republican parties. The two parties have somewhat grown together in recent years and it has become unclear what each party stands for. In addition to the lack of definition in the two major parties, there are also many more minor parties and independents in politics today. With all of these factors, a person can very easily become confused as to how each party believes government should work and which party they fit into. However, taking a closer look at the at the core values of the Democratic and Republican parties gives us a better understanding of how each party views the relationship between the people and the U.S. Government.
The first Republican core value is the belief more in the ability of the people to solve problems and work for the common good of the country. Republicans believe the people can effectively find solutions to problems and issues with as little government interference as possible. This gives power directly to the people by involving them in important decision making and not allowing government to control all issues without the voice of the people being heard.
On the other hand, the Democratic Party believes more in the ability of government to solve problems and work for the common good of the country. This leaves the majority of the decisions in the hands of government, without involving the people. In theory, this gives the power to the politicians, who can make more educated and knowledgeable solutions to problems, involving the common person less in government.
The next core value deals with the parties perceptions of government. Republicans view government as the problem, and therefore believe government should be limited. They fear the tyranny of government, and believe as much power should be placed in the hands of the people as possible. This allows the people to control government.
In contrast, Democrats believe in unlimited government, and view government as the solution. Tyranny of majority pressures influences this value. Democrats view the everyday person as unable to function and thrive without heavy influence of government. This allows government to control the people.
The third core value involves the power of the federal government versus the power of state and local governments. Republicans believe state and local governments are more effective than the federal government. Their goal is to bring the government closer to the people and allow the people to become more involved with government. However, as in the first and second values, Republicans do not wish to become too much a part of the peoples lives. In the Republican opinion, this places more emphasis on local issues.
The Democratic view of this value is that a stronger centralized federal government is more effective in governing the nation. Their belief is that a government can better make decisions and laws as a whole, allowing most laws and regulations to be nearly identical all across the country.
The next core value is directly linked to previous one and concerns decentralized government. The Republican Party believes decentralized government promotes responsibility, accountability and efficiency. A decentralized government allows state and local governments to involve the people and make more government positions at the state level available to people who may otherwise not become involved with government first hand.
Democrats believe decentralized government promotes local or regional special interests at the expense of the general public. A decentralized government would allow single issues of local areas to effect the nation as a whole. As a result, any issue or change in government could negatively effect the general public.
Another value is based on taxes. Republicans attempt to limit taxes to promote economic wealth. Their goal is to allow the people to receive what they earn, rather than trying to equalize. Again, this view directly reflects the Republican value to limit government. Of course, this value is what makes the Republican Party appealing to the upper and middle classes.
Opposite the Republicans once more, the Democratic Party believes that government should utilize taxes to redistribute economic wealth. The goal of the Democrats is to bring the economic classes closer together. Democrats are more concerned with providing welfare and making sure that everyone has the necessities for survival, which is what makes their party appealing to lower class citizens.
