Contrasting Philosophies: Democratic and Republican Parties

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The predominant political parties which shape the American landscape are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Increasingly, these parties have become more divided over social, economic, and international issues. While the Republican Party has come to support free markets, minimal government regulation (not inclusive of regulation over non-economic matters such as abortion or gay rights), minimal spending on welfare programs, law and order, nationalism, and military showmanship, the Democratic Party of today emphasizes a collectivistic philosophy which subverts the Darwinian approach to monetary and power structures. These disparities in philosophies intersect with the diverse interests of different demographics with America, thus
In contrast, the Republican Party’s position is that a more expansive government creates waste and inefficiency. Consequently, Republicans have a laissez faire libertarian policy towards the economy, as they believe Democratic policies constrict businesses, which thwarts innovation and job growth. For example, Republicans oppose increasing tax rates for the upper class. In addition, Republicans support tax cuts for everyone, including the wealthy. Democrats, by contrast, support progressive taxes, which is the current tax bracket system in which higher income individuals pay taxes at a higher rate. While Republicans oppose raising the minimum wage, stating that this would cause businesses to move overseas or hire less people, Democrats believe that increasing the minimum wage would stimulate the economy by redistributing money among the lower and middle classes. Another way that the two parties differ is that Democrats are more likely to support government funding of college tuition. This was shown in the 2016 Election cycle, when Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders rallied for making college more affordable to everyone. However, many people, particularly Republicans, say this is simply not realistic. These differences between Republicans and Democrats contribute to the Democratic party having more popularity with poor voters, with the exception of poor white voters. This demographic chasm interlaces with the two parties’ differing stances on civil liberties and other issues surrounding identity politics (politics based on the race, gender, etc. of

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