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Summary A-Level Edexcel Paper 3 US Parties notes
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US PARTIES5.2 THE KEY IDEAS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN PARTIES
The distribution of power and changing significance of the parties
Democrats
Progressive attitude on social and moral issues, including crime; Greater governmental intervention in
the national economy; Government provision of social welfare
Key principles
Key Democrat principles are broadly liberal, envisaging a larger role for the state than the Republicans. This
progressive approach on many social issues can be seen amongst most of the party, but not within its
conservative southern wing. They have also proved far more ready to embrace modern cultural trends such as
environmentalism, LGBTQ+ rights and female reproductive rights. Democrats also tend to favour more
interventionist policies in areas such as healthcare and reducing poverty
Social and moral issues
Democrats would use the term progressive to describe the modern liberalism and they advocate for
change and reform
For crime, Democrats favour a mixture of punishment and rehabilitation. They supported the Justice in
Policing Act to address perceived institutional racism following the death of George Floyd.
They are strong supporters of pro-choice position on abortion and oppose attempts to weaken access to
it such as the heartbeat bills in Alabama and Texas and the overturning of Roe v Wade. Pro-life
Democrats are unusual in Congress today although in the past they would have been more common.
Democrats champion LGBTQ plus rights and have taken a series of actions to promote them
Economy
They are influenced by modern liberalism and the enabling state which gives the state a positive and
empowering role in society.
They see state intervention in the economy as a way of financing the larger welfare state.
Obama and the Democrats favoured a Keynesian approach e.g., American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act 2009. More recently Democrats pushed through the CARES act - a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus
package
They are much more willing to intervene to regulate the free-market – Dodd Frank Wall Street
legislation.
To fund a large state, Democrats also believe in an increase in taxation for the wealth of society
including the ‘Buffet Rule’ (named after Warren Buffett the idea that no millionaires appear smaller
share of their income in taxes done a middle-class family)
Social welfare
Since the Great Society of the 1960s and the emphasis on reducing poverty and spending on education,
health, housing and the environment, Democrats have sought to build on this legacy
Obama succeeded in passing the Affordable Care Act in 2010.
Democrats have also supported increased right for illegal immigrants
Republicans
Conservative attitude on social and moral issues; More restricted governmental intervention in the
national economy while protecting American trade and jobs; Acceptance of social welfare but a
preference for personal responsibility
Key principles
Key Republican principles are a mixture of new-conservative and neo-liberal ideas. While acknowledging the
need for state intervention in both society and economy, they broadly envisage a smaller role for the state than
do the Democrats. The party is also significantly more traditional in its attitude to social and moral issues than
the more liberal Democrat party.
, Social and moral issues
They believe in the idea of ‘organic society’ - a society will evolve over time, but the emphasis is on
gradual change and preserving ‘what works’.
Most Republicans are heavily influenced by Christianity and argue that there are clear rights and
wrongs . Republicans are against what they dub ‘permissiveness’ and tend to oppose abortion, gay
marriage and recreational drug use. They argue for a tough stance law and order and support
traditional ‘nuclear’ families.
Donald Trump became the first sitting president to attend an anti-abortion rally in January 2020.
Senator Paul Rand argues that full personhood should be given to all embryos and foetuses which
would effectively outlaw abortion - 2020.
Republican presidents Bush and Trump have reinstated Reagan laws on NGOs agreeing not to provide
abortion services or discuss abortion options after democrat presidents have previously reversed the
ruling
The ‘religious right’ is an important part of Republican ideology and so is a focus on traditional family
values.
In 2017 Trump issued an Executive Order banning transgender individuals from serving in the Armed
Forces. The order was subsequently overturned by Biden in 2021.
Supporters of rigorous law and order policies and second Amendment rights.
In the aftermath of the George Floyd killing Tr tweeted, “when the looting starts the shooting starts.”
Economy
Play the neoliberal principles – laissez faire attitude to government intervention, ‘rugged individualism’,
and self-help
They rejected the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 after the crash and also the
Consumer Protection Act 2010 which would have regulated Wall Street more tightly. In 2016, they
argued that all banking regulation was an attempt to establish government control over the nation’s
markets.
Under Trump, restriction and regulation on the use of fossil fuels and environmental damage have been
rolled back. In 2020, Trump finalised plans to open up parts of the Artic National Wildlife Refuge in
Alaska to oil and gas development
Trump’s government withdrew from the Paris Agreement on global warming in 2017
They do favour some intervention in the economy. They accept the state has some responsibility for
social welfare and there has to be taxation to support this
Trump’s American First policies saw him place tariffs on Chinese goods. The Republicans favour
protectionism to protect American goods
But, times of crises have seen a more pragmatic approach to the economy (a conservative tendency):
- CARES Act, 2020 (Keynesian style package to stimulate the economy)
Social Welfare
Neo-conservative ideas concerning social welfare. They believe in a safety net for those who are
genuinely struggling but not handouts that erode individual responsibility. They believe Democrats
have created an expensive dependency culture. They support:
- Medicaid (health insurance for elderly, disabled and low-income people)
- TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy People)
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program – food stamps)
However, they have often suggested cuts to these programmes.
They also believe healthcare should be based on private competition and not state monopoly
Policy area Republicans in 2016 Democrats in 2016
General National Policy Stricter immigration policy Reform of immigration – they
(Said in 2016) Smaller government to allow believed they needed to urgently
greater rights of individual states fix the broken immigration system
– they want to secure borders and and create a path to citizenship for
all ports of entry and enforce law-abiding families who are in
(their) immigration laws the US
Larger government even if that
occasionally encroaches on states’
rights
Social and Moral Issues Condemned the decision to allow Agree with the decision by the SC
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