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Democrat vs. Republican

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This comparison examines the differences between the policies and political
positions of the Democratic and Republican parties on major issues such as
taxes, the role of government, entitlements (Social Security,
Medicare), guncontrol, immigration, healthcare, abortion and gay rights. These
two parties dominate Americaʹs political landscape but differ greatly in their
philosophies and ideals.

Democratic Party vs Republican Party redirects here.

Comparison chart

Democrat Republican

(14281 ratings) (13997 ratings)

Philosophy Liberal, left‑leaning. Conservative, right‑leaning.

Economic Ideas Minimum wages and Believe taxes shouldnʹt be

progressivetaxation, i.e., higher increased for anyone (including
tax rates for higher income the wealthy) and that wages
brackets. Born out of anti‑ should be set by the free market.
federalist ideals but evolved over
time to favor more government
regulation.

Social and human Based on community and social Based on individual rights and
ideas responsibility justice

Stance on Decreased spending Increased spending

Military issues

Stance on Gay Support (some Democrats Oppose (some Republicans

Marriage disagree) disagree)

Stance on Should not be made illegal; Should not be legal; oppose Roe
Abortion support Roe v. Wade (some v. Wade (some Republicans
Democrats disagree) disagree)

Stance on Death While support for the death A large majority of Republicans
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Penalty penalty is strong among support the death penalty.
3/7/2016 Democrat vs Republican ­ Difference and Comparison | Diffen
Democrats, opponents of the
death penalty are a substantial
fraction of the Democratic base.
Stance on Taxes Progressive (high income earners
should be taxed at a higher rate).
Generally not opposed to raising
taxes to fund government.
Stance on Government regulations are
Government needed to protect consumers.
Regulation
Healthcare Policy Support universal healthcare;
strong support of government
involvement in healthcare,
including Medicare and
Medicaid. Generally support
Obamacare.
Stance on There is greater overall support
Immigration 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.
Traditionally California, Massachusetts, New
strong in states York
Symbol Donkey
Color Blue
Founded in 1824
Website www.democrats.org
Senate Leader Harry Reid
Chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Famous Franklin Roosevelt (FDR), John F.
Presidents Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Woodrow
Wilson, Jimmy Carter, Barack
Obama
Seats in the 44/100
Senate
Seats in the 188/435
House of
Representatives
Governorships 18/50
Membership 43.1 million (as of 2012)
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Democrat_vs_Republican
2016 Presidential Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders,
Tend to favor a ʺflat taxʺ (same
tax rate regardless of income).
Generally opposed to raising
taxes.
Government regulations hinder
free market capitalism and job
growth.
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.
Republicans are generally against
amnesty for any undocumented
immigrants. They also oppose
President Obamaʹs executive
order that put a moratorium on
deporting certain workers.
Republicans also fund stronger
enforcement actions at the
border.
Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas
Elephant
Red
1854
www.gop.com
Mitch McConnell
Reince Priebus
Abraham Lincoln, Teddy
Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan,
George Bush, Richard Nixon
54/100
245/435
31/50
30.7 million (as of 2012)
2/20
Donald Trump, Marco Rubio,
3/7/2016 Democrat vs Republican ­ Difference and Comparison | Diffen
Candidates Martin OʹMalley Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush,
Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina,
others.

Contents: Democrat vs Republican

1 Origin of the Democratic and Republican 5 Logos of the Democratic and Republican
parties parties
2 History 6 Red states and Blue states list
3 Differences in Philosophy 6.1 Red states outnumber blue states
3.1 Individual and Community
7 Famous Republican vs Democratic
4 Democratic vs Republican stand on Presidents
controversial issues
8 Control of the White House
4.1 Military
9 Republican vs Democratic Demographics
4.2 Gun control laws
9.1 Partisan Advantages by Age
4.3 Abortion
9.2 By Gender
4.4 Gay rights
9.3 By Race
4.5 Death Penalty
9.4 By Level of Education
4.6 Taxes
4.7 Minimum Wage 10 References
4.8 Role of Government
4.9 Foreign Policy
4.10 Civil Rights

Origin of the Democratic and Republican parties

The Democratic Party traces its origins to the anti‑federalist factions around the time of
America’s independence from British rule. These factions were organized into
theDemocrat – Republican party by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and other
influential opponents of the Federalists in 1792.

The Republican party is the younger of the two parties. Founded in 1854 by anti‑
slavery expansion activists and modernizers, the Republican Party rose to prominence
with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president.

History
Since the division of the Republican Party in the election of 1912, the Democratic party
has consistently positioned itself to the left of the Republican Party in economic as well
as social matters. The economically left‑leaning activist philosophy of Franklin D.
Roosevelt, which has strongly influenced American liberalism, has shaped much of the
partyʹs economic agenda since 1932. Rooseveltʹs New Deal coalition usually controlled
the national government until 1964.

The Republican Party was founded in 1854 by anti‑slavery expansion activists and
modernizers, it rose to prominence with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the first
Republican president. The party presided over the American Civil War and
Reconstruction and was harried by internal factions and scandals towards the end of
the 19th century. Today, the Republican Party supports a pro‑business platform,
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withfurther foundations in economic libertarianism and a brand of social conservatism
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increasingly based on the viewpoints of the Religious Right.

Differences in Philosophy
While there may be several differences in opinion between
individual Democrats andRepublicans on certain issues, what follows is a
generalization of their stand on several of these issues. A Democrat is typically known
as a supporter of a broader range of social services in America than those advocated by
Republicans. Republican philosophy is based on a limited influence of government and
a dominant foreign policy.

Republicans are considered on the ʺrightʺ end of the political spectrum while
Democrats are on the ʺleft.ʺ The far right generally is pro‑religion, anti‑bureaucracy,
pro‑military, pro‑business and pro‑personal responsibility.

Republicans, are usually considered conservative (fiscally as well as socially), maybe a

little pious, pro‑business and against the bureaucracy often associated with big
government. They see big governments as wasteful and an obstacle to getting things
done. Their approach is Darwinian in that the strong shall survive, cream rises to the
top, etc.

To the far left of the spectrum are the extreme liberal, or the most extreme democrats.
Democrats are considered more liberal. Democrats tend to favor an active role for
government in society and believe that such involvement – be it environmental
regulations against polluting or anti‑discrimination laws – can improve the quality of
people’s lives and help achieve the larger goals of opportunity and equality. On the
other hand, Republicans tend to favor a limited role for government in society and
believe that such reliance on the private sector (businesses and individuals) – be it
avoiding unnecessary environmental regulations or heavy‑handed anti‑discrimination
laws – can improve economic productivity and help achieve the larger goals of
freedom and self‑reliance

Individual and Community

Republican philosophy leans more towards individual freedoms, rights and
responsibilities. In contrast, Democrats attach greater importance to equality and
social/community responsibility.

Democratic vs Republican stand on controversial issues

The Democrats and Republicans have varying ideas on many issues, some of which are
listed below. These are broadly generalized opinions; it must be noted that there are
many politicians in each party who have different and more nuanced positions on
these issues.

Military
Republicans: Prefer increasing military spending and have a more hard line stance
against countries like Iran, with a higher tendency to deploy the military option.

Democrats: Prefer lower increases in military spending and are comparatively more
reluctant to using military force against countries like Iran, Syria and Libya.

Gun control laws

Democrats favor more gun control laws e.g. oppose the right to carry concealed
weapons in public places. Republicans oppose gun control laws and are strong
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supporters of the Second Amendment (the right to bear arms) as well as the right to
3/7/2016 Democrat vs Republican ­ Difference and Comparison | Diffen

carry concealed weapons.

Abortion
Democrats support abortion rights and keeping elective abortions legal. Republicans
believe abortions should not be legal and that Roe v. Wade should be overturned.
Some Republicans go so far as to oppose the contraception mandate i.e. requiring
employer‑paid health insurance plans to cover contraception.

A related point of divergence is embryonic stem cell research ‑ Democrats support it

while Republicans do not.

Gay rights
Democrats tend to favor equal rights for gay and lesbian couples e.g. the right to get
married and adopt children. Republicans believe that marriage should be between a
man and a woman so they do not support gay marriage or allowing them to adopt
children.

Death Penalty
Opponents of the death penalty form a much higher fraction of the Democratic Party
when compared to the GOP.

Taxes
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. Republicans support tax cuts for everyone (rich and poor alike). They
consider higher tax rates on the rich a form of class warfare.

Minimum Wage
Democrats favor increase in the minimum wage to help workers. Republicans oppose
raising the minimum wage because it hurts businesses.

Role of Government
One of the fundamental differences between Democratic and Republican party ideals is
around the role of government. 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. For example, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is a government agency that many Republican presidential candidates
love to deride as an example of ʺuselessʺ government agencies that they would shut
down.

Another example is the food stamps program. Republicans in Congress are demanding
cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP), while Democrats
want to expand this program. Democrats argue that with unemployment rate high in
the economy, many families need the assistance provided by the program. Republicans
argue that there is a lot of fraud in the program that is wasting taxpayer dollars. They
also want to institute clauses that force beneficiaries of the program to take more
personal responsibility through measures such as mandatory drug testing, and looking
for a job.[1]

Foreign Policy
U.S. foreign policy has traditionally been relatively consistent between Democratic and
Republican administrations. Key allies have always been other Western powers like the
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UK, France. Allies in the middle east were—and continue to remain—countries like
3/7/2016 Democrat vs Republican ­ Difference and Comparison | Diffen

Israel, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Nevertheless, some differences can be seen based on the Obama administrationʹs

handling of relations with certain countries. For example, Israel and the U.S. have
always been strong allies. But relations between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu have been tense. A major contributor to this tension has been the
Obama administrationʹs Iran policy. The U.S. tightened sanctions on Iran in Obamaʹs
first term, but negotiated a deal in the second term that allowed international
inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities. The U.S. and Iran also found common ground
against the threat from ISIS. This rapprochement has irked Iranʹs traditional rival Israel,
even though for all practical purposes Israel and the U.S. remain staunch allies.
Republicans in Congress opposed the Iran deal and the easing of sanctions against
Iran. They also invited Netanyahu to deliver a speech against the deal.

Another country where the Democratic Obama administration reversed decades of U.S.
policy is Cuba. Republican Rand Paul supported the unfreezing of relations with Cuba
but his opinion is not shared by a majority of Republicans.[2]. Republicans like
presidential contenders Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz have publicly opposed the
normalization of relations with Cuba. [3][4]

Civil Rights
Abraham Lincoln belonged to the Republican Party, so the roots of the party are in
individual freedom and the abolition of slavery. Indeed, 82% of the Republicans in
theU.S. Senate voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 while only 69% of
Democrats did. The Southern wing of the Democratic party was vehemently opposed
to civil rights legislation.

However, after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, there was a sort of role reversal.
Todd Purdum, author of An Idea Whose Time Has Come, a book about the legislative
maneuvering behind the passage of the Civil Rights Act, says this in an interview with
NPR:

SIEGEL: How much of the Republican Party in Congress supported the

civil rights bill as it still was? And how many voted for cloture
to break the filibuster?

PURDUM: Well, the final vote in the Senate for the bill was 73 to
27, with 27 out of 33 Republican votes. So in proportional terms,
the Republicans supported this bill much more than the Democrats
did in both houses.

SIEGEL: A few weeks after Lyndon Johnson signed that bill into law,
as we heard at the beginning, the Republicans go and they nominate
Barry Goldwater for president, a Republican who had voted against
civil rights. And their legacy is jettisoned at that moment.

PURDUM: In some important way that was the beginning of changing

the Republican Party from the party of Lincoln into the party of
white backlash which is, frankly, reputation that in the South
particularly endures to this day, and has hurt the Republican Party
as a national brand in presidential elections.

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Republicans believe that Purdumʹs point of view is misleading because Goldwater
3/7/2016 Democrat vs Republican ­ Difference and Comparison | Diffen

supported previous attempts at passing a Civil Rights act, and desegregation, but did
not like the 1964 Act because he felt it infringed on Statesʹ rights.

In any case, the present dynamic is that minorities like African Americans
andHispanics are more likely to vote Democratic than Republican. However, there are
prominent African American Republicans like Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice,
Herman Cain, Clarence Thomas, Michael Steele and Alan West, as well as Hispanics
like Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Alberto Gonzales and Brian Sandoval.

Voter ID laws

Civil liberties groups like the ACLU criticize the GOP for pushing for voter ID laws —
Republicans believe these laws are necessary to prevent voter fraud while Democrats
claim that voter fraud is virtually non‑existent and that these laws disenfranchise black
and Hispanic voters who tend to be poorer and unable to obtain ID cards.

Logos of the Democratic and Republican parties

Republican Party (GOP)

logo

Democratic Party logo

Red states and Blue states list

Due to the TV coverage during some of the presidential elections in the past, the color
Red has become associated with the Republicans (as in Red states – the states where the
Republican presidential nominee wins) and Blue is associated with the Democrats.

The Democratic Party, once dominant in the Southeastern United States, is now
strongest in the Northeast (Mid‑Atlantic and New England), Great Lakes Region, as
well as along the Pacific Coast (especially Coastal California), including Hawaii. The
Democrats are also strongest in major cities. Recently, Democratic candidates have
been faring better in some southern states, such as Virginia, Arkansas, and Florida, and
in the Rocky Mountain states, especially Colorado, Montana, Nevada, and New
Mexico.

Since 1980, geographically the Republican ʺbaseʺ (ʺred statesʺ) is strongest in the South
and West, and weakest in the Northeast and the Pacific Coast. The Republican Partyʹs
strongest focus of political influence lies in the Great Plains states, particularly
Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, and in the western states of Idaho, Wyoming, and
Utah.

Red states outnumber blue states

In February 2016, Gallup reported that for the first time since Gallup started tracking,
red states now outnumber blue states.

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A map showing Republican‑leaning states in red and Democratic‑leaning states in

blue. a.k.a. red and blue states map.

In 2008, 35 states leaned Democratic and this number is down to only 14 now. In the
same time, the number of Republican leaning states rose from 5 to 20. Gallup
determined 16 states to be competitive, i.e., they leaned toward neither party.
Wyoming, Idaho and Utah were the most Republican states, while states that leaned
the most Democratic were Vermont, Hawaii and Rhode Island.

Famous Republican vs Democratic Presidents

Republicans have controlled the White House for 28 of the last 43 years since Richard
Nixon became president. Famous Democrat Presidents have been Franklin Roosevelt,
who pioneered the New Deal in America and stood for 4 terms, John F. Kennedy, who
presided over the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban missile crisis, and was
assassinated in Office; Bill Clinton, who was impeached by the House of
Representatives; and Nobel Peace Prize winners Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter.

Famous Republican Presidents include Abraham Lincoln, who abolished slavery;

Teddy Roosevelt, known for the Panama Canal; Ronald Reagan, credited for ending
the Cold War with Gorbachev; and the two Bush family Presidents of recent times.
Republican President Richard Nixon was forced to resign over the Watergate scandal.

Control of the White House

This graphic shows which party controlled the White House since 1901. You can find
the list of Presidents on Wikipedia.

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Republican vs Democratic Demographics
3/7/2016 Democrat vs Republican ­ Difference and Comparison | Diffen

The Pew Research Group, among others, regularly surveys American citizens to
determine party affiliation or support for various demographic groups. Some of their
latest results are below.

Partisan Advantages by Age

In general, support for the Democratic party is stronger among younger voters. As the
demographic gets older, support for the Republican party rises.

Partisanship advantage by year of birth, as of 2014

(published by Pew Research)

By Gender
In general, women lean Democratic while support among men is roughly evenly split
between the two parties.

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Gender gap in party identification (Pew Research Group, 2015)

By Race
Support for parties can also vary significantly by ethnicity and race, with African‑
Americans and Hispanics.

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Party identification by race (Pew Research Group, 2015)

By Level of Education
Support for the two parties also varies by level of education; support for the
Democratic party is stronger among college graduates and also among people who
have a high school diploma or less.

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Party identification by level of education (Pew Research Group,

2015)

References
Republican Party (official website)
Democratic Party (official website)
Wikipedia: Republican Party (United States)
Wikipedia: Democratic Party (United States)
Red States Outnumber Blue States for the First Time in Gallup Tracking ‑ Gallup

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Comments: Democrat vs Republican

Anonymous comments (5)

October 18, 2012, 5:25pm ▲

44
Lets not forget the lobbyists. Get rid of them, and congressman and
▼
politicians wouldnʹt know what to do with themselves

— 63.✗.✗.242

September 20, 2012, 11:39am ▲

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Democrat_vs_Republican
35
I am republican, and I am not wealthy nor have extra cash sitting
▼
around. I donʹt use credit cards to help stay out of debt yet I pay on a
mortgage and a car. I go to college on my dime when I can get a class
here and there and work full time. I do not want what I do earn after
taxes to get taxed more to go to someone elseʹs pocket because I 16/20
simply earn more than them. I didnʹt run off to college and take a
3/7/2016 Democrat vs Republican ­ Difference and Comparison | Diffen
student loan or take a break after graduating high school years ago. I
have started at the bottom, making minimum wage. As time went on,
I gained experience in my job field. As I gained more experience in my
job field, I became more valuable to employers. As I became more
valuable to my employers, I began to earn higher wages. I feel I have
earned where I am at, and I am still going further. I feel I took a legit
path to becoming financially secure. Why should I have to surrender a
portion of what I earn to someone that says it should be entitled to
them as well? Everyone starts somewhere, and most of the time itʹs
from the bottom.

— 63.✗.✗.11

April 8, 2014, 2:28am ▲

31
A) I strongly agree and disagree with both parties Ideology.
▼
B) I believe that because of how polarized American politics is today,
people canʹt agree on anything even if both sides like the idea.
C) George Washington warned against political parties.
D) Political parties cause divisions in American people even during
our revolution.
E) Abraham Lincoln said that ʺa House divided cannot stand.ʺ The
Civil was fought over the political issue of slavery.
F) The political parties evolve and change over time.
G ) Every time a new issue comes up the parties fight over the side
that will gain them votes, because their current ideologies donʹt
contain anything related to the issue
H) Examples include: Slavery, Civil Rights, The Populist Party, the
Progressive Party/Bull Moose, etc...
I) The parties today may be classified as conservative or liberal, but
America really invented these classifications, and really both party are
just a collection of standpoints bouncing around the whole spectrum
of ideology, ethics, and logic.

— 98.✗.✗.250

December 18, 2013, 2:34am ▲

30
The Stimulus Package should not have been put into effect. If a
▼
company canʹt survive, then it should not survive. Itʹs like not putting
down an injured dog.

— 64.✗.✗.202

February 19, 2013, 9:13am ▲

20
good site
▼
— 2.✗.✗.141

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