Democratic Party Policy Positions:
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Since the 1930's, the party has promoted a center-left social-liberal platform, supporting a mixed economy and social justice. The party's philosophy of modern American liberalism advocates social and economic equality, along with a mixed economy by providing government intervention and regulation in order to help provide for the poor and others ("the welfare state").
These interventions, such as universal health care, labor unions, social programs, equal opportunity, consumer protection, and environmental protection, form the party's economic policy basis. Until the late 20th century the party had a conservative pro-business wing based in major cities and a populist agrarian wing based in the rural South. After 1932 the business wing withered and after 1980 the Southern populists moved into the Republican Party. Today, the Congressional Democratic caucus is composed mostly of progressives and centrists.
Individual and Community:
These interventions, such as universal health care, labor unions, social programs, equal opportunity, consumer protection, and environmental protection, form the party's economic policy basis. Until the late 20th century the party had a conservative pro-business wing based in major cities and a populist agrarian wing based in the rural South. After 1932 the business wing withered and after 1980 the Southern populists moved into the Republican Party. Today, the Congressional Democratic caucus is composed mostly of progressives and centrists.
Individual and Community:
- Democrats attach greater importance to equality and social/community responsibility.
- Democrats prefer lower increases in military spending and are comparatively more reluctant to using military force against countries like Iran, Syria and Libya.
- Democrats favor more gun control laws e.g. oppose the right to carry concealed weapons in public places.
- Democrats support abortion rights and keeping elective abortions legal.
- Democrats tend to favor equal rights for gay and lesbian couples e.g. the right to get married and adopt children.
- Most Democrats are staunch opponents of the death penalty.
- 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.
- Democrats favor increase in the minimum wage to help workers.
- One of the fundamental differences between Democratic and Republican party ideals is around the role of government. Democrats s favor a strong central 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 Democrats would love to deride as an example of "useful" government agencies that they would shut down.
- Democrats want to expand the food stamps program, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Democrats argue that with unemployment rate high in the economy, many families need the assistance provided by the program.
- Most modern Democrats support Civil Rights Act of 1964, as opposed to 69% of Democrats in the 1960's did.
- 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.
- Democrats believe many citizens rely on government services for healthcare, unemployment insurance, health and safety regulations, and so on. As such, Democrats believe that parties motivated by self-interest are willing to behave in ways that are harmful to society unless government is prepared and empowered to constrain them. They believe regulation is necessitated when individuals, corporations, and industries demonstrate a willingness to pursue financial gain at an intolerable cost to society, and grow too powerful to be constrained by other social institutions.
- Democrats want to provide immigrants a path for citizenship, as well as protect them from exploitation by employers.
- Democrats want to turn around struggling public schools and expand public options. In addition, they also want to the government to expand their investments in Pell Grants, and offer more tax credits. Democrats also want to make college tuition tax deductible, as well as make good use of standardized tests, reduced class sizes, modernize facilities, and hire new teachers to advance learning.
- Democrats want to Expand Family and Medical Leave Law and end the marriage penalty. They also want to improve child-care and fully fund Head Start.
- Democrats want to expand US leadership at the UN, including respectful disagreement, as well as increase government sponsored humanitarian efforts in the developing world. In addition, they also want to work on closing the gap between the richest and poorest nations.
- Democrats want to create jobs that stay in America, as they believe that a strong America begins with good jobs that support families. in order to do so, they want to change tax system to not encourage shipping jobs overseas. In addition, Democrats also believe that the rights of low income workers must be protected.
AnonMoos. "US Democratic Party Logo". Wikipedia, 9 Aug 2013, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Democratic_Party_Logo.svg
Democratic Party Platform (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2015, from https://www.democrats.org/party-platform#moving-america
The Democratic Party Website
Democratic Party Platform (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2015, from https://www.democrats.org/party-platform#moving-america
The Democratic Party Website