Classification or Division Paper Sample: Political Parties

Different political parties base their political actions or election programs on particular political ideologies. A political ideology refers to a set of ethical principles, ideals, doctrines, symbols or myths that are associated with a particular social institution or movement. Essentially, a political ideology defines how the society should be structured based on the existing social, economic, cultural, and political order. Nevertheless, a political ideology is mainly concerned with how power should be allocated to individuals in the society and how such power ought to be attained. At the turn of the 21st century, many societies have developed democratic political environments characterized with numerous political parties, each championing for a different ideology. However, while some political parties strictly adhere to certain strong ideologies, other parties often take a broad perspective that borrows from many related ideologies. This paper aims at classifying political parties in the US based on the differences they have in their political ideologies. Therefore, the essay categorizes political action in the US as either republican or democrat.

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The Republican and Democratic parties in the US differ at length in their approach to leadership and governance. Core differences informing their divergent approaches include issues such as taxes, gun control, abortion and gay rights, the role or government, entitlements such as social security and Medicare, and immigration. Both parties have elaborate strategies on how to implement these contentious issues. The Democratic Party is the older of the two having been founded in 1824 while the Republican Party was established in 1854. The Democratic Party has its origins in the anti-federalist movement that emerged during the fight for independence from Britain. On the other hand, The Republican Party emerged from anti-slavery activism led by President Abraham Lincoln.

The political ideology of the Democratic Party is enshrined in values of liberalism. The party promotes a left-leaning philosophy based on values such as modern liberalism, progressivism, and American liberalism. Essentially, the party believes in a robust government system that promotes social responsibility and the social welfare of the community. The Democratic Party enforces its ideology on its approach to addressing some the contentious political issues. For example, on the question of abortion, the Democrats are generally prochoice. They advocate for the legalization of abortion based on the mantra safe, legal, rare.' On the question of capital punishment, a majority of the Democrats oppose the death penalty. When it comes to managing the economy, Democrats favor issues such as minimum wage regulation, progressive taxation, and avoiding large deficits. Conversely, the democrats also promote the idea of separating faith from the state through advocating for a secular nation. On the question of gay rights, the Democrats consider such rights as an essential aspect of human rights; hence support gay rights. Furthermore, Democrats advocate for stringent gun control measures as well as promoting a more immigrant-friendly policy. The other important aspect that distinguishes the Democrats is on foreign policy. Democrats believe in promoting a foreign policy that is based on establishing strong alliances and international coalitions.

On the other hand, the Republican Party uses a very different approach to promoting its right-leaning philosophies that are largely conservative in nature. The Republicans believe in a government system that is limited in its interferences with individual rights and freedoms of the people. The Republicans promote values such as fiscal conservatism and social conservatism. On some of the contentious political issues such as abortion, the Republicans are very equivocal. For example, they are opposed to legalization of abortion and are generally prolife. On the question of capital punishment, the Republicans largely support calls for the death penalty on serious offenses. On economic management, Republicans support a free market that is characterized with competition informed by market forces of demand and supply. The party supports entrepreneurship while it cuts down on entitlements from the government. On taxation, the party is against progressive tax and promotes a tax system that increases taxes for everybody equally. On matters of religion, the Republicans conservative approach is most linked to religion; hence, supporting the notion that the Republicans favor Protestantism. The approach used by Republicans on foreign policy is mostly associated with the concept of Americanization. The party promotes reforms in the United Nations Organization and encourages the spread of American democracy to other nations. On the question of gay rights, the Republicans are opposed to legalizing homosexuality and support constitutional amendments aimed at outlawing gay marriages. Also, the Republicans advocate for tight borders to keep off immigrants and limited gun control.

In conclusion, given the classification of the two leading political parties in the American political landscape, it is evident that the two parties are embroidered in very divergent political ideologies. While both parties want to govern the country in the best way possible, their approaches in governance are very different.