American political parties A brief overview LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

A brief overview of American political parties Two major parties, but a few large third parties Parties are organized at state level D & R parties have changed over US history despite having kept the same name D & R parties harbor a whole spectrum of different opinions The two main parties are election/affiliation parties and not parties made up of many active members Americans have no qualms about publicizing their party affiliation LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf ISSUES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (2012) REPUBLICAN PARTY (2012) Abortion A constitutional right Limitation (more or less stringent) Campaign financing Capping of private financing No capping, extension to private corporations Same-sex marriage For legalization Against legalization Health Care (Obamacare) In favor of some form of universal health care For personal responsibility in this matter Taxation Progressive income tax Proportional income tax Immigration Open attitude towards legal immigrants Need to restrain immigration Capital punishment Opposed In favor Drugs Liberalization of legal restraints for users Against Gun control For Foreign policy Non interventionist LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

Democratic Party website Republican Party website LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

2016 Presidential election. Results by state LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

2016 Presidential election. Results by county LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

Percent of members of the House of Representatives from each party by state, 2015 LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

US governors, 2016 LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

D R Popular vote for Pdt 48.5% 46.4% Electoral votes (270) 232 306   D R Popular vote for Pdt 48.5% 46.4% Electoral votes (270) 232 306 Senate (seats) 48 52 House of Rep (seats) (218) 194 241 Governors 16 +1IND (Alaska) 33 2016 Elections http://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/president

How its politics changed over time The Democratic Party How its politics changed over time With the New Deal, became the party of social reform and the “common person” (Franklin D. Roosevelt) Yet remained split geographically over racial issues between North & West (more “liberal”= ag segregation) and South (more conservative= defending segregation) until the early-mid 1960s Between the 1960s and the 1990s overall a left-of-center party (in the European sense) Since the 1990s: broader scope, including more conservative and free- market ideas Today: supporting government intervention, unions, consumer protection, environmental protection, energy transition, universal health care, women’s and reproductive rights. LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

The Democratic Party Who supports it today? Ethnic Americans: African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans. Slight majority of Arab Americans. Religion: Jews and Muslims. (The religious marker is not as important as before when Catholics and Southern Protestants were Democrats) Social groups: Unionized labor (but segment on the wane= less numerous), low income/low education (but often do not vote), academics. Slight majority of professionals (= professions libérales) Demographic groups: a slight majority of women (although not in all elections) and younger voters. LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

Demographic groups: Older Americans. The Republican Party Who supports it today? Racial/Ethnic groups: overwhelmingly white but gaining among Blacks, some Latinos + Asians. Religion: Evangelical Protestants. (the religious marker is not as important as before when NE Protestants were Republican) Social groups: Armed forces, higher incomes, business (especially small business). Demographic groups: Older Americans. A geographical change since the 1960s towards the South and the West LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

The Republican Party Its politics today Defining a standard Republican view is difficult (more so than the Democratic Party). Under the influence of conservative and populist factions such as the Tea Parties, the Christian Right, etc. Free markets and individual achievement are the primary factors behind economic prosperity: less government intervention. So primacy of family and individual values, and morality (most of the time associated with religion) = social conservatism (authoritarian) ie laws should uphold moral values. In order to achieve that: laissez-faire economics, fiscal conservatism (less taxes + fixed rate income tax), and the elimination of government run welfare programs in favor of private sector nonprofits and encouraging personal responsibility (“government is the problem not the solution” Ronald Reagan) Against judicial activism, Limitation of the power of federal authorities vs state authorities. LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf

What you should know about American parties Differences with European parties (State level / spectrum of opinions / Two-party system) Who the groups backing the two main parties are. What the main differences between the Democratic party and the Republican party in terms of policy choices are. LEA 2 Cours de civilisation américaine J. Kempf