1. Democrat or Republican?

2. Or Somewhere in Between?
• List of political parties in the United States
- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

3. Emergence of the Tea Party
• Emerged in 2009 after the bailout of the US’s
financial institutions(President Bush-2008), the
economic stimulus package(President Obama2009) and the new health care law(President
Obama-2010).
• The name is taken from the Boston Tea Party as
they protested against the British King at the
time
• Tends to be very conservative and libertarian in
nature

6. Core Beliefs of Tea Party
• Illegal Aliens Are Here illegally.
• Pro-Domestic Employment Is Indispensable.
• Stronger Military Is Essential.
• Special Interests Eliminated.
• Gun Ownership Is Sacred.
• Government Must Be Downsized.
• National Budget Must Be Balanced.

7. •
Deficit Spending Will End.
•
•
Bail-out And Stimulus Plans Are Illegal.
Reduce Personal Income Taxes A Must.
•
Reduce Business Income Taxes Is Mandatory.
•
Political Offices Available To Average Citizens.
•
Intrusive Government Stopped.
•
English As Core Language Is Required.
•
Traditional Family Values Are Encouraged.
•
Common Sense Constitutional
•
Conservative Self-Governance
•
http://www.teaparty.org/about.php#beliefs

8. • Not all Democrats or Republicans agree on all
issues within their party
• Discuss media bias—Fox News vs CNN
• Where you live can effect what party you belong
to

9. 2000 Election Map
Red-Republican—Blue-Democrat

10. 2004 Election Map

11. 2008 Election Map

12. 2012 Presidential Election

13. • Republicans are conservative
– favor traditional institutions and the status
quo
– favor laissez-faire system
• define
– favor a limited role for government in
society and believe that people should
help themselves, not rely on the
government
– favor lower taxes
– believe in the trickle-down theory
– Believe in rugged individualism

14. • Democrats are liberal
– favor change in society
– oppose government intervention into one’s private and
social life
– support regulations on economic activity and
businesses
– favor an active role for government in society
– believe that involvement – be it environmental
regulations against polluting or anti-discrimination
laws- can improve the quality of our lives
– willing to increase taxes to support programs

15. Abortion
• Democrat:
– Abortion is a woman’s right and should be
legal
• Republican:
– Abortion should be illegal and restricted by
government
– http://law.findlaw.com/state-laws/abortion/

16. Abortion Laws prior to 1973 Roe V. Wade Case
Red--Illegal.
Purple--Legal in cases of rape.
Blue-Legal in cases of danger to woman's health.
Green-Legal in cases of danger to woman's health, rape or incest, or likely damaged fetus.
Yellow-Legal upon request.

20. Pregnancy, Birth, Abortion, and Fetal Loss Rates Per
1,000 Women Aged 15--19 Years, by Race and Hispanic
Ethnicity

22. Parental Consent and
Notification Laws
• http://www.plannedparenthood.org/healthtopics/abortion/parental-consentnotification-laws-25268.htm

24. Flag Burning
• Democrat:
– Flag burning is political
speech and is
protected by the
Constitution
• Republican:
– Protect the flag from
burning by a
constitutional
amendment

25. Gun Control
• Democrats:
– Favor/Gun control is needed
• Republicans:
– Oppose/Gun control is unconstitutional
• NRA-ILA :: Gun Laws

26. Natural Environment
• Democrats:
– Strong regulations are needed to protect the
environment
• Republicans:
– Strong environmental laws harm the economy

27. Race Relations
• Democrats:
– Strong anti-discrimination laws are needed
– favor affirmative action
• Republicans:
– People and businesses can be trusted not to
discriminate
– Many oppose affirmative action
• Affirmative Action Timeline

28. Minimum Wage
• Democrats:
– Favor/Increase the minimum wage to help
workers
• Republicans:
– Oppose/Do not raise the minimum wage
because it hurts businesses
– http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0774473.html

29. Healthcare
• Democrats:
– Government should require universal access to
healthcare
• Republicans:
– Private insurers are preferable to government
controlled system
The Affordable Care Act-March 2010
http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform/healthcareoverview#healthcare-menu

30. Taxes
• Democrats:
– Increase taxes on the wealthy to pay for
public programs
• Republicans:
– Cutting taxes for everyone helps the economy

31. 2012 Tax Brackets
Single filers
Married filing jointly or
Married filing
qualifying
separately
widow/widower
Head of household
10%
Up to $8,700
Up to $17,400
Up to $8,700
Up to $12,400
15%
$8,701 - $35,350
$17,401 - $70,700
$8,701- $35,350
$12,401 - $47,350
25%
$35,351 - $85,650
$70,701 - $142,700
$35,351 - $71,350
$47,351 - $122,300
28%
$85,651 - $178,650
$142,701 - $217,450
$71,351 - $108,725
$122,301 - $198,050
33%
$178,651 - $388,350
$217,451 - $388,350
$108,726 - $194,175
$198,051 - $388,350
35%
$388,351 or more
$388,351 or more
$194,176 or more
$388,351 or more
Tax
rate

33. Military
• Democrats:
– Cut military spending; expand veteran’s
benefits; act in concert with other nations
and/or with support from NATO and the UN
• Republicans:
– Increase military spending; cut veteran’s
benefits; don’t be constrained by other nations
or by NATO and the UN

34. Death Penalty
• Democrats:
– Oppose/It is not a deterrent and innocent
people are in jeopardy
• Republicans:
– Favor/The death penalty is necessary and
effective

35. History
• Furman v. Georgia, (1972)
• In this case, the court found the death
penalty to be unconstitutional on the
grounds of cruel and unusual punishment
in violation of the 8th to the United States
Constitution.
• http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/
dpusa.htm

38. Gay Marriage
• Democrats:
– Favor-Gays rights and marriage are civil
rights
• Republicans:
– Oppose-Marriage is a sacred trust between a
man and woman

39. 2012 Election
• Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and
Washington all have gay marriage on the
ballot for voters to decide upon

41. Civil Unions
• Civil Unions provide some legal
protections and responsibilities to gay and
lesbian couples at the state level.
• Gay marriage supporters say civil unions
have since proven to be ineffective, a
separate but unequal status
• The protections and responsibilities do not
extend beyond the border of the states in
which the civil union was entered.

42. Domestic Partnerships
• Domestic partnerships are a form of union
under which gay (and sometimes nongay) couples in some states or regions
can formalize their partnerships.
• Gay marriage supporters say that, as with
civil unions, the status remains a separate
and unequal compromise which does not
apply when a couple travels out of state,
and offers no federal protections.

43. Prayer in School
• Democrats:
– Oppose/Violation of the separation between
church and state
• Republicans:
– Favor/It is a religious right and our Christian
heritage

44. War in Iraq/Afghanistan
•
Democrats:
– Favored at first but criticized President Bush for messing it up.
– Wanted a defined exit strategy during the Bush years.
– President Obama withdrew all combat troops from Iraq in August
2010
– All US forces were out of Iraq at the end of 2011
– President Obama wanted to focus on Afghanistan-Sent 30,000
more troops 12-09.
– Started US withdrawl from Afghanistan in July 2011.
– Hopes to be out soon-2013-14
•
Republicans:
– President Bush stated 8-21-06 that US would not leave Iraq until
the job is done.
– Admitted to mistakes in Iraq and says it will be a tough fight.
– Hoped Iraq’s new gov’t and people would eventually be stable
enough for US withdrawl.
– President Bush pulled 8,000 troops out in late 2008/early 2009.
– Afghanistan was not focused on as much after the Iraq invasion.
– Allowed Taliban and al-Qaeda to gain in power.