whats the difference between republicans and democrats?
829688
Two parties in the US trying to loot the world. The only difference being, one guys tries harder than the other!
334866
Republicans believe they right and Democrats are wrong, while Democrats believe the exact opposite.
1019244
Each party is defined by their platform or set of views.  Now not all Reps and Dems go along with the entire party platform, but they tend to agree with the majority.  Here are some of the parties views:\n\nReps: Anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, lower taxes, smaller government, pro-big business, hawkish of defense.\n\nDems: Allow abortion, allow gay marriage, higher taxes on the upper-middle and upper class, more government programs, pro-environment, dovish on defense.\n\nThese are just a few of the stereotypical views...each Rep and Dem have their own views that may or may no fall in line with the party platform.  Basically, Reps are the "traditional family values, strong military, capitalistic" party and Dems are the "social equality, environmentally friendly" party.
775400
There are very few differences between the Dems and Reps, just a couple of policy issues. But basically they are the small percentage of the rich and powerful who will do anything to keep it that way. They are working together more then the public likes the believe and they want it that way, it keeps us divided rather then seeing the truth; that they are one party working for one goal.
206274
Republicans believe in using religion and money and power to control others lives, behavior and finances.\n\nDemocrats believe people should be free to make their own behavior choices, and democrats believe in giving the working class a decent comfortable lifestyle.
743923
Unfortunately they both stand for polarizing issues in a race to get as much money, power, influence to rule the country. \n\nHistorically the Republicans were a fiscally and socially conservative group that wanted the government out of people's lives. The democrats were more socially engaged and wanted government to provide opportunities to more economically challenged and were willing to spend to help equalize the playing field.\n\nToday neither is true and the more both sides demonize the other, the more the moderate middle (which is most of the population) gets drowned out with their vitriolic hatred. \n\nPower corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. To illustrate that point just read the paper.
1080032
There really isn't a political affiliation calculated for Democrats and Republicans. You can have a Democrats that's conservative or a Republican that's liberal. It depends on the person's politics. These days though, Republicans are branded conservative and Democrats liberal. If you look at history, there are points of time when the affliation for Democrats and Republicans were reversed.
865922
Independent.  I don't want to be categorized as either, yet I tend to lean towards democrat because their interests lie in the every day, little guy problems, whereas the republicans are all about big business and whoever has the most money wins.\n\nI am probably more socialist than anything else.
797395
Republicans believe a society should function for the benefit of its wealthiest members.\n\nDemocrats believe a society should function with the maximum equality for the benefit of the largest group of people possible.
960143
the difference is that the republicans are far to the right of the majority of Americans on most significant issues and the democrats are far to the right of the majority of American on most significant  issues. that is the difference. no seriously there wasn't a big difference until the neocons started their caveman shtick.\n\nthose issues like immigration and gay marriage are distractions. elections are run by the PR industry... the same people that sell toothpaste. the point is to divert you away from issues like health care reform. polls show most people would support something resembling a single payer health care system... like they have in most european countries and Canada. where are the dems and reps on that? up each others butt. the insurance lobby pays a ton of money to candidates in both parties to keep health care reform off the agenda. that's why you see so many controversial bills pass with no debate. because they know the population would be opposed.\n\ndoes anyone remember the big debate about NAFTA? or the Telecommunications act? both of these were done under the Clinton administration.
850748
Republicans are brainwashed, impulsive, and improvident and always have been. Republicans are the little political babies and democrats now need to walk them by the hand and fix all of the domestic and foreign republican MESSES!
925870
well without being to long winded about it basically the republicans are for smaller goverment, states rights, low taxes and generally fear change they like our laws the way the are.they live and die by the constitution. The Dems are for larger goverment more goverment involvement,sometimes higher taxes and tend to want to reform our laws they feel some are outdated and need looked at. When you ask about social issues typically your Republicans stand on the Conservative side of social issues like most are pro-life(but yet support the death penalty) against gay marriage and support gun rights. As for Dems they tend to support gay marriage, some are anti-gun and most are pro choice. hopes this helps and by the way Bush has been labled a Conservative but in reallity his views are more towards the center.
219643
For a REAL answer...Republicans generally tend to want the power to go to the states and don't believe in big government (hence the tax cuts).  Democrats generally DO want lots of federal power and believe that government-sponsored programs will cure everything.  Obviously my answer is biased too, but at least I put some thought into it.  Also, Republicans tend to be much more conservative in their moral views than Democrats.\n\nOne more thing- Both parties are made up of the rich and the poor.  Hollywood tends to be Democratic (uber rich), and people who USE government programs (uber poor) are also usually Democrats.  Republicans are made up of uber rich CEO types as well as working class people who just want to be able to use their money the way they see fit rather than have the government support the afore mentioned group of Democrats.\n\nI can't stay away from this thread!  3rd time today...I'm a teacher in a public school- not at all rich...and I'm Republican.  So it's not all about rich people vs poor people (as I mentioned above).
1073943
The Dems. They are willing to pay down the debt and keep the economy strong ala Bill Clinton. They care about your privacy. They care about your constitutional rights. The Republicans are all about spying,lying, transferring wealth from poor to rich. Stealing elections. They want to un-separate church and state. Force God down your throat. War seems to be their favorite passtime. So what if people get killed -the ends justify the means. They could care less about the environement if they had their way this world would be a polluted mess. Republicans want cheap labor and don't care if you lose your job to get it . As long as the profits go up.\nDemocrats care about a livable wage. Example: Sante Fe NM. raised the min. wage and guess what ...Business increased. Democrats will do a better job but we need a Progressive party to change this country. Some Dems are way to liberal and most Republicans are not Republicans in the traditional sense. They are Neo cons. and have little in common with their past values.
900073
It started as the Federalist party versus the Democratic Republicans.  Once the federalists dwindled into nothingness, the Democratic Republicans were left as a single party and it wasn't long until the liberals and conservatives within the group caused it to splinter into what is now known as the Democrats and the Republicans.  The names are arbitrary, its the ideology behind each (Reps = Cons, Dems = Libs)
640797
There are a few differences in the democrats and republicans.  They are focused mainly on responsibilities of government, taxation and economic stimulus, focus on where our resorces need to be spent, and how trade should be aproached in relation to US interest.  Other social issues have been tied to certain parties such as abortion, envioroment, gun control to name a few.  The social issues are mainly for debate perposes in the legislative branches because within both parties you will find division in these areas.  I know democrats who are pro-life and I know republicans who believe in strict gun control.\n\nAs to roles of government, and this is very plain to see between the parties, the republicans believe in very little responsablity of the government to interfere with the daily lives of the people.  So since the government can do so little, it should be allowed to do what little it can without question.  The democrats believe that the government has an obligation to insure its citizens are safe and to do this the government has much power to do what ever it wants.  So since the government has so much power, it must have a bunch of hoops and hurdles to go through to make sure the people are safe gaurded from abuse from the government.  A prime example of this today is the wire tap debate.\n\nTaxation and economic stimulus is a HUGE difference between the parties.  This is where you hear republicans are for big business and the democrats are for the working man.  The republicans in this department go for the trickledown theory which says that if you give tax breaks to the rich then you have reinvestment in the company and inovative technology research.  Both of which lead to new market shares and thus new jobs for the American citizen.  Better products for better prices comes from research and the company having money to burn on experiments.  Basically the market leads the consumer.\n\nThe democrats believe that the tax breaks need to go to the working class or trickleup if you will.  Since there are so many more of them they determine what inovations need to be made.  With so many people with extra money are out there, better products for better prices comes from compitition since the companies must produce to get the consumer.  Inovation comes from what the buying public says it wants.  New jobs for US citizens comes from increased demand on the best goods that people want.  The consumer leads the market.\n\nAlso on taxation and role of government.  The republicans are big on ruged individualism and free market.  They believe that if you want services you should go out and pay for them youself, in return taxes will be lower.  The democrats believe that the citizens have a right to want certain services from their government, but they better be ready to pay taxes to get them.\n\nBut shoot, its getting late and I could go a long time on the different philosophies of the parties.  In truth neither is 100% right or 100% wrong.  Both have there places and in my opinion, it is where the country is at a certain time as to who gets into power.\n\nIndependants are normally someone who really hasn't tied themselves to any party and ran on their own accord.  When they vote though, most show either republican or democratic values.\n\nSorry for the misspelled words, spell check went down. :(
824432
a republican is the elephant and the democrat is the donkey. I alway remember it this way: an elephant(to me) is considered a luxury animal:doesn't do a lot of work, just eats and gets fat. A donkey, on the other hand, is a hard-worker, gets little respect and earns his keep. A republican sterotypically is rich,is interested in big businesses, while a democrat is underpaid, and ready to make change for the better(can you tell which party I'm supporting this election?)