The Republican Party

                Having covered elections, it seems logical to shift the focus towards political parties in the states. One of the most striking features of American politics is the extent to which two parties dominate the electoral process. By international standards, there are scarcely any clearer illustrations of a two-party system. Third/minor parties and independents have a negligible impact upon American elections. In the US; it really is a two-horse race between the Democrats and the Republican Party (or Grand Old Party).

                The GOP emerged as a federalist, anti-slavery party based predominantly in the north. In the contemporary era, it is closely associated with the mindset of conservatism. As with any catch-all political party, there are various strands of conservatism within the GOP such as social conservatism and fiscal conservatism. As with the Democrats, it can be difficult to identify common themes or policies throughout the whole of the country. This is why the US has been depicted as a one hundred and two-party system (all the states plus Washington DC times by the two parties) because local parties have considerable freedom from the central level. Equally, the US has been described as a no-party system due to the relatively loose ideological character of the main parties. Neither term suggests that the two main parties can be easily categorized.

                Having said all this, it has become easier to identify common themes to both main parties due to the phenomenon of ideological polarization. Of these, perhaps the most significant is that the GOP is pro-life on the issue of abortion. Described as the last great divide between the main parties, Republicans throughout the country are broadly opposed to abortion. Those Republicans who adopt a pro-choice stance (primarily those standing for election in blue parts of the union) are often labeled RINOs. Generally speaking, the Republican Party has shifted towards a more socially conservative position in recent decades. The key reason has been the influence of the religious right within the party since the 1980s.

                The second key theme running through the party is a commitment towards relatively low levels of taxation relating to income and inherited wealth. Taxes placed upon negative externalities (such as pollution) are however more acceptable. The GOP has focused its policies upon reducing progressive taxation in order to stimulate economic growth. Fiscal conservatives claim that lower levels of taxation generate greater levels of wealth. They also believe that economic activity from higher-income earners benefits everyone. This is called trickle-down economics, and has been a major theme within the party since the Reagan era.

                The obvious consequence of lower taxation is a reduction in government spending. However, it would be going too far to claim that the party is ideologically opposed to public expenditure. Whilst the GOP tends to oppose entitlement spending on welfare, they do favor high levels of spending upon defense. The level of expenditure upon the military grew to unprecedented levels under George W. Bush, and during the 2012 election Mitt Romney pledged to increase spending on the military. It is also worth noting that the party may at times favor raising benefits in certain areas (perhaps for electorally-significant groups such as senior citizens). Government schemes or concessions designed to help military veterans also tend to find a supportive audience amongst Republicans.

                The party could also be described as more favorable towards the free market than the Democrats. It was the GOP that pioneered a laissez-faire approach to the economy during the Reagan/Bush era (1980-1992). Policies such as de-regulation, privatization and a flexible labor market are much more likely to be adopted by Republicans than liberal Democrats. The GOP claims that freeing up the market ensures that wealth is created more effectively. As such, state intervention should always be kept to a minimum. Far from helping the poor, the welfare state creates a dependency culture and erodes any sense of individual responsibility. State provision of goods and services is generally viewed as ineffective due to the absence of a profit motive.

                Another broadly consistent theme within the GOP concerns affirmative action. Republicans are largely opposed to special measures designed to help minority groups such as African-Americans and Latinos. They believe that state intervention within the workplace is contrary to the rugged individualism that shaped our great nation. The Republican stance on affirmative action could therefore be located within a broader framework concerning opposition to government interference. That said; the GOP wasn’t always opposed to positive discrimination. Richard Nixon promoted affirmative action under his presidency; believing such schemes would offer an escalator to accommodate minorities on the widening edges of prosperity. Nixon’s support for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (to this day the single greatest development in affirmative action) caught the Keynesian spirit of the time. In the modern Republican Party however, state intervention to assist minority groups is viewed negatively as its crowds on narrower steps. Fiscal conservatives claim that employment levels amongst black people would increase if the government simply stopped interfering in the marketplace. A more ‘liberal’ interpretation might be that the GOP no longer believes it can appeal to certain ethnic minorities.

In terms of gay marriage, the Republicans seek to defend the traditional definition of marriage as that between a man and a woman designed for the procreation and raising of children. Same-sex marriage is thereby contrary to God’s wider plan. Having said this, there are some figures within the party who adopt a more tolerant stance. The media often seeks to emphasize those examples whereby a family member of a prominent Republican is openly gay (such as one of Dick Cheney’s daughters) or supports gay marriage (such as Barbara Bush – the daughter of George W. Bush).

                The final issue to consider is the whole arena of gun control. Republicans are more likely to oppose gun control measures. They claim that the second amendment is essential towards the maintenance of individual freedom. It is the inalienable constitutional right of every adult American to protect themselves and their families. Gun ownership also ensures that the government cannot impose tyranny on the people, a deep-seated fear within the American mindset.

                Not surprisingly, there are many issues that divide the party rather than unite it (a comment also applicable to the Democrats). Given the decentralized character of American politics and the federal system, this is to be expected. Even in a period characterized by ideological polarization, there are still a wide number of wedge issues within the two main parties. However, it should be noted that in recent years the GOP has been more divided than their opponents. The key schism within the party has centered upon the role of the state. Social conservatives seek to utilize the state in order to rescue America from the moral pollution of liberal-secularism, whereas fiscal conservatives seek to roll back the state from the economic realm. Fiscal conservatives are more likely to emphasize economic rather than social issues, with some budget hawks adopting a surprisingly libertarian angle upon questions of morality.

                The Republican Party has experienced mixed fortunes since the beginning of this century. In the aftermath of 9/11, the country rallied around the President and sought security in an uncertain world. During the mid-term elections of 2002 the GOP achieved something quite remarkable by gaining seats in both chambers. George W. Bush also gained a second term, this time winning the popular vote against his Democrat rival. However, the tide began to turn against the Republican Party by the 2006 mid-terms (traditionally dubbed the ‘six year itch’ when applied to a two-term President). The Democrats won back both chambers during the lame-duck stage of Bush’s presidency. The 2008 election was of course a clear defeat for the party. They lost the race for the White House and failed to gain control of either chamber of Congress. For a brief time, the Democrats even held a supermajority in the upper chamber. The GOP’s brief respite in 2010 (gaining control of the House) failed to mark a significant breakthrough for the party, and Mitt Romney lost out to Obama in 2012. The Democrats maintained control of the upper chamber, and the GOP retained control of the House.

                The 2012 election marked something of a nadir for the GOP. The party failed to get its presidential candidate elected despite serious concerns over the state of the economy and the unpopularity of the Affordable Care Act. Moreover, the failure of the party to reach out towards minorities, women and younger voters suggests that the party really does need to broaden its appeal. The 2012 presidential election was the fifth time the party had failed to win a majority of the national vote out of its last six attempts. This statistic is all the more galling given that the country is in ideological terms a broadly center-right country (Micklethwait and Wooldridge, 2005). That said, the GOP gained back control of the Senate in the 2014 mid-term elections; which may eventually mark a return to fortune for them.