The Democratic Party

(noun)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States along with the Republican Party. Since the 1930s, the party has promoted a social liberal, social democratic and progressive platform, and its Congressional caucus is composed of progressives, liberals, centrists, and left-libertarians.

Related Terms

Examples of The Democratic Party in the following topics:

  • The Democratic Party

    • The Democratic Party is a major political party in the US which promotes a social liberal, social democratic and progressive platform.
    • The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States along with the Republican Party.
    • The Democratic-Republican Party gained power in the election of 1800.
    • Since 1912, the Democratic Party has moved to the left of the Republicans on economic and social issues.
    • Identify the historical origins and development of the Democratic Party, as well as the demographics of the party

  • Party Organization

    • The president of the United States, Barack Obama, is the 15th Democrat to hold the office, and since the 2006 midterm elections, the Democratic Party is the majority party for the United States Senate.
    • The modern two-party system consists of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
    • The modern political party system in the United States is a two-party system dominated by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
    • The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States.
    • The president of the United States, Barack Obama, is the fifteenth Democrat to hold the office, and since the 2006 midterm elections, the Democratic Party is the majority party for the United States Senate.

  • The Modern Era of Political Parties

    • Modern politics in the United States is a two-party system dominated by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
    • Modern politics in the United States is a two-party system dominated by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
    • The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, and is the oldest political party in the world.
    • The current President of the United States, Barack Obama, is the 15th Democrat to hold the office, and since the 2006 midterm elections, the Democratic Party has held a majority in the United States Senate.
    • The 2008 elections, while won by a Democrat, reflect the relatively even divide in the United States between the Republican and Democratic Parties.

  • Uniting Competing Factions Within the Party

    • Democratic and Republican Parties have historically taken ideologically ambiguous positions in order to attract a wide range of supporters.
    • The two major Democratic and Republican Parties in the United States have historically been ideologically ambiguous in order to accommodate citizens representing a broad spectrum of interests.
    • Instead of adopting polarizing ideological views, the Democratic and Republican Parties stand for the core American values of liberty, democracy, and equal opportunity that appeal to many Americans.
    • However, some broad differences still exist between the Democratic and Republican Parties.
    • The Democratic Party is most associated with a liberal attitude toward politics that emphasizes a more active government role in regulating the economy, ensuring equality, and providing a social safety net.

  • The National Party Organization

    • The modern political party system in the United States is a two-party system dominated by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
    • Some exceptions exist, like Minnesota's Farmer–Labor Party merging into the state's Democratic Party.
    • Statehood Party has served as a strong third party behind the Democratic Party and Republican Party.
    • The four major committees are part of the Democratic and Republican parties and each work to help members of their party get elected to each house.
    • Logo of the Democratic Party of the United States.

  • The Two-Party System

    • The United States is an example of a two-party system in which the majority of elected officials are either Democrats or Republicans .
    • The modern political party system in the U.S. is a two-party system dominated by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
    • The First Party System of the United States featured the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party (Anti-Federalist).
    • In 1829, the Second Party System saw a split of the Democratic-Republican Party into the Jacksonian Democrats, who grew into the modern Democratic Party, led by Andrew Jackson, and the Whig Party, led by Henry Clay.
    • Blue: Democrat Red: Republican.

  • Ideological Third Parties and Splinter Parties

    • America's democratic system is predominantly a two party system.
    • Currently, the two major American parties are the Democratic and Republican parties, although the top two parties change over time.
    • A third party is any party that supports a candidate for election other than the two major political parties; at the current moment, a third party would be any party other than the Democratic and Republican parties.
    • Third parties tend to be more ideological and extremist than the Democrats or Republicans.
    • Ralph Nader, the Green Party candidate, is accused of "stealing" votes away from Al Gore, a Democrat, in the 2000 election.

  • Hosting Conventions

    • The major political parties in the U.S. host the Democratic and Republican National Conventions to select candidates and rally supporters.
    • The two major political parties in the U.S. host the quadrennial Democratic National Convention and Republican National Convention to determine their respective presidential and vice presidential candidates.
    • The Democratic National Committee administers the Democratic National Convention while the Republican National Committee administers the Republican National Convention.
    • In recent years, candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties have been known in advance of these conventions.
    • Presidential nominating conventions, like the Democratic National Convention, host influential speakers to increase party unity.

  • Coordinating and Promoting Party Policy

    • Democratic and Republican National Committees help coordinate and promote party policies but do not organize the creation of policies.
    • The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) help to coordinate and promote party policies, although they are not the central organizations that develop these policies.
    • The DNC and RNC coordinate party policy during the Democratic and Republican National Conventions where party platforms are adopted.
    • For example, the debate over abortion between the Democratic and Republican parties has resulted in policy stances that either support or ban the practice of abortion.
    • The Democratic and Republican Parties, additionally, maintain sophisticated websites where they can offer comprehensive overviews of various party policies.

  • Party Identification

    • Instead, people self-identify as Republicans, Democrats, or members of minor parties.
    • For example, a child growing up in the 1970s would associate the Republican party with the Watergate scandal of the Nixon administration or a child growing up in the 1990s would associate the Democratic party with the sex scandal of the Clinton administration.
    • In 2000, more people identified as independents (40 percent of the voting population) than affiliated with either the Democratic (34 percent) or Republican (24 percent) parties for the first time in history.
    • For example, Catholics and labor union members in the Northeast form a part of the Democratic coalition.
    • This chart indicates the number of citizens registered as Republicans, Democrats, or Independents.