Unit on political parties - Legal English TD

UNIT 2 – Political parties

Ficher toute l’unit 1 et faire les reading comprehensions and the texts

• A political party: groups of politicians, activists, and voters whose goal is to govern by securing control of government offices. They achieve this by selecting and endorsing candidates for various political positions. Once in office, political parties work to influence the legislation that Congress enacts and the policies the President supports.
• A Two-Party system: The US primarily operates under a two-party system, consisting of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Throughout most of its history, these two parties have been the dominant forces and the most likely to win national elections.[pic 1]

Democratic party: symbolized by a donkey; blue

Their goals:

• greater governmental regulation of the economy,
• broader social programs
• fair employment rules
•  protection of civil rights for women, the LGBTQ+ community, and other historically marginalized groups
• secular approach (=approche laique) to religion in public matters.

[pic 2]

Republican party: symbolized by an elephant ; red

Their goals:

• promotes limited government intervention in the economy
• fewer social services
• tax cuts (=baisse des impôts)
• increased defense spendings  

Republicans typically support restrictions on abortion and support increased government involvement in promoting the role of religious organizations in civil society.

The Democratic stance is generally described as liberal, while Republican views are considered mostly

conservative.

Democratic Party seeks to unite organized labor, the poor, historically marginalized communities, and liberal professionals from the upper-middle class.

In contrast, the Republican Party targets businesses, individuals from the upper-middle and upper

classes in the private sector, social conservatives, and working-class conservatives.

For instance, in the 2020 election: Joe Biden secured the majority of votes from people who have advanced degrees, such as those in law and medicine, while Donald Trump garnered the majority from lower-middle-class Americans with high school diplomas.

While US party system appears stable, it is not fixed or unchangeable. Although party activists share core beliefs, both parties also face ongoing ideological disagreements within their ranks.

A major factor in this evolution has been : racial policies.

Historically : Democrats were in the racially segregated South ; Republicans were dominant in the North (for ending slavery and promoting industrial growth).

From the 1960s onward societal changes prompted a further political realignment : Democrats moved to end racial segregation, hence going from the South to the North. On the other hand, Republicans moved from the North to the South, leading to each political party becoming more ideologically uniform.

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