The Donkey Versus the Elephant
The Donkey versus the Elephant
Phi Nguyen
Most people are familiar with the smart and brave donkey, and the strong and dignified elephant, but many people really do not know what these mascots really stand for. The donkey is a symbol for the Democratic Party, and the elephant represents the Republican Party. Although both mascots are mammals that one can find in the circus, the similarities of these parties end there and creates a different type of circus in Washington DC. Both parties are very critical of each other. They have a great desire for power, and are always trying to steal the show. Though there are a few similarities between the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States, their views are very different when it comes to their core beliefs and issues relating to the economy, and national security. Specific issues aside, the core beliefs of the Democratic and Republican parties are very different. Republicans believe “it is the responsibility of citizens to run the government,” and that “people determine their own destiny.” (Rutledge 2012) According to Republicans, each person is responsible for their place in society, and the government should limit its intervention. They believe the powers of the government should be in the hands of the people. On the other hand, Democrats “believe that it is the government’s responsibility to care for the citizens,” and “people should share economic burdens.” (Rutledge 2012) They believe the government should have more power and control over people to be able to take care of them. Democrats favor an active role of government because they believe it can improve the quality of life for people and create opportunity and equality. Basically, Republicans believe in limited government, whereas, Democrats believe in big government. In addition to core beliefs, the Democratic and Republican parties differ in their views on the economy. Republicans believe that “free markets and
Phi Nguyen
Most people are familiar with the smart and brave donkey, and the strong and dignified elephant, but many people really do not know what these mascots really stand for. The donkey is a symbol for the Democratic Party, and the elephant represents the Republican Party. Although both mascots are mammals that one can find in the circus, the similarities of these parties end there and creates a different type of circus in Washington DC. Both parties are very critical of each other. They have a great desire for power, and are always trying to steal the show. Though there are a few similarities between the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States, their views are very different when it comes to their core beliefs and issues relating to the economy, and national security. Specific issues aside, the core beliefs of the Democratic and Republican parties are very different. Republicans believe “it is the responsibility of citizens to run the government,” and that “people determine their own destiny.” (Rutledge 2012) According to Republicans, each person is responsible for their place in society, and the government should limit its intervention. They believe the powers of the government should be in the hands of the people. On the other hand, Democrats “believe that it is the government’s responsibility to care for the citizens,” and “people should share economic burdens.” (Rutledge 2012) They believe the government should have more power and control over people to be able to take care of them. Democrats favor an active role of government because they believe it can improve the quality of life for people and create opportunity and equality. Basically, Republicans believe in limited government, whereas, Democrats believe in big government. In addition to core beliefs, the Democratic and Republican parties differ in their views on the economy. Republicans believe that “free markets and
References: Republican and Democratic Party 2012 Immigration Platform Comparison. (2012). National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Retrieved from http://www.nnirr.org/ ~nnirrorg/drupal/sites/default/files/republican-democratic_immigration_platform_ chart.pdf Republican Party (United States). (2013, July 23). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 23, 2013, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States) Rutledge, K. Democrat vs. Republican Philosophy. (2012) American President 2012.com. Retrieved from http://americanpresident2012.com/1/our-current-system/64-the-two- party-system.html