Firstly the parties have different policy views such as the Republican Party has a more hawkish foreign policy, committed to high defence spending and the use of power to defend American Interests e.g. Bush invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the war on Terror whereas the Democratic Party has a more ‘dovish’ foreign policy, internationalist in seeking diplomatic solutions to problems e.g. Obama’s commitment to withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan. Many social issues such as Abortion also have distinct differences in both parties’ policies. The DP platform 200/9 is in strong support of ‘Roe Versus Wade’ and women’s rights whereas the RP platform talked about the ‘Sanctity of all human life’. It makes I possible to suggest that the Ideological patterns of Democrats is one of ‘Liberal’ and the ideological pattern of the Republicans is ‘Conservative’. These strongly opposing views can suggest that there are more differences between that within.
Secondly the votes cast for the Parties would imply that there are more differences between that within. 89% of voters who say they are liberal voted for Obama in the 2008 general election whereas 78% of voters who said that they were ‘ideologically conservative; voted for McCain. The values of the Republican Party tend to attract businesses and corporate interest, higher income voters as well as rural small town suburban voters and religious groups. The Democratic party tend to attract collar workers, trade unionists and less affluent public sector workers. The stark differences within the groups that the two parties attract are so diverse it would suggest that the parties are clearly having more differences between than within.
Edward Ashbee has argued that the ‘differences between the parties are