Democrats generally follow what is called a liberal philosophy, believing that the proper role of the government is to regulate and oversee the economy. In addition to overseeing most aspects of American life, Democratic principles also include redistributing economic wealth to the benefit of the more needy. They believe the government should ensure that all people are taken care of, providing welfare, food stamps, …show more content…
Their belief is that while it is the role of government to oversee, it is not the government’s responsibility to care for each individual. The Republican Party is based on the principles of personal responsibility, that individuals determine how they want to live their life, and should be allowed to succeed or fail based on themselves. For example, Republicans believe that the decision of an American citizen to pursue an education or not, work or be unemployed, practice good health or not are all personal choices, and that it is not the government’s role to determine. Both the Democratic and Republican Party positions on a number of key issues of the day reflect their underlying philosophical foundations. The Republican beliefs in less government, economic survival of the fittest, and less income distribution, as well as the Democratic beliefs in larger government and greater income redistribution to help less fortunate Americans. These view also affect social and political views for example, in gay marriage and abortion, which are two things Republicans are strongly against, the opposite of the democratic