Modern political parties defined
Democrat vs Republican (decent and neutral comparison)
http://goo.gl/g5q02
Conservative vs Liberal (decent and neutral comparison)
http://goo.gl/3Svbw
See also:
On the issues - http://goo.gl/ysmx5
Project vote smart - http://goo.gl/0yqb
Congress on Android (other mobile) - http://goo.gl/dJ1Lp
Thomas library of Congress - http://goo.gl/4gKcG
Modern American liberalism:
is a form of social liberalism developed from progressive ideals such as Theodore Roosevelt's New Nationalism, Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom, Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, John F. Kennedy's New Frontier, and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. It combines social liberalism and social progressivism with support for a welfare state and a mixed economy. American liberal causes include voting rights for African Americans, abortion rights for women, gay rights and government entitlements such as education and health care.
John F. Kennedy defined a liberal as follows:
“ ..someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a 'Liberal', then I’m proud to say I’m a 'Liberal'. "
Progressivism:
in the United States is a broadly-based reform movement that reached its height early in the 20th century and is generally considered to be middle class and reformist in nature. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large corporations and railroads, and fears of corruption in American politics. In the 21st century self-styled progressives continue to embrace concepts such as environmentalism and social justice. Social progressivism, the view that governmental practices ought to be adjusted as society evolves, forms the ideological basis for many American progressives.
One historian defined progressivism as the "political movement that addresses ideas, impulses, and issues stemming from modernization of American society. Emerging at the end of the nineteenth century, it established much of the tone of American politics throughout the first half of the century."
Conservatism:
( "to preserve" ) is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism and seek a return to the way things were
Robert Eccleshall states, "It is the persistent image of society as a command structure in which the responsibilities of leadership can be exercised within the framework of a strong state manifested in divine-right royalism ... that distinguishes English conservatism from rival ideologies."
Republican Party:
Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party (GOP). The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the current version of the two party system, in contrast to the more "liberal" or "progressive" Democrats.
Democratic Party:
The party has the lengthiest record of continuous operation in the United States.
evolved from Anti-Federalist factions that opposed the fiscal policies of Alexander Hamilton in the early 1790s. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison organized these factions into the Democratic-Republican Party. The party favored states' rights and strict adherence to the Constitution; it opposed a national bank and wealthy, moneyed interests.
The Democratic Party has had broad appeal across all socio-ethno-economic demographics. Historically, the party has favored farmers, laborers, labor unions, and religious and ethnic minorities; it has opposed unregulated business and finance, and favored progressive income taxes. In foreign policy, internationalism (including interventionism) was a dominant theme from 1913 to the mid-1960s. In the 1930s, the party began advocating welfare spending programs targeted at the poor.
search string - define:progressivism
http://goo.gl/yv1bT
the political orientation of those who favor progress toward better conditions in government and society
Progressivism is a political attitude favoring or advocating changes or reform. Progressivism is often viewed in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies
search string - define:conservative
http://goo.gl/MNJ8G
resistant to change
having social or political views favoring conservatism
cautious: avoiding excess; "a conservative estimate"
a person who is reluctant to accept changes and new ideas
button-down: unimaginatively conventional; "a colorful character in the buttoned-down, dull-grey world of business"- Newsweek
a member of a Conservative Party
bourgeois: conforming to the standards and conventions of the middle class; "a bourgeois mentality" - wordnetweb.princeton.edu
Conservatism is a political and social term from the Latin verb conservare meaning to save or preserve. As the name suggests it usually indicates support for tradition and traditional values though the meaning has changed in different countries and time periods.
Conservatism in the United States is an umbrella term for an array of American thoughts on political philosophy. In contemporary American politics, it is often associated with the Republican Party.
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Modern Socialism
Socialism: Any of various political philosophies that support social and economic equality, collective decision-making, and public control of productive capital and natural resources, as advocated by socialists; The socialist political philosophies as a group, including Marxism, libertarian socialism
Socialism refers to the various theories of economic organization which advocate either public or direct worker ownership and administration of the means of production and allocation of resources.Newman, Michael.
adherence to the theory social organization which believes the proprietorship and the authority of the means of production, capital, land, etc. should belong to the entire community. The Socialist Party in London's day was considered a respectable alternate political party.
The DSA
"Democratic Socialists believe that both the economy and society should be run democratically—to meet public needs, not to make profits for a few. To achieve a more just society, many structures of our government and economy must be radically transformed through greater economic and social democracy so that ordinary Americans can participate in the many decisions that affect our lives." -- http://goo.gl/gMDog
SRC:
On the issues - http://goo.gl/ysmx5
Project vote smart - http://goo.gl/0yqb
Congress on Android (other mobile) - http://goo.gl/dJ1Lp
Thomas library of Congress - http://goo.gl/4gKcG
Wiki - http://goo.gl/YP4j
DSA - http://goo.gl/gMDog
The Google search and The Internets
Department of Government and History (gallaudet.edu) - http://goo.gl/MikID
USA history - http://goo.gl/oywpF
K-12 History Classes
