Favoring the Democrat Platform

Joshua Lewis
Participation in Government
November 13, 2015

Favoring the Democrat Platform

One of the defining aspects about American democracy is its political system. Everyone
is allowed their own opinion and voice in the government, no matter what their opinion may be
or how unpopular or ridiculous it is. Most opinions are represented by one of the various political
parties in American politics. While there are many third parties, the American political system is
based off of a two-party system. These two main parties are the Democrats and the Republicans.
For around a century and a half now, these two rival political factions have been fighting each
other tooth and nail for control over the government and to get the officials represented by their
party elected into offices. These parties make it easier for a candidates views to be represented
and citizens can decide what candidates they want to support based on these views. Each side has
varying viewpoints on opposite ends of the political spectrum, the Democrats being more liberal
and progressive while the Republicans are more conservative and want to keep things old
fashioned. However, the Democrats are suited much better to lead America into greatness.
Through the Democrats focus on civil rights such as marriage equality, and their views on
economic and social policies such as abortion, medicare, and public employee unions, America is
surely on its path to becoming an even stronger nation.
Abortion is an extremely sensitive topic in todays world and has been in the spotlight as
one of the biggest disagreements between Democrats and Republicans for years now. The
Democrats believe that abortion is a matter of individual choice, they believe women should be
able to choose whether they want to get an abortion or not (Cooper, 2012). This is good because
it allows women to decide whether or not they are ready to be mothers. Maybe theyre too
young, or perhaps think they are incapable of being a mother whether it be due to economic
issues or they dont want to bring up a child in an environment they dont find suitable. Children

dont deserve being brought up under the care of a mother who doesnt truly want them or want
to be a mother or isnt going to be able to give them the care and attention that they need (White
House, 2014).
Another of the most popular planks of the Democratic Party is their stance on same sex
marriage. For a long time now, same sex couples have been fighting to gain marriage equality
and be allowed to marry the ones they love. The Democratic Party has long stood behind same
sex marriage and the advancement of civil rights in general (Cooper, 2012). Eventually, in June
of 2015, same sex marriage became legal. This is a big, vital step in civil rights and the United
States legalizing gay marriage may also push other nations to follow in the footsteps of our
country. Democrats support of gay marriage is good because America was built on the idea of
freedom and that all people are created equal. Similarities in these basic American principles can
be seen between the poor treatment of colored people and the oppression of same sex couples.
Obviously, same sex couples were treated poorly to a lesser degree, but the justification for each
civil rights case still draws similarities. Soon, people will wonder why we ever treated gays and
lesbians differently just as we wonder why we treated colored people differently. The legalization
of same sex marriage reinforces the basic principles America was built on and creates a more
democratic society (The White House, 2015).
Affordable health care is another plank that Democrats have been pursuing for a long
time. Democrats believe that every American should have access to a good, affordable healthcare
plan (Cooper, 2012). Affordable health care would provide America with a healthier society and
allow people who arent as well to be covered by health care. In 2010, Obama had fulfilled a
century long pursuit in ratifying an affordable health care plan, the Affordable Care Act, or

ObamaCare. Under the Affordable Care Act, around 16.4 million Americans received health
care, reducing the uninsured rate by a third (Democrats, 2010).
Democrats also firmly believe in public employee unions. For decades, Democrats have
stood alongside labor unions and worked with them to provide various benefits to the American
workforce. If it werent for these unions, workers would be vulnerable to unfair treatment by
businesses. Public employee unions also provide workers with social security, pensions, health
insurance, a minimum wage and other similar benefits. Unions give workers a fair environment
to work in and help them secure their future with social security and pensions. These benefits
help people stay healthy, safe, happy and help build a strong middle class as well as look out for
the lower class (Democrats, 2015).
The Republican Party, however, has a very different view on things from the Democratic
Party. One of the biggest disagreements Republicans and Democrats have is their stance on same
sex marriage. Republicans believe that marriage is strictly a union between man and woman
(Cooper, 2012). With the legalization of same sex marriage in June, Republicans were furious
with the Supreme Court for making this decision. They believe that the Supreme Court neglected
to recognize the state's voices in matter and also believe that churches should not have to follow
through with a marriage that is against their faith (GOP, 2015). The Republican views of abortion
also differ greatly from the Democrats. Republicans believe that abortions should be outlawed,
stating, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental
individual right to life which cannot be infringed. (Cooper, 2012)
Republicans unanimously voted against the Affordable Care Act. Republicans believe
that patients and their doctors should make decisions regarding health care, not Washington.
Republicans also believe that ObamaCare negatively affects the economy by limiting

competition and damaging the quality of health care (GOP, ObamaCare). Republicans are also
largely in disagreement with public employee unions. They believe that too much government
regulation limits Americas free market economy. Republicans also want to focus on local jobs
and not associate them all with the whims of Washington. They wish to cut down on peoples
dependency on unions and the Government when it comes to jobs and benefits (GOP, Economy).
The Democratic Party is obviously the superior choice to lead our nation into a brighter
future as opposed to the wealthy-oriented Republican party. The Democratic Partys unwavering
support of the people and their views on health care, abortion, public employee unions and same
sex marriage will provide for a happier, healthier and more tolerant America.

References
Cooper, Michael (2012, September 4th). Party Platforms Are Poles Apart in Their View of the
Nation. New York Times. Retrieved Novemer 13, 2015 from
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/05/us/politics/how-the-party-platforms-differ.html
The White House. (2014, January 22) Statement by the President on Roe v. Wade Anniversary
Retrieved November 13, 2015 from https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressoffice/2014/01/22/statement-president-roe-v-wade-anniversary
The White House. (2015, June 26) Remarks by the President on the Supreme Court Decision on
Marriage Equality. Retrieved November 13, 2015 from https://www.whitehouse.gov/thepress-office/2015/06/26/remarks-president-supreme-court-decision-marriage-equality

Democrats (2010) Health Care. Retrieved on November 13, 2015 from

http://www.democrats.org/issues/health-care
Democrats (2015) Union Members and Families. Retrieved on November 13, 2015 from
http://www.democrats.org/people/union-members-and-families
GOP (2015, June 26) RNC Statement on Supreme Courts Marriage Ruling. Retrieved on
November 13, 2015 from https://gop.com/rnc-statement-on-supreme-courts-marriage-ruling/
GOP. ObamaCare. Retrieved on November 13, 2015 from https://gop.com/issue/obamacare/
GOP. Economy. Retrieved on November 13, 2015 from https://gop.com/issue/economy/