Republican Party Flashcards
(37 cards)
1
Q
Republicans (GOPs) - list a few
A
Reagan, Bush, Bush Junior, Sarah Palin, McCain, Mitt Romney, Lincoln
2
Q
facts about the GOP
A
- younger of two major parties
- founded by anti-slavery activists in 1854
- have been 18 republican presidents first of which was Abraham Lincoln (1861 - 1865)
- ideology based upon American conservatism
- traditionally, party had a powerful moderate, pro-business and socially liberal wing based in the North-East.
3
Q
History of GOP
A
- founded in northern states in 1854 by anti-slavery activists
- GOP first came into power in 1860 with election of Lincoln
- generally supported business, hard money, high tariffs to promote economic growth ,high wages and high profits
- party’s association with conservatism began with their opposition to FDR’s New Deal in the 1930s - they perceived it as socialism
- the conservative coalition was an informal grouping of Republicans and southern conservative Democrats, voting similarly on various issues.
4
Q
Dwight D Eisenhower
A
- post-war period
- moderate conservative
- continued New Deal and expanded social security
- he criticised the right wing of his party
- remembered for the Interstate Highway System and ending the Korean War
5
Q
Richard Nixon
A
- won 1968 election
- president from 1969 - 74
- an era most remembered for the Vietnam War and the Watergate Scandal
- WS prompted Nixon to resign from Presidency
6
Q
- Ronald Reagan
A
- won 1980 election
considered one of the most influential presidents of modern history - his supply-side economic policies, dubbed “reaganomics”, advocated reducing tax rates to spur economic growth, controlling the money supply to reduce inflation, deregulation of the economy, and reducing government spending.
- 2nd term consisted of ending the Cold War, publicly describing the Soviet Union as an “evil empire”
- remains an icon of the conservative movement
7
Q
Who was Newt Gingrich
A
- House Republican Minority Whip
- campaigner on the contract of America
- elected to majorities of both houses of Congress in the Republican Revolution of 1994
- controlling Congress enabled them to implement conservative policies despite the Democrat Clinton being President from 1993-2001
8
Q
What was the “Contract with America”
A
- a manifesto-style document published by the GOP for the 1994 midterms
- Congressional elections are traditionally local and candidate based, so a list of promises published by the national party marked a change
- the contract focused on reducing government spending and shrinking the size of the state
9
Q
George W Bush
A
- won 2000 election
- during his period in office, the GOP was defined by social conservatism e.g. supporting the amendment to the US constitution to ban same-sex marriage and signing into law greater restrictions on abortion access
- a pre-emtive war foreign policy intended to defeat terrorism and promote global democracy
- Bush created a more powerful executive branch
- used supply-side economics
- support for gun ownership
- significant tax reduction for middle and upper income owners
- he was sceptical about climate change, e.g. refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol, and deregulation
- some pieces of legislation were bipartisan e.g. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and increased the size of the federal establishment
10
Q
arguments to suggest G W Bush wasn’t a conservative
A
- doubled the burden of federal spending in just eight years
- Bush was a big spender - he tripled the spending of Clinton from $40 bn to $120 bn which is just domestic spending
- increased budget deficit and overall public debt
- in 2003, Bush signed into laws significant expansion of Medicare (worth $534 billion) and in 2006 attempted to convince the Republican-controlled Congress to pass immigration reform which would have resulted in a partial amnesty for some illegal immigrants (not particularly conservative)
- In Forbes press Daniel J. Mitchell wrote in March 2011 that “George W. Bush was no conservative”
11
Q
Republican Party Platform 2012
A
- “We assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We oppose using public revenues to promote or perform abortion - (pro-life and seek to amend the Us Constituion to overturn Roe v Wade)
- GOP have repeatedly tried to reform the budget process, by voting for a Balanced Budget Amendment. “We call for a constitutional amendment amendment requiring a super-majority for any tax increase
- “We affirm our support for a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. We applaud the citizens of the majority states which have enshrined into their constitutions the traditional concept of marriage”
- “We uphold the right of individuals to keep and bear arms, solemnly confirmed by the second amendment. We acknowledge, support, and defend the law-abiding citizen’s God given right of self-defence.” (opposition to gun-control measures)
- “Obamacare’s impact upon the nation’s health is disastrous. It was about the expansion of government control over one sixth of our economy, and resulted in an attack on our Constitution
- ” we affirm the right of students to engage in prayer in public schools. We assert every citizens right to apply religious values to public policy
12
Q
Factions of the GOP:
Republican Study Committee
A
- 170 conservative members (2014) in HoR
- pushed for significant cuts in non-defense spending, advocated socially conservative legislation, and supported the right to keep and bear arms
- Its website states: “The RSC is a group of House Republicans organised for the purpose of advancing a conservative social and economic agenda in the House of Representatives
- RSC is dedicated to a limited and constitutional role for the federal government, a strong national defines, the protection of individual and property rights, and the preservation of traditional family values
- highly conservative group represents a clear majority of Republicans in the Hosue: 73% are members (170 out of 233 Republicans)
13
Q
Factions of the GOP:
Republican Main Street Partnership
A
- operates in both House and the Senate with 49 declared members
- website describes it as: “group who discuss ways to further centrist, pragmatic Republican agenda - one that could accommodate bipartisan legislative results.
- represents the moderate wing of the party, standing in opposition to ideological conservatives pushing the GOP to the right.
14
Q
Factions of the GOP:
Liberty Caucus
A
- libertarian Republicans, socially and economically liberal and characterised very much on the right of the GOP
- 36 declared members, 32 in the House and 4 in the Senate
- calls for significant cuts in taxes/spending as well as protection of personal freedom
15
Q
Factions of the GOP:
Tea Party Caucus
A
- a now broadly inactive caucus dedicated to promoting fiscal responsibility, adherence to the movement’s interpretation of the Constitution and limited government.
- It was founded in 2010 after the success of the Tea Party movement in 2009
- protests against obamacare and what they perceived as the unconstitutional growth of the federal government
- 66 Republicans have been members
- leader Michele Bachmann ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012
- hasn’t met in 2 years and is generally perceived as defunct
16
Q
ARTICLE:
Libertarian wing of GOP gains strength in Congress, Susan Ferrechio January 24th 2014
A
- Liberty Caucus focuses on legislative proposals that focus on limited government, reducing the debt and maintaining individual rights
- group considers itself conservative with a libertarian emphasis
- believe that the party must begin embracing their libertarian-minded philosophy because voters are beginning to demand it, particularly in the wake of government data collection revlationsh that some believe infringe on privacy rights
- philosophy of the caucus: debt reduction, reining n government spending and opposition to the new health care law.
- many caucus members are opposed to the government surveillance program that has permitted officials to gather huge amounts of private phone and internet data in an effort to thwart terrorism.
- the liberty caucus is “a clash that threatens to further divide the GOP, which has already been fractured by the Tea Party Movement”
17
Q
ARTICLE: The Week: Who killed the Tea Party Caucus? Peter Weber, March 21st 2013
A
- “The Tea Party Caucus is dead” declared David Weigal at Slate
- in 2010, at its height, the Tea Party had 60 members, now 0 remain.
- “the membership page for the caucus is defunct. The party hasn’t met since July 2012”
- “it simply isn’t in the GOP’s interest to emphasise their ties to the movement anymore” - Doug Mataconis
- “when Michelle Bachmann’s presidential campaign fell apart it damaged the movement” - Weigal
“From June 2011 to January 2012 the group held no public meetings and since Bachmann almost lost her seat, she has been keeping a low profile. - Two of the biggest Tea Party stars, Sens. Rand Paul and Marco Rubio “have moved further and further to the left, no longer representing those that placed them in power and becoming more and more just another set of establishment Republicans
18
Q
Who is Susan Collins?
A
- a bipartisan and centrist member of the GOP, and an influential player in the U.S. Senate
- a member of several moderate organisations within the GOP, including Republican Main Street Partnership
- voting record was at one time centre-left, some GOP’s call her a RINO (republican in name only)
- has always endorsed humans rights campaign, campaigning on behalf of LGBT Americans
- Collins voted in favour of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010
19
Q
Who is Ted Cruz?
A
- Cruz is pro-life
- Cruz opposed same-sex marriage, instead supports marriage between “one man and one woman”, but believes the legality of same-sex marriage should be left to each state to decide
- Cruz is a strong supporter of gun rights and in 2013 threatened to filibuster any move which would increase background checks (in response to the Sandy Hook massacre)
- endorsed by the Tea Party Express and the Heritage Foundation
- a major force behind the US Government Shutdown of 2013, filibustering a vote on Obamacare in the Senate in October 2013 (21 hour speech in the Senate
20
Q
what evidence is there to suggest that the GOP is divided?
A
- the fact that both Susan Collins and Ted Cruz sit in the Senate Republican Conference
- many high profile Republicans, such as 2012 vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, voted against their own party leadership
21
Q
Interest Groups and Political Action Committees:
Heritage Foundation
A
- founded in 1973
- “formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defence”
- gained prominence during Reagan’s presidency
- has had a significant influence in U.S. public policy
- one of the most influential conservative research organisations in the US
- the group has strong links with the Republican Study Committee
22
Q
Interest Groups and Political Action Committees:
Tea Party Express
A
- founded in 2009
- during protests against Obamacare and increases in federal spending
- known primarily as the anti-establishment group
- influence has declined in recent years
- while Tea Party candidates often win Republican party prairies, they go on to lose to their democrat opponent in the general election.
- e.g. O’Donnell lost in 2010, and in 2012 only four of the 16 Tea Party backed candidates won seats
- the decline of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, often considered the leader of the Tea Party Express, is also a sign of less influence
- the group is also associated with fringe candidates: in 2012 Todd Akin, for example, made very controversial comments about what he called “legitimate rape” and Richard Mourdock said that pregnancy arising from rape was a “gift from god” (both candidates lost)
23
Q
Interest Groups and Political Action Committees:
Republican National Coalition for Life
A
- founded in 1990
- committed to maintaining the Republican’s Party pro-life principles
- formed in opposition to the founding of two pro-choice groups
- website states that it seeks to “protect and defend the Republican Party’s principled commitment to legal protection for all innocent human beings, from conception to natural death”
- “It is our desire to see those principles translated into public policy and law”
24
Q
Interest Groups and Political Action Committees:
Republican Majority for Choice
A
- founded in 2004
- dedicated to preserving legal access to abortion
- supports federal funding for all kinds of stem cell research including embryonic stem cell research
- supports pro-choice Republicans across the country
- 73% of GOP voters believe decisions regarding abortion should be determined by a woman and her doctor
- call for the Human Life Amendment to be removed from the party’s platform
- minority group, only two GOP senators (including susan collins) and four House GOP were endorsed by RMC
25
Interest Groups and Political Action Committees:
| Log Cabin Republicans
- group dedicated to equal rights for LGBT Americans
- founded in 1977
- founded in response to a Republican-backed proposal in California designed to bar LGBT Americans from teaching in state schools.
- group opposed to DOMA (don't ask don't tell) in US army
- "We are loyal republicans. we believe in limited government, strong national defence, free markets, low taxes, personal responsibility, and individual liberty."
- "we believe all Americans have the right to liberty and equality, and that equality for LGBT Americans is in the finest tradition of the GOP party"
- its influence is limited: eleven Senators (including Susan Collins) are endorsed by the group and only seven House Republicans are (showing senate is more moderate than the House)
26
Interest Groups and Political Action Committees:
| Republican Leadership Council
- founded in 1993
- group based on moderate policies
- disbanded officially in 2011, cited as evidence of its declining influence of moderates in the party
- described itself as "fiscally conservative and socially inclusive"
- group was pro-choice
- has been re-established since 2011 but only in California.
27
ARTICLE: The Week, The end of Sarah Palin, Michael Brendan Docherty, April 29th 2014
p.30
- "After this weekend, its probably safe to say that Sarah Palin is done"
- "recent events seem to confirm that Sarah Palin is an Obama-era novelty politician - and not much else"
28
ARTICLE: The Washington Post, March 2005
p.31
- "The Log Cabin Republicans are looking less and less Republican."
- "Log Cabin withheld its endorsement of President Bush last year because of his support for a ban on gay marriage
29
ARTICLE: BBC Virginia Tea Party victory a harbinger, Mark Mardell 11th June 2014
p.32
- "The truth is the Republican Party is engaged in a bitter civil war"
- "the defeat of the second most important Republican in the House at their hands is being variously described as an "apocalyptic moment" and "an earthquake"
- "The truth is that the Tea Party is a force to be reckoned with. They've pushed the party to the right, dominated its council for years, and they won't go away after the mid-terms in November"
30
Ideology of the Congressional GOP
- John Boehner, Republican leader of the House, and Mitch McConnell, Republican leader of the Senate, are both generally considered to be on the moderate end of conservatism, they are both socially and economically conservative but are open to compromise
- there has been a division within the conservative majority over how far the GOP should compromise with the White House, some commentators have styled this a an ultraconservative minority against a very conservative majority.
31
ARTICLE: The Economist, The Shutdown: Will voters punish the Republicans? Oct 1st 2013
- "shutdown is a result of a factional fight among Republicans in the House of Representatives, pitting an ultraconservative tea-party minority against a merely very conservative majority"
- "the tea party faction spends more of its energy fighting other conservative republicans than it does fighting Democrats, since its rivals are more of a threat than its enemies"
32
ARTICLE: The Washington Post, Mitt Romeny reframes himself as a 'severely conservative' governor, Daniel Fahrenthold, February 16 2012
p.34
- "Last week, Romney told right-wing activists that he had been a "severely" conservative governor"
- "Romney worked to cut spending, to stop same-sex marriage, and to bring back the state's death penalty which was outlawed in 1994. But Romney also frequently sought compromises with a Democratic legislature. And when he couldn't win, he often gave up"
- "Romney was conservative. But he was rarely "severe""
- "'Severely' conservative exaggerates his conservatism" said David Tuerck
- "Since November, the number of Republican-leaning voters convinced that he is a strong conservative has actually dropped, from 53% to 42%, according to a Pew Research Center Poll"
- Romney: "I cut taxes 19 times and balanced the budget all four years. I cast over 800 vetoes and i cut entire programs"
33
evidence of Romney as a "severe" conservative
- romney worked especially hard on bringing back the death penalty. but he proposed a law so compromised that people wondered if it would ever even be used. his bill was defeated by a margin of 100 to 53 in the state house
- he wanted to abolish the expensive and troubled Turnpike Authority but didn't win
- opposition to same-sex marriage. The state's (Massachusetts) Supreme Judicial Court legalised it in 2003, and Romney spent years try gin to un-do what the court had unleashed
- "He is a "severe" conservative by Massachusetts standards" said Kris Mineau
34
facts on Mitt Romney
- 2012 GOP Presidential candidate
- former governor of Massachusetts a predominantly liberal state in which Republicans are likely to be on the moderate wing
- during 2012 campaign there was speculation that Romney was unable to appeal to elements of the GOP base, because he was perceived as a moderate
- evangelical christians were concerned about his Mormon faith
- to counter this, Romney attempted to 'reframe' his period as governor of mass. , opened up about his Momonism and chose Paul Ryan, a consistent fiscal and social conservative from a 'traditional' background, as his Vice presidential running mate
35
Mitt Romney: Ideologically conservative
- Romney described his period as Governor as "severely conservative"
- ran on the 2012 GOP party platform which contained highly conservative statements on abortion, gay rights, gun rights and the size of the federal government
- proposed very conservative tax reforms, including cutting income taxes by 20%, eliminating various other taxes (e.g. estate taxes) and extending all the Bush-era tax cuts. This would have reduced federal revenues by approximately $480 billion in 2015
- picked sound fiscal and social conservative Paul Ryan as a running mate
36
Mitt Romney: pragmatic moderate conservative
- as governor, he instituted a healthcare plan in Massachusetts which many analysts argued was very similar to Obamacare
- Oct. 2012 he said: "We want to reduce the burden on middle-income taxpayers, and we're not going to provide a tax break to high-income taxpayers" this disavowed elements of the tax plan outlined above
- in 2002 when running for Governor, he said he will "preserve and protect a woman's right to choose". in 2012 a Newt Gingrich attack ad described him as "pro-abortion"
- in 2012 the Tea party patriots described Romney as a "weak moderate candidate who was "hand-picked" by the "mushy middle GOP""
37
ARTICLE: The New York Times, Why evangelicals don't like Mormons, David Reynolds Jan. 25 2012
- according to exit poll of South Carolina Republican primary voters, newt Gingrich, a thrice-married Catholic, won twice as much support from evangelical Protestants as Mitt Romney, a protestant.
- among voters for whom religion meant a "great deal", 46% voted for Mr Gingrich and only 10% for Mr Romney, which is the second evangelical heavy state mr. Romney has lost
- many evangelicals assert that Mormonism denies the divinity of Christ and is therefore not a branch of Christianity
- evangelicals are concerned not about Mr. Romney promoting his faith as president, but about the great boost as Mormon presidency would give to the church's proselytising (converting) efforts
