Thread: What Do Democrats Believe?

What Do Democrats Believe? A Summary of Democratic Party Ideology
by Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy

Although many Americans claim to be independent of either major political party, many more offer allegiance to one of two major parties in the United States – Republican and Democrat. Under a Republican administration, many citizens no longer understand what Democrats support. Thomas Jefferson founded what he called the Democratic-Republican Party in 1793. Decades later, Andrew Jackson split his own coalition from the main party in a bid for the White House and the current party Americans know as Democratic evolved.

The older of the two major parties today, Democrats are those Americans who believe in government by the people. As stated in the Preamble of the United States Constitution, this nation’s government was founded to be by, of, and for the people. Democrats strive to support this idea and to protect it.

Individual Applications
Democrats believe in rights of the individual citizen. These rights include life, liberty, dignity, security, equality of opportunity, justice, privacy, and private ownership of property.

To summarize, Democrats believe that each American citizen should have the right to all of the above things without interference from other citizens or the government.

Democratic beliefs also honor the freedoms of the individual – freedom to worship as he or she may choose, freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, freedom of assembly, freedom of inquiry, freedom of expression, and freedom to participate in the political process.

These Constitutional rights are valuable to Democrats who defended them daily. These rights – called inalienable by the Constitution –stem from the rigid standards that prevented most under British rule prior to the American Revolution. Throughout the Colonies, it was common that some religions were allowed while others were not. Common assembly was expressly forbidden by law, as were most other freedoms that are dear to Democratic hearts.

By the tenets of the Democratic Party, each individual also has responsibilities toward society and the nation. Each one of us – by Democratic point of view – has the obligation to respect human life, to respect the rights of others, to be tolerant, to be honest, to have self-control, to respect property of others, and to participate in the democratic processes of this nation.

In short, Democrats support a more complex version of the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would like others to do unto you.

Working Role Of Government and Society
The Democratic point of view sets standards for American society and the role of the government in that society. The basic beliefs about society and government is that:

Societies must have laws that the majority of the people support and accept.
Dissenting minorities are protected and have the right to have an opinion different than the majority.
The people rule and thus, the people rule elect government.
Government should respect and protect individual rights.
Government should also protect and respect individual freedoms.
Civil liberties must be guaranteed for ALL citizens by the government.
Government must work for the common good.

Most, if not all, of these solid Democratic beliefs are outlined and protected by the United States Constitution. Many of today’s hot issues violate some of these tenets. The Homeland Security Act, for example, removes some of the individual freedoms and rights from American Citizens. Republicans feel that the loss of these rights is for the common good; Democrats disagree.

Before pledging membership or allegiance to either political party, Americans should educate themselves about what each party believes and what each party stands for to be sure that their own beliefs agree.

http://www.googobits.com/articles/2720- ... ology.html

Thanks for the posting. I almost threw up my lunch reading that garbage

Democratic beliefs also honor the freedoms of the individual – freedom to worship as he or she may choose,....

Everyone except christians that is. I am waiting for the word "Christmas" to be banned any minute now.

The Homeland Security Act, for example, removes some of the individual freedoms and rights from American Citizens

Just what are they??? To me, it's business as usual. I must be missing something that I'm supposedly missing.

By the tenets of the Democratic Party, each individual also has responsibilities toward society and the nation.

I guess they forgot about that one when all the entitlement programs were passed out. It seems that a lot of minorities believe that the government owes them a living, and the democrats are the ones to give it to them.