| INDIVIDUALISM VS. COLLECTIVEISM |
REPUBLICAN
The cornerstone of Republican philosophy is the belief that each person is responsible for their own place in our society. Individuals are encouraged by the Republican Party to work to secure the benefits of society for themselves, their families, and for those who are unable to care for themselves. |
DEMOCRAT
Democrats are more willing to subordinate individual rights to the assumed needs of the group. They assume that society collectively is responsible for each of it's members. They place less emphasis on individual enterprise and iniative. |
| GOVERNMENT AND THE GOVERNED |
REPUBLICAN
Republican's believe that government should be limited to doing for people those things which they cannot do for themselves. The right to determine individual destiny should lie in the hands of the individual. Similarly, Republicans believe governmental power and resources should be kept close to the people, through their state and communnity leaders, rather than centralized in distant government. |
DEMOCRAT
Recent Democrat administrations have pushed for more and more centralized power in Washington, with secondary consideration for the rights of individual citizens and communities. This has led to increasing more federal controls and regimentation, often in the hands of unelected bureaucrats, causing a severe erosion of local government across the country. |
| FOREIGN POLICY |
REPUBLICAN
Republican's believe that peace and freedom can be protected only if AMERICA maintains a defense forse strong enough to deter any aggressor. Republicans turn away from the paternalism of the 50's and encourage other nations to shoulder responsibility for their own problems. Republicans oppose unnecessary intervention in the internal affairs of other nations and stress helping our friends around the globe develope the skills and strengths necessary to protect themselves. |
DEMOCRAT
The Democrat Party has vacilated between extreme isolationism, intervention and confrontation tactics in cases like Vietnam, Cuba and Korea. This inconsistent foreign policy has confused our allies and encouraged our potential enemies. |
| ECONOMIC POLICY |
REPUBLICAN
Republican's believe in the competitive free-enterprise system. Individuals must be free to use their talents. This is the key to personal and national prosperity. Republicans believe that the only limits to an individual's opportunity to succeed are the limits of his own iniative and enterprise. |
DEMOCRAT
Democrats say that the economy is too complicated to be left to free enterprise alone, and therefore must be subjected to everincreasing controls by the federal government. They say that we sre "entering an era of limitations" and therefore must lower our individual economic expectations. |
| GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND TAXES |
REPUBLICAN
Republican's constantly strive to cut governmental spending and to eliminate costly, overlapping and unnecessary governmental programs. Because Republicans believe that the individual should control his and government's pocketbook, they believe that tax increases should be voted upon by the people. |
DEMOCRAT
The Democrat view is that the federal government knows how and where to spend money for the local needs better than elected community leaders, and federal bureaucrats should continue to control the flow of funds to the states and localities and dictate how the taxpayers money will be spent. |
| THE FUTURE |
REPUBLICAN
Republican's believe in solutions which are decided upon and implemented by the people themselves, through their locally elected representatives. Republicans believe that the solutions of America's problems lies in the greatness of the American people. |
DEMOCRAT
Democrats tend to stress a powerful, centralized bureaucracy aimed at solving local and national problems from the top down - a method which after 40 some-odd-years of trial-and-error, has been proven to be a failure. |
