With the current political landscape of the United States, it is important to understand both of the major political parties that dominate that landscape. Because of our political system, the likelihood of third-party candidates winning major political seats like the presidency are very slim. In this article, the premise is to educate about what it means, on many levels, to be a Democrat in America.
This article is meant to showcase opinions that best summarize what it means to be a member of this party. The opinions and descriptors of this party within this article are not limited to just the Democrats, nor, when it comes to anything covered, does it mean that ideology is set in stone. A great aspect of being a part of a political party is that there are many differing reasons that you may be a part of it. Being within a party does not mean that you hold everything that it stands for as your own. So please, understand that the content of this article is not to be taken so much as fact, but rather as truths to some that align themselves as a Democrat.
In its most general terms, to be a Democrat means that you believe in the upholding of democratic institutions within society as a whole. In this context, a democratic institution stands for the individual’s own political power. The right and exercise of voting would be a democratic institution. Another would be the basis of liberty and the freedoms of speech or assembly that we hold so dear today. Again, to be a Democrat, in a broad sense, means that you are for the power to be held by the people. This further means that the people are the ones that have the power to decide the direction of their state mainly through voting.
Liberal, conservative or somewhere in between, you can be a Democrat. These ideologies do not limit the party you can be a part of. When it comes to policy, some of what the Democratic Party supports are LGBTQ+ rights, gun control, secularism and environmentalism. This means that all can marry no matter their sexual orientation, appropriate guns stay in the hands of the responsible American, government and religion are separate while religious freedoms are protected and the environment is protected and steps are taken to ensure its longevity.
The Democratic moral philosophy differs person to person, but one opinion would be that Democrats wish to help create a better society. With the hope being for a better American society, the makeup of that belief is for society to uplift as many people as possible. Those that would be the focus of that uplifting would be those that are impoverished or disadvantaged.
Taxation is also a focus for Democrats, but not in the way you think. Democrats believe in taxing those that are the wealthiest, but not their full income, as we live in a progressive tax system. Education is also a priority for Democrats, believing that the cost of college should be lowered immensely and, in some cases, like community colleges, be free to attend.
Lastly, the symbol of the Democratic Party: the donkey. In short, it symbolizes the masses and embodies the fact that the Democratic Party is stubborn in what it believes in. It means that as a party, it will fight for all that it believes in in the name of democracy and for the United States of America.
Cheyanne Fleming is a first-year Political Science major with a minor in Spanish. CF965752@wcupa.edu
Evan Brooks is a third-year Business Management major with minors in Economics and Civic and Professional Leadership. EB916132@wcupa.edu