PAPER 3
Evaluate the extent to which the ideas and policies of the Republican and Democrat Party
differ (30)
(MORE UNITED OR DIVIDED) *****TABLE 601 and TABLE 602 PAGES 601-7 Social
Liberalism (progressiveness) vs Social Conservatism (LGBTQ+ Abortion etc.); Fiscal
Conservatism vs Enabling State (taxation, welfare, and economy PAGE 603); Positive
Freedom vs Negative Freedom (Guns); Immigration; Foreign Policy (Isolationist vs
Internationalist) (also covers factions within Republican and Democrat Parties Page 604-
607)
Little overlap on social and moral issues: Moderate Republicans (RINOS) sometimes
find agreement on issues with Democrats.
In 2012, the Obama government attempted For example, in 2009, Susan Collins was 1
to ensure that North Carolina respected trans of 3 Republicans to support Obama’s 2009
rights by threatening to withhold federal stimulus package. Similarly, Conservative
education funding – a concept that was Democrats share similar traditional views as
supported by the Democrats but heavily most Republicans on issues such as religion
opposed by the Republicans. This is due to and guns.
the fact that modern Democrats tend to
advocate greater protection of individual In April 2024, a bipartisan $61 billion aid
liberty and the prevention of discrimination. bill was passed, highlighting bi-partisan
support for Ukraine and Israel.
In contrast Republicans have usually
resisted such changes and instead argue for Additionally, Israel has enjoyed broad
religious choice and state’s rights to be American political support from both
given priority over other rights. Democrats and Republicans – with a recent
resolution in the Democrat-controlled
For example, on the matter of gay marriage, Senate commemorating the 75th anniversary
in 2016 the official Democrat policy of Israel’s founding has received
platform applauded the Supreme Court overwhelming bipartisan support.
decision to legalise it in all 50 states,
whereas a Republican statement claimed,
‘five unelected judged robbed 320 million
people of their constitutional authority to
define marriage as a union between one man
and one woman’.
Similarly, on the issue of immigration, the
Republican platform embraced Trump’s call
for a wall along the US/Mexico border.
, Economy: For the sake of economic advantage both
Democratic and Republican presidents have
In terms of the national economy, had close relations with Saudi Arabia
Democrats tend to call for greater despite moral controversy.
government intervention in it as a means of
providing social justice. They generally see Moreover, while the Republicans favour a
capitalism and free market economics as laissez faire attitude, Trump did enact
positive and necessary but emphasise the stimulus checks in Covid, while Biden
need for protection for those who need it similarly enacted stimulus in the American
most. For instance, in 2009 as part of Recovery Plan Act 2021.
Obama’s economic stimulus package, the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Additionally, both parties agree on the
was passed which spend $224 billion in necessity for tax simplifications in the
extended unemployment benefits, education process of eliminating loopholes.
and healthcare. Contrastingly, Republicans
believe in a much more limited government
with minimal interventions, especially in the
economy as it could arguably create a
dependency culture.
There is also disagreement regarding taxes,
with Republicans favouring tax cuts – seen
in Trumps reduction of corporation tax to
21% - and Democrats wanting an increased
tax for the rich – with Biden urging for a tax
hike for the wealthiest in his 2023 State of
the Union Address.
Social welfare: There have been areas of agreement over
welfare in the past – such as lowering
Democrats argue for greater government childcare costs.
provisions of social welfare. Contrastingly,
Republicans emphasise personal Additionally, both parties have been known
responsibility and instead argue for a to support educational and healthcare
restricted use of welfare provisions. welfare programmes. For example, Bush Jr
® and Obama (D) both spent immense
This can be seen in Obamas ACA, and amounts of federal spending on these issues.
Trumps wish to repeal it – seen in 435
tweets bashing the ACA and the American George W Bush advocated for Medicare and
Health Care Act. the No Child Left Behind Act, and Obama
advocated for ACA and his Race to the Top
initiative.
Evaluate the view that interest groups are a positive for democracy in the US **** (30)
arguments on TABLE P619 +PAGES 611-619 REPRESENTATITIVE; LIBERAL;
PLURALIST.
,Interest groups are a positive for democracy Interest groups are a negative for
because they are representative. democracy.
Interest groups can represent minority Interest groups can undermine the power of
groups and their interests, which might be legitimately elected local representatives.
ignored or overlooked in a winner-takes-all
system. The power of interest groups over the
legislature can work in the interest, and even
Interest groups can encourage their over-representation, of the minority, rather
members to turn out in elections, increasing than the majority.
the legitimacy of those elected.
AFL-CIO has 11 million members, with a
‘GOTV’ (get-out-the-vote). In the 2010 Pfizer – $13.8 million spent lobbying
midterm elections, AFL-CIO sent out 28.6
million pieces of mail. 100,000 volunteers
went door-to-door to promote endorsed
candidates to 13 million union voters.
It registers 450,000 new voters in 2012 and
made 800 million phone calls during the
election campaign.
Bill Clinton stated in 1994 after the
Democrats lost their congressional majority
‘The NRA is the reason the Republicans
control the House’.
Interest groups are a positive for democracy Only well-funded interest groups are able to
because they protect rights. protect rights effectively:
Interest groups can raise issues about rights This can be seen in the growth of PACs and
and work to protect them. This can include Super PACs who collect and allocate money
bringing cases to the Supreme Court. on behalf of individuals and pressure groups
who share common interests.
The NRA continues to advocate for cases
regarding gun control – from Columbia v There are 2003 super PACs, which has, in
Heller (2008), McDonald v Chicago (2010) the 2024 election cycle, raised over $1
or, more recently NYSRPA v Bruen (which, billion, and spent $300 million so far. In the
if the SCOTUS rules in the NRA’s favour, 2020 election cycle, $2 billion was spent.
would allow for permitless carry across the
United States). The main Democratic super PAC supporting
Biden – Future Forward – has begun to
Interest groups raise issues that hold reserve $250 million in advertising.
government to account, thereby limiting its
power.
A wide range of interest groups on directly
competing issues is tolerated.
, Interest groups are a positive for democracy Interest groups with more money seem to
because they promote pluralism. have a disproportionate amount of
influence.
The nature of US politics gives interest
groups a greater number of access points, Pro-Israel lobbyists and donors spent more
dispersing power. than $22m on lobbying and campaign
contributions during the 2018 election cycle.
Smaller interest groups have had success in The same or similar Israel-aligned groups
gaining national attention for their issues, and donors have spent hundreds of millions
even if not in managing to achieve of dollars in recent decades, and that money
legislative change. poured into American politics through a
variety of channels, according to the non-
This allows for a large variety of pressure profit, non-partisan Center for Responsive
groups who use a large variety of means to Politics.
achieve their ends – In Defence of
Christians // Prevent Opioid Abuse // The same interest groups annually seem to
Human Rights Committee // Tabaco Free retain influence over the political process.
Kids.
The focus of interest group action in
The issues raised by interest groups provide Washington, DC centralises power.
an important link between the people and
government, and ensure the government is
responsive.
Evaluate the extent to which the Electoral College’s advantages outweigh its disadvantages
**(30)
TABLE P596 IS A MUST + PAGE 594
The Electoral College’s advantages Small states are over-represented in the
outweigh its disadvantages: Electoral College. California has 54 ECV’s
(Electoral College votes) and a population
The Electoral College ensures that small of nearly 40 million. Wyoming had three
states remain represented. With the US ECV’s and a population of nearly 600,000.
population heavily concentrated in a few big That means each ECV exercised by
states, the role, culture, and traditions of Wyoming represents around 200,000
smaller states could be ignored without the people, while a Californian ECV represents
Electoral College. It also helps to maintain over three times as many people.
federalism by allowing differing electoral
procedures in each state – for example
Maine and Nebraska use proportional
systems to decide who gets their electoral
votes. As such, Maine gave 3 votes to Biden
and 1 to Trump.
The Electoral College’s advantages However, in two of the last six presidential
