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Political System: The Legs Of The Platform

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The Legs of the Platform
One cornerstone of the United States political system has been the two party system. Smaller third parties exist, but they rarely have an affect on who takes power. The two major parties evolved over time. The Democrats of today originated as the anti-Federalists and later became the Democratic-Republicans. Modern Republicans began as the Federalists and later became the Whig Party (Savage). The Republicans and Democrats differ on topics such as taxes, the economy, gay rights, drugs, crime control, abortion, social security, gun control and health care. Regardless of the names the two parties have carried, one party platform advocates for small government, intervening only when absolutely necessary and the other party …show more content…

According to the Republican Party Platform, Republicans disagree with State laws making marijuana legal. However, Republicans do call for government enforced restrictions on opioid prescriptions and limiting each person to one pharmacy to receive opioids (Republican 40). On the other hand, Democrats call for a pathway to legalization of marijuana and government regulations on the production and sale of marijuana. With regard to other drug related issues, the Democratic Party Platform states, “Democrats will prioritize prevention and treatment over incarceration when tackling addiction and substance use disorder” (36). Therefore, the issue of drug abuse will be a topic up for debate in the …show more content…

Both the Republican Party and Democratic Party advocate restoring of the trust between civilians and law enforcement. However, the two parties often differ on how to achieve this goal. The Republican Party believes the Constitution lays out the rules of law. The Republican Party Platform states, “Two grave problems undermine the rule of law on the federal level: Over-criminalization and over-federalization” (40). This reiterates the Republican Party belief in limited government and strict adherence to the Constitution. The Republican Party believes too many new crimes have been created by the federal government. The Republican Party stands by its belief in the death penalty, citing the Fifth Amendment as the basis for this stance, as a means to deter crime. In addition, the Republican Party believes judges should not have as much discretion when sentencing criminals and should abide by minimum sentencing terms that have been established. Furthermore, the Republican Party Platform calls for mandatory prison time for anyone who inflicts serious harm to a law enforcement officer (39-40). Conversely, The Democrats advocate repealing minimum sentencing guidelines and closing private prisons, leaving only government run prison. In addition, the Democratic Party disagrees with the Constitutionality of the death penalty, as they believe it constitutes “cruel and

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