Democrats and Republicans: the case for and against
Each major US party has real strengths, and critics on each side point to real weaknesses. This page sets out how supporters and critics usually make their case. It is not a ranking, and it is not voting advice.
Democrats
What supporters point to:
- Expanding health coverage, such as the Affordable Care Act.
- Protecting voting rights and civil rights.
- Supporting unions and a higher minimum wage.
- Government action on climate change.
What critics point to:
- Spending and regulation that critics say slow growth and raise costs.
- A drift toward college-educated voters and away from working-class ones.
- Messaging that some voters find preachy or out of touch.
- Weak enforcement at the border.
Republicans
What supporters point to:
- Lower taxes and lighter regulation to encourage business and growth.
- A strong military and stricter border enforcement.
- Protecting religious liberty and gun rights.
- More power for states and local communities.
What critics point to:
- Tax cuts that critics say mostly help the wealthy and add to deficits.
- Resistance to climate policy.
- Limits on abortion access.
- Loyalty to Donald Trump, including efforts to overturn the 2020 election result.
Criticisms that apply to both
- Both parties have run large deficits when they held power.
- Both rely heavily on big donors and lobbyists.
- Both reward partisanship over compromise, which makes long-term problems like immigration, entitlement costs, and housing hard to fix.
What you can do with this
Many voters agree with one party on some issues and the other party on the rest. Gallup polling shows that more Americans call themselves independents than identify with either party. Look up where your own candidates stand on the issues you care about most, rather than relying on the party label alone.