Are you a Republican?
Do you believe in:
- Individual liberty?
- Personal responsibility?
- Limited government?
- A strong national defense?
- The Rights of All People Without Special Privilege
If so then you are probably a Republican or at least believe in many of the fundamental principals that make up the core of our Party.
Individual Liberty
“The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.” – Thomas Jefferson
The Declaration of Independence states that individuals are “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights” and list among them “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” As such, most Republicans believe that individual liberty is given by God and that the Constitution and our government was created to respect and uphold natural human rights.
The Republican Party was started to end slavery, a policy that usurped individual liberty and caused untold horror on individuals. The Civil War stopped the rising confederacy from succeeding from the union and lead to the abolition of slavery and the right for African Americans to vote. Millions died defending the highest ideals of our Constitution and the foundation of our union.
The Party also became the first major party in America to endorse suffrage for woman and elected the first female congresswoman.
Personal Responsibility
Most Republicans also believe that because liberty is a natural state given by God, we are each personally responsible to care for ourselves and have a responsibility to use the tools we are endowed with to labor. Modern Republicans reject the notion of collectivism especially as put forward by Communism and all of its variants including socialism and Marxism.
While charity and community are often a large part of many Republican’s lives, most do not believe it is the role of government to force charity and redistribute wealth through progressive taxation.
Limited Government
“A government is like fire, a handy servant, but a dangerous master” – George Washington
Modern Republicans believe that our founding fathers were correct to propose that government should be limited and respective of individual liberty. After the Revolutionary War the colonies were organized under the Articles of Confederation which contained a very weak federal system and left almost all decisions up to states. It was an experiment in government as close to anarchism as any tried before and it was unsuccessful. Constitutional conventions produced the United States Constitution which created a stronger system of federalism, a presidency, a bicameral legislature and with it the Bill of Rights that laid out specific limitations of this federal system and granted remaining powers to the states and their citizens.
Republicans do not believe in “no” government or anarchy, nor do libertarians or social conservatives. We do believe that government should be limited and accountable through checks and balances but that what government is necessary should be stable, strong and clear in purpose.
A Strong National Defense
“A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained in arms, is the best most natural defense of a free country.” – James Madison
Early in American history there was great debate over whether the new nation should maintain a freestanding army. The Constitution grants the president and Congress the ability to wage war and an army Navy and Marines were part of the early colonies and the new nation but the size and scope of the military has been debated throughout our history. While the new nation embraced policies of neutrality toward much of Europe, it was repeatedly drawn into conflict.
Today we live in the wake of two World Wars, a global battle against Communism and are currently fighting a global War on Terrorism. The weapons of war that came from the last century of conflict including poison gas, heavy artillery, ballistic missiles, nuclear weapons, germ warfare and terrorism have surprisingly not stopped debate from many on the role and size of our military.
Republicans largely believe that the military is one of the few functions government should be involved in and that the defense of not just the United States but the world depends on the nation’s ability to defend and at times promote western style republican democracy and individual liberty.
The Rights of All People Without Special Privilege
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Because Republicans believe that individuals derive liberty from God and that all humans are created equal, they do not accept social programs or laws that favor one group over another. This includes creating either special privilege or removing liberty based on race, color or gender. This drove the fight against slavery and today includes a desire to see an end to programs like Affirmative Action. If all humans are created equal, Republicans believe all humans should be judged equal.
