It can often times be difficult to know what our political stances are. There are so many issues and so many politicians that it is hard to know what and who we support. Here are a few quizzes you can take to find out where you fall on a political scale and which politicians your views might align with:
With all the different parties and nuances, American politics can seem very confusing! So, here are a few basic highlights:
Democratic Party:
This party supports social equality, environmental protection, and a strong social safety net.
Republican Party:
This party supports lower taxes, deregulating corporations, and free market capitalism.
Green Party:
This party supports environmentalism, nonviolence, social justice, and a grassroots democracy.
Libertarian Party:
This party support individual autonomy and freedom. They desire as little government intervention as possible.
Constitution Party:
This party wants to limit the power of the federal government and reconnect with Christian and Biblical roots.
Liberals Vs. Conservatives
Liberals tend to believe in equality and equal opportunities for all. They support government action and intervention in order to achieve this. Liberal views tend to fall on the left of the political spectrum, and they often align with democratic ideals. Conservatives believe in a more limited government. They support traditional American views, personal responsibility, and the free market. Conservative views align more with Republican views, and they fall on the right side of the political spectrum. To learn more, you can visit here.
The Electoral College:
There are 538 members in the Electoral College. That's one for each person in the House of Representatives, the Senate, and three extra representatives for D.C. North Dakota, for example, currently gets 3 votes with the Electoral College as opposed to California's 55 or Texas's 38. These members are usually decided by each state's political parties in the spring or summer of each election year. On election day, when people vote for the president, they are really voting for that president's political party. Whatever the majority of the popular vote in each state is, that is the party of the slate of electors that will represent their state. Then, whichever presidential candidate gets 270 electoral votes is the winner.
The Electoral College was first implemented in 1804. It was established partially as a deal-sweeter for southern states, as representation was affected by the 3/5 compromise. This counted every 3 out of 5 enslaved people as one, which gave southern states more power while also allowing them to deny many of their citizens political and social autonomy. One main reason for this was that our founding fathers were concerned that voters would not be educated enough to make an informed decision about who would run the country. Information traveled a lot slower in the 19th century, after all, and many people -- even white, land-owning males -- did not have access to a formal education. However, as information and education have become much more accessible and the results of the popular and electoral votes have begun to differ, many Americans are questioning the need for the Electoral College.
To learn more about the Electoral College, you can visit here or here, and to learn more about the different parties, you can visit here or here!
The Electoral College was first implemented in 1804. It was established partially as a deal-sweeter for southern states, as representation was affected by the 3/5 compromise. This counted every 3 out of 5 enslaved people as one, which gave southern states more power while also allowing them to deny many of their citizens political and social autonomy. One main reason for this was that our founding fathers were concerned that voters would not be educated enough to make an informed decision about who would run the country. Information traveled a lot slower in the 19th century, after all, and many people -- even white, land-owning males -- did not have access to a formal education. However, as information and education have become much more accessible and the results of the popular and electoral votes have begun to differ, many Americans are questioning the need for the Electoral College.
To learn more about the Electoral College, you can visit here or here, and to learn more about the different parties, you can visit here or here!