▁President . ▁ ▁Iss ues ▁ ▁Because ▁American ▁political ▁parties ▁are ▁more ▁lo os ely ▁organized ▁than ▁those ▁in ▁other ▁countries , ▁not ▁all ▁members ▁of ▁a ▁party ▁sub scribe ▁to ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁officially ▁held ▁positions ▁in ▁their ▁respective ▁party ' s ▁platform . ▁The ▁usual ▁degree ▁of ▁variation ▁generally ▁is ▁higher ▁for ▁the ▁larger ▁parties . ▁Party ▁members ▁may ▁hold ▁different ▁views ▁on ▁legisl ation ▁to ▁be ▁en act ed ▁at ▁the ▁state ▁or ▁federal ▁levels , ▁and ▁an ▁elected ▁official ▁once ▁in ▁office ▁may ▁act ▁contradict ory ▁to ▁many ▁of ▁his ▁or ▁her ▁party ' s ▁positions ▁( this ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁terms ▁such ▁as ▁" Rep ublic an ▁In ▁Name ▁Only " ▁and ▁" D em ocrat ▁In ▁Name ▁Only " ▁– ▁R IN O ▁and ▁D IN O , ▁respectively ). ▁Furthermore , ▁the ▁modern ▁American ▁political ▁spectrum , ▁and ▁the ▁usage ▁of ▁left – right ▁politics , ▁diff ers ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party , ▁the ▁primary ▁left - of - center ▁party ▁in ▁the ▁country , ▁generally ▁supports ▁a ▁social ▁liberal ▁position ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁social ▁dem ocr atic ▁one , ▁though ▁there ▁are ▁exceptions . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Further ▁reading ▁Crit ch low , ▁Donald ▁T . ▁American ▁Political ▁History : ▁A ▁Very ▁Short ▁Introduction ▁( 2 0 1 5 ) ▁D ink in , ▁Robert ▁J . ▁Camp aign ing ▁in ▁America : ▁A ▁History ▁of ▁E lection ▁Pract ices . ▁Green wood ▁( 1 9