Title: The History and Origin of the U.S. Democratic Party
Headings: The US Democratic Party
The US Democratic Party
The Historic Roots of the Modern Democratic Party in the United States
Origins of the Democratic Party
Death of the Federalists
Political Platform of the Democratic Party
Interesting Facts
Updated by Robert Longley

Content: Democrats tend to favor the active intervention of the government, while Republicans favor a more “hands-off” policy. Ever since the 1890s, the Democratic Party has been measurably more socially liberal than the Republican Party. Democrats have long appealed to the poor and working classes and Franklin D. Roosevelt's "common man,” while Republicans have gained support from the middle class and higher, including suburbanites and the burgeoning number of retirees. Modern Democrats advocate for a liberal domestic policy featuring social and economic equality, welfare, support for labor unions, and nationalized universal health care. Other Democratic ideals embrace civil rights, stronger gun control laws, equal opportunity, consumer protection, and environmental protection. The party favors a liberal and inclusive immigration policy. Democrats, for example, support controversial sanctuary city laws protecting undocumented immigrants from federal detention and deportation. Currently, the Democratic coalition includes teachers' unions, women's groups, Blacks, Hispanics, the LGBT community, environmentalists and many others. Today, both the Democratic and Republican parties are made up of coalitions of many diverse groups whose loyalties have varied over the years. For example, blue-collar voters, who were for years attracted to the Democratic Party, have become Republican strongholds.