Ch

e
ang

th

s
r
e
t
at
M
at

The Democratic Party

AP US Government
Adam Epler, 2015
Ms. Wilcots

Historical Background
The Democratic Party first started off under the name The Democratic-Republican Party, founded
by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Their biggest opponent was the Federalist Party, which
soon fell apart following the war of 1812. The first Democratic President was Andrew Jackson, which
sparked the craze of the party in the 19th century. Gaining most attention from the 20th century, the
Democrats took great pride in representing Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D Roosevelt, who gave
women the right to vote, and gave America the power to come out of the Great Depression and into
WWII, respectively. Later that century, America once again voted Democrat to elect John F
Kennedy, who with the help of LBJ got the country though the Cuban Missile Crisis and played a
huge part in the Civil Rights Movement. Over these past centuries, the party has evolved to make
change as this country needed it.

Party Philosophy
As the slogan states, the Democratic Party is all about change, and moving forward.
Democrats believe that everyone, no matter their race, religion, or economic background,
should be able to pursue their goals. Our government should have regulations, and
should be in place to aide the actions of the people. Economically, the Nation should be
more well-balanced. This being said, Democrats believe in raising taxes proportionally for
the wealthy so that all Americans have an equal gross annual expense. Separation of
church and state is greatly practiced, and religion should be free as stated under the first
amendment. Lastly, Democrats are against special interest groups, because they have
too much power in government and have a closed door agenda.

Famous People
FDR Dont allow our doubts of today limit our tomorrow.
Woodrow Wilson I would rather belong to a poor nation that was
free than to a rich nation that had ceased to be in love with liberty.
Bruce Springsteen Talk about a dream, try to make it real.
Stephen Colbert Facts matter not at all. Perception is everything.
JFK Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past
or present are certain to miss the future.

Mascot
The Democratic Donkey seen today was not actually used or
even seen until 1870
Appeared in the newspaper Harpers Weekly
Cartoon titled A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion.
The public loved it, and it soon became the icon of the party.

From Harpers Weekly

Current Issues
For:
Against:
-Gay Marriage -Right to bear arms (limited)
-Taxes (being raised) -War (bring troops home)
-Abortion
-National Healthcare -Min. Wage (Raise to expand Mid. Class)
- Legalization of Marijuana - National Debt (Get us out!)
- Environmental Protection
- Immigration

Chorale Democratic , Op. 3