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The '''Republican Party''' is one of the two major political parties in the [[United States]]. The current [[President of the United States]], [[George W. Bush]], is a member of the party – and by rules common to both major U.S. parties, its head. Of the two major U.S. parties, the Republican party is the moderate/center-right party. The Republican voter coalitions have generally comprised businessmen and evangelical Protestants, while the Democrats appealed more to the poor and to minority ethnic, racial and religious groups.

The '''Republican Party''' is one of the two major political parties in the [[United States]]. The current [[President of the United States]], [[George W. Bush]], is a Republican, but the party's head is its presidential candidate [[John McCain]]. The Republican party is the moderate/center-right party. The Republican voter coalitions have generally comprised businessmen and evangelical Protestants, while the Democrats appealed more to the poor and to minority ethnic, racial and religious groups.

The party was created in 1854 by anti-slavery activists. It sonn swept to control of all the northern states, and in 1860 elected [[Abraham Lincoln]] president.  The South seceded, and the Union side of the [[American Civil War]] was directed by Lincoln and the new party, with help from "War Democrats." The GOP (as it was also called from the 1880s) dominatedthe elections of the [[Third Party System]] (1854-1894) as well as the [[Fourth party System]] or Progressive Era (1894-1932).  GHowever the Democrats builtt a liberal [[New Deal Coalition]] under President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], and dominated the [[Fifth Party System]], 1932-1966, with the GOP only electing Eisenhower in that era.  The [[Sixth Party System]], since 1968, has been dominated by the GOP.  

The party was created in 1854 by anti-slavery activists. It sonn swept to control of all the northern states, and in 1860 elected [[Abraham Lincoln]] president.  The South seceded, and the Union side of the [[American Civil War]] was directed by Lincoln and the new party, with help from "War Democrats." The GOP (as it was also called from the 1880s) dominatedthe elections of the [[Third Party System]] (1854-1894) as well as the [[Fourth party System]] or Progressive Era (1894-1932).  GHowever the Democrats builtt a liberal [[New Deal Coalition]] under President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], and dominated the [[Fifth Party System]], 1932-1966, with the GOP only electing Eisenhower in that era.  The [[Sixth Party System]], since 1968, has been dominated by the GOP.