Changes

The '''Democratic Party''' is one of the two major political [[parties]] in the [[United States of America]]. It is generally seen as being politically between center and [[leftist | left]] of center, while the rival [[Republican Party]] is positioned to the [[rightist | right]] of center (see [[Political spectrum theory]]).  

The '''Democratic Party''' is one of the two major political [[parties]] in the [[United States of America]]. It is generally seen as being politically between center and [[leftist | left]] of center, while the rival [[Republican Party]] is positioned to the [[rightist | right]] of center (see [[Political spectrum theory]]).  

According to a Pew Research Center poll, 50 percent of Americans identify themselves with the Democratic Party as opposed to 35 percent for the Republican Party,<ref>[http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=312 Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007] Pew Research Center, 22 March 2007</ref>, though President George W. Bush was re-elected as [[President of the United States|President]] on the [[Republican Party|Republican]] ticket in 2004, albeit by the narrowest margin of any incumbent candidate since Woodrow Wilson <ref>[http://www.multied.com/elections/ HistoryCentral.com] "Learn About the Elections"</ref>. The Democrats, currently in control the United States [[House of Representatives]] and the [[Senate]], have a 56.8% Disapproval rating with only a 36% Approve rating according to the PealClearPolitics Average of several dozens of Congressional Job Approval polls. <ref>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/archive/index.php?poll_id=18&page=2 RealClearPolitics Congressional Job Approval Poll], 03/29 - 04/09.</ref>  Democrats now also control the majority of State governorships and legislatures. <ref>[http://www.multistate.com/Site.nsf/Elections2006PostMaps?OpenPage Multistate.com] Post-Election 2006 Maps</ref>

According to a Pew Research Center poll, 50 percent of Americans identify themselves with the Democratic Party as opposed to 35 percent for the Republican Party,<ref>[http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=312 Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007] Pew Research Center, 22 March 2007</ref>, though President George W. Bush was re-elected as [[President of the United States|President]] on the [[Republican Party|Republican]] ticket in 2004, albeit by the narrowest margin of any incumbent candidate since Woodrow Wilson <ref>[http://www.multied.com/elections/ HistoryCentral.com] "Learn About the Elections"</ref>. <ref>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/archive/index.php?poll_id=18&page=2 RealClearPolitics Congressional Job Approval Poll], 03/29 - 04/09.</ref>  Democrats now also control the majority of State governorships and legislatures. <ref>[http://www.multistate.com/Site.nsf/Elections2006PostMaps?OpenPage Multistate.com] Post-Election 2006 Maps</ref>

Like the Republicans, the Democrats are currently selecting their candidate for the 2008  presidential election; the front-runners in the contest are Senator [[Hillary Clinton]] of [[New York]] and Senator [[Barack Obama]] of [[Illinois]]. The most recent president who was a Democrat was [[Bill Clinton]], who served from 1993 to 2001. In his second term he was impeached by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives for lying under oath in a civil case which ended in a large out of court settlement, a reproach from the presiding judge, and his disbarment from the [[Arkansas]] Bar. However, the Senate did not convict on the impeachment charges.

Like the Republicans, the Democrats are currently selecting their candidate for the 2008  presidential election; the front-runners in the contest are Senator [[Hillary Clinton]] of [[New York]] and Senator [[Barack Obama]] of [[Illinois]]. The most recent president who was a Democrat was [[Bill Clinton]], who served from 1993 to 2001. In his second term he was impeached by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives for lying under oath in a civil case which ended in a large out of court settlement, a reproach from the presiding judge, and his disbarment from the [[Arkansas]] Bar. However, the Senate did not convict on the impeachment charges.

[[Franklin Roosevelt]], president during the [[Great Depression]] and [[Second World War]], was a Democrat, as was his successor, [[Harry Truman]].

[[Franklin Roosevelt]], president during the [[Great Depression]] and [[Second World War]], was a Democrat, as was his successor, [[Harry Truman]].

==Policies and criticism==

==Policies ==

It should be noted that the views of individual Democrats sometimes diverge from the party's official stance as expressed in its national platform.  Naturally, the same is true of individual Republicans.

It should be noted that the views of individual Democrats sometimes diverge from the party's official stance as expressed in its national platform.  Naturally, the same is true of individual Republicans.

===Foreign and military policy===

===Foreign and military policy===

According to its platform, the Democratic Party has the objective of strengthening America.  Democratic national leadership has been accused by some Republican party leaders, most notably Dick Cheney, as being ambivalent about terrorism<ref>[http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=22045 "Democrats, ACLU Outraged Over Traveler Terrorism Screening Program"] C. Johnson, Associated Press</ref> and insufficiently patriotic <ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0112/01/smn.19.html CNN Saturday Morning News]Transcript: December 1, 2001 </ref>, such as Saxby Chambliss' campaign against Senator Max Cleland--a Vietnam veteran and triple amputee.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14474-2002Jun19.html "Dirty-Bomb Politics"] Mary McGrory, ''The Washington Post'', 20 June 2002</ref>

According to its platform, the Democratic Party has the objective of strengthening America.  Democratic national leadership has been accused by some Republican party leaders, most notably Dick Cheney, as being ambivalent about terrorism<ref>[http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=22045 "Democrats, ACLU Outraged Over Traveler Terrorism Screening Program"] C. Johnson, Associated Press</ref> and insufficiently patriotic <ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0112/01/smn.19.html CNN Saturday Morning News]Transcript: December 1, 2001 </ref>, such as Saxby Chambliss' campaign against Senator Max Cleland--a Vietnam veteran and triple amputee.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14474-2002Jun19.html "Dirty-Bomb Politics"] Mary McGrory, ''The Washington Post'', 20 June 2002</ref>. The truthfulness of these claims is disputed as the War In Iraq has caused serious problems.

===Education===   

===Education===   

An organization affiliated with the [[Democratic Leadership Council]] called the [[Progressive Policy Institute]] which claims a long standing opposition to school vouchers <ref>21st Century Schools Project Bulletin: Special Edition [http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=110&subsecID=900001&contentID=250630 ''Putting Vouchers in Perspective''], PPI E-newsletter 2 July 2002</ref> reported Jonathan Alter of ''Newsweek'' saying,   

An organization affiliated with the [[Democratic Leadership Council]] called the [[Progressive Policy Institute]] which claims a long standing opposition to school vouchers <ref>21st Century Schools Project Bulletin: Special Edition [http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=110&subsecID=900001&contentID=250630 ''Putting Vouchers in Perspective''], PPI E-newsletter 2 July 2002</ref> reported Jonathan Alter of ''Newsweek'' saying,   

:"Can wealthy white liberals - many of whom send their kids to private school - really say to poor parents: 'We can have choices, but you must not?'...This is a glaring hypocrisy sitting at the heart of the liberal opposition to targeted vouchers… Right now, Democrats are in a highly compromised position on education." <ref>[http://www.edreform.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=newsLetter&sectionID=29&NLissueID=4&articleID=11&altCol=2 Center For Education Reform, Monthly Letter to Friends No. 75], Back to School 2002.</ref>  

:"Can wealthy white liberals - many of whom send their kids to private school - really say to poor parents: 'We can have choices, but you must not?'...This is a glaring hypocrisy sitting at the heart of the liberal opposition to targeted vouchers…." <ref>[http://www.edreform.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=newsLetter&sectionID=29&NLissueID=4&articleID=11&altCol=2 Center For Education Reform, Monthly Letter to Friends No. 75], Back to School 2002.</ref>  

===Environment vs Labor===

===Environment vs Labor===