A party platform, also known as a manifesto, is a list of the principles which a political party supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said party’s candidates voted into office. This often takes the form of a list of support for, or opposition to, controversial topics. Individual topics are often called planks of the platform. In the American case the platforms are usually decided on the summer of an electioneering year during their political conventions. Political convention: In politics, a political convention is a meeting of a political party, typically to select party candidates.
In the United States, a political convention usually refers to a U. S. presidential nominating convention. The term is most popular in the United States and Canada but in other countries like the United Kingdom they are referred to as party conferences or party congresses. In Canada, a political convention held to choose a party leader is often known as a leadership convention. The new leader of a party nominated by the convention may then go ahead and be elected the president or become the Prime Minister in the case of Canada and the United Kingdom.
The convention has been reformed many times usually in support of giving more power to activists, leaders and electorates. However, conventions strengthen party sentiment and keep the public informed of the national party significance. Political Conventions also refer to the Laws that are not written in the Constitution but are common sense to people politically. Although primarily conventions were viewed to be very important changes in election laws and the manner in which political campaigns are run, conventions since the last quarter of the 20th century have virtually abdicated their original roles, and are today mostly ceremonial affairs.
Similarities: Both the Democratic Party’s and the republicans’ political platforms have some common similarities including; On matters of Education: They both recognized the need to improve the education system and make it more pragmatic. They would ensure that all graduates whether in high school or universities would be well educated to today’s standards and make them competitive in today’s world. They were also to allow local ownership of public schools. They also had the same view of making the education system impartial such that all American citizens’ natives or migrants were to be subjected to the same education facilities
On the issue of conservation: Both recognized that the environment, in these days of globalization needed to be conserved and they setup programs to lead to the achievement of this. This would include efforts to protect the everglades, ensuring there is clean air, water, and a clean food supply chain. These efforts would also include protecting the untouched forests like the Tongass from logging and development. They would also include protecting the Arctic national wildlife refuge from oil and gas drilling. Concerning the Budget: Both the democrats and the republicans platforms recognized the need to increase tax cuts.
This was to target all sectors of the economy but more emphasis was to be directed at Small business owners, in order to accelerate their contribution to the national economy. They also realized the need to reduce regulation on housing, engage in multi-lateral trade talks in order to increase net earnings from exports which contributed around one third of the American economy. To reduce reliance on foreign oil they set up policies to lead to the production of coal oil and natural gas within American soil. On matters of technology: Both platforms recognized the need to advance more resources to improve technology.
They also realized that due to increased piracy both at home and abroad there was need to enhance laws dealing with the issue as well as protecting intellectual property rights. On matters of Medicare: Both the democrats and republicans realized the need to avail resources in order to make Medicare more affordable, to make of better quality and also to increase social benefits to the retried and the unemployed to assist them to access quality health care. Apart from these the platforms also had the same ideas on the issues of renewing family ties and giving more assistance to the communities and minority groups. Differences:
Regardless of their similarity on many other fields there are some policies that each of them had a different perspective these included; The nature and role of the American military: While the republicans advocated for the rebuilding of the military by installing more anti-ballistic missile defense systems to deter potential threat and reaffirming their commitments to their allies, the democrats were more concerned on matters of attaining global peace by reducing nuclear arsenals and involving themselves more on matters of forward engagement (dealing with threats diplomatically before the threat actually materialized).
On matters of crime and insecurity: While the democrats wished for the legislation of a law that would lead to the arrest and detention of any persons (even if these persons were juveniles) involved in gun-violence, instead of placing them under another persons custody the democrats were in favor of policies that would make it more difficult for these weapons to be available to the ordinary citizen.
