Party policies
According to the Republican Party’s policy, the party believes in freedom. It states that it is “a party of freedom”, with a vision of “free speech, labor and soil”. With this slogan, the party called for immediate freedom for all American slaves in 1864 by supporting the 13th amendment (GOP, 2012).
In my political philosophy, the RP’s policy is valid because human rights are an important aspect of life for every individual in the US and the world. I believe that freedom of speech, religion, expression, labor, and movement are important aspects that support humanity, progress, and development.
The Democratic Party’s approach to freedom is based on its civil rights policy. The approach is a broad area that describes the party’s belief in defending civil rights and expanding opportunity for every individual in the US. It supports several statutes such as the Civil Rights Act 1964, the Fair Pay Act 2009, and other statutes.
This is an effective method for addressing the past, current, and future problems facing the level of human rights. Unlike the Republican Party that advocates for “freedom” from a narrower perspective, the Democrat’s policy is wide and covers a full range of issues affecting the current society (Democrats, 2012).
The Green Party has a set of ten key values that state its political policy. In particular, the GP advocates for “grassroots democracy”, which states that every person has the right to contribute to the decisions that affect human lives and not to be subjected to the will of others (Green Party of the United States, 2013). This value is a wide area of democracy that shows the need for equal opportunities, human and civil rights, and freedoms. Unlike the Republican and the Democratic parties, GP’s values are stated and outlined in its policy.
The likelihood of winning elections and mobilizing voters to support candidates at the national level partly depends on some of these policies (West & Chafets, 2012). For instance, the likelihood of voting for a Republican candidate is higher than that of voting for a GP candidate. The RP claims that it has been the main organ in fighting for individual rights, whereas the GP fails to show its history in supporting human rights. On the other hand, it is more likely to support a DP candidate than an RP candidate because the democrats provide a detailed analysis of their position. For instance, it fights discrimination of all forms, including discrimination due to sexual orientation.
Voting and Turnout
Over the last few years, more than 30 states across the US have enacted the so-called Voter ID laws to combat voter fraud during elections. In summary, these laws are approaches to ensure that the people turning out to cast their ballots are genuine American voters with all the requirements. They aim at ensuring that every voter provides proof of validity through the provision of valid IDs. Most states require such identifications as bank statements, utility bills, and government issued photo identities. For example, the “per federal” law requires first-time voters who had previously registered by mail to present a photo ID or a bank statement before voting (Underhill, 2011).
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that these laws have caused a massive debate over their impact on voter turnout. For instance, it has been shown that the laws will affect the minority, the elderly, low-income groups, and young people in several ways. For example, the process of obtaining a pho ID is cumbersome and costly. Although state-issued IDs are free, there is a requirement for birth certificates, which costs about $20-$25 in most states. More than 10% of the people in these groups lack photo ID while those in rural areas have difficulties accessing the relevant offices (Hyde, 2008). It is argued that the laws intended to bar minorities from voting because they are normally aligned to the democratic candidates.
References
Democrats. (2012). Civil Rights. Web.
GOP. (2012). Our Party: Our History. Web.
Green Party of the United States. (2013). The Ten Key Values of the Green Party. Web.
Hyde, K. (2008). Fraught with fraud. The New American, 24(22), 18-20
Underhill, W. (2011). Proof at the polls. State Legislatures, 37(7), 58-60.
West, D., & Chafets, Z. (2012). Is America’s two-party system broken? New York Times Upfront, 144(12), 22.