The Republican Party of Louisiana was chosen for this review dedicated to the political structure at the state level. It goes without saying that it supports the main principles of the Republican Party’s platform that include economic libertarianism, support for the free market and the private sector, the low level of governmental interference, civil rights and freedoms, social conservatism, and traditional values. In general, I agree with this platform as it reflects logical guidance for the country’s prosperity. I believe that “the greatest asset of the American economy is the hard-working American,” and the government’s efforts to provide the most comfortable conditions for businesses, especially small and middle ones, lead to competition that equals employment (“Republican Platform 2016,” 2016, p. 7). In turn, along with the development of technologies, people’s prosperity contributes to the economic growth of the United States that allows the country to remain competitive in the international field and reduce national debt.
Moreover, my agreement with the party’s platform is explained by its correspondence with the biblical principles of people’s rights and freedoms, family, moral virtues, equality, respect, and compassion. In Christianity, people are special and unique – all of them are created in God’s image and given natural and inalienable rights which, according to the Republican Party, should be protected by law (“Republican Platform 2016,” 2016). In addition, the platform emphasizes the importance of cooperation and mutual respect regardless of nationality and ethnicity for global safety and welfare as stated by The Republican Party of Louisiana (n.d.): “We seek friendship with all peoples and all nations, but we recognize and are prepared to deal with evil in the world” (para. 11). Moreover, for Christians, family established by God is the source of happiness, love, and life progress. Similarly, the Republican Party supports strong families and traditional values, including the prohibition of abortion. At the same time, although I believe in the right to life, I do not fully agree with this position as there are exceptional cases, in which abortion may be justified.
The representative of the state government whose voting records was chosen for examination is Lawrence Bagley, the state representative from district 7 in Louisiana’s House of Representatives. As Bagley is Republican, the major part of his voting history reflects his position and is aligned with the party’s platform. For instance, he supports traditional values, such as the prohibition of abortion and gender-based differentiation, and human rights that presuppose the absence of any type of discrimination, such as discrimination on the basis of race or vaccination status (“Lawrence Bagley’s political summary,” n.d.). In general, I am satisfied with this representative’s activities as he respects people’s constitutional rights regardless of their social statuses and protects the fairness and transparency of the country’s political system, especially in relation to elections.
I would like to express to him that his position substantially helps improve social welfare and establish equality. However, even if I cannot support him personally, I may be involved with politics at the local level through making a donation, voting, or participating in a political campaign as a volunteer. Moreover, I believe that being an active member of society who acts in accordance with the principles of the party of his choice and articulates them freely contributes to positive changes and the adoption of improvements for people’s welfare.
References
Lawrence Bagley’s political summary. (n.d.). Web.
Republican Party of Louisiana. (n.d.). What we believe. Republican Party of Louisiana. Web.
Republican Platform 2016. (2016). Web.