TheRepublican Party in theUnited States includes severalfactions, or wings. During the 19th century, Republican factions included theHalf-Breeds, who supported civil service reform; theRadical Republicans, who advocated the immediate and total abolition of slavery, and later advocated civil rights for freed slaves during theReconstruction era; and theStalwarts, who supported machine politics.
In the 20th century, Republican factions included the Progressive Republicans, theReagan coalition, and the liberalRockefeller Republicans.
In the 21st century, Republican factions include conservatives (represented in the House by theRepublican Study Committee and theFreedom Caucus), moderates (represented in the House by theRepublican Governance Group,Republican Main Street Caucus, and the Republican members of theProblem Solvers Caucus), and libertarians (represented in Congress by theRepublican Liberty Caucus). During the first presidency ofDonald Trump,Trumpist andanti-Trumpist factions arose within the Republican Party.
During the presidency ofBarack Obama, the Republican Party experienced internal conflict between its governing class (known as the Republican establishment) and the anti-establishment, small-governmentTea Party movement.[4][5][6][7] In 2019, during the presidency ofDonald Trump, Perry Bacon Jr. of FiveThirtyEight.com asserted that there were five groups of Republicans: Trumpists, Pro-Trumpers, Trump-Skeptical Conservatives, Trump-Skeptical Moderates, and Anti-Trumpers.[8]
In February 2021, following Trump's 2020 loss to DemocratJoe Biden and the2021 United States Capitol attack, Philip Bump ofThe Washington Post posited that the Republican Party in the U.S. House of Representatives consisted of three factions: the Trumpists (who voted against thesecond impeachment of Donald Trump in 2021, voted against strippingMarjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments, and supportedefforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election), the accountability caucus (who supported either the Trump impeachment, the effort to discipline Greene, or both), and the pro-democracy Republicans (who opposed the Trump impeachment and the effort to discipline Greene but also opposed efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results).[9] Also in February 2021, Carl Leubsdorf of theDallas Morning News asserted that there were three groups of Republicans: Never Trumpers (includingBill Kristol, Sen.Mitt Romney, and governorsCharlie Baker andLarry Hogan), Sometimes Trumpers (including Senate Minority LeaderMitch McConnell and former U.N. AmbassadorNikki Haley), and Always Trumpers (including Sens.Ted Cruz andJosh Hawley).[10]
In March 2021, one survey indicated that five factions of Republican voters had emerged following Trump's presidency: Never Trump, Post-Trump G.O.P. (voters who liked Trump but did not want him to run for president again), Trump Boosters (voters who approved of Trump, but identified more closely with the Republican Party than with Trump), Die-hard Trumpers, andInfowars G.O.P. (voters who subscribe to conspiracy theories).[11] In November 2021,Pew Research Center identified four Republican-aligned groups of Americans: Faith and Flag Conservatives, Committed Conservatives, the Populist Right, and the Ambivalent Right.[12]
As of 2023, congressional Republicans refer to the various House Republican factions as the Five Families.[13][14][15][16] Derived fromThe Godfather, the term refers to Mafia crime families.[14] The Five Families consist of "the right-wing HouseFreedom Caucus, the conservativeRepublican Study Committee, the business-mindedMain Street Caucus, the mainstreamRepublican Governance Group", and the Republican members of the bipartisanProblem Solvers Caucus. The House Republican factions overlap with one another, and some members belong to no caucus.[15]
Theconservative wing grew out of the 1950s and 1960s, with its initial leaders being SenatorRobert A. Taft,Russell Kirk, andWilliam F. Buckley Jr. Its central tenets include the promotion of individual liberty andfree-market economics and opposition tolabor unions, hightaxes, andgovernment regulation.[17] The Republican Party has undergone a major decrease in the influence of itsestablishment conservative faction since the election of Donald Trump in 2016.[18][19][20]
In economic policy, conservatives call for a large reduction ingovernment spending, less regulation of the economy, and privatization or changes toSocial Security. Supporters ofsupply-side economics andfiscal conservatives predominate, but there aredeficit hawks andprotectionists within the party as well. Before 1930, the Northeastern industrialist faction of the GOP was strongly committed tohigh tariffs, a political stance that returned to popularity in many conservative circles during theTrump presidency.[21][22] The conservative wing typically supportssocially conservative positions, such as supportinggun rights andrestrictions on abortion, though there is a wide range of views on such issues within the party.[23]
Conservatives generally opposeaffirmative action, support increased military spending, and are opposed togun control. On the issue ofschool vouchers, conservative Republicans split between supporters who believe that "big government education" is a failure and opponents who fear greater government control over private and church schools. Parts of the conservative wing have been criticized for beinganti-environmentalist[25][26][27] and promotingclimate change denial[28][29][30] in opposition to the generalscientific consensus, making them unique even among other worldwide conservative parties.[30]
Long-term shifts in conservative thinking following the election of Trump have been described as a "newfusionism" of traditional conservative ideology and right-wing populist themes.[31] These have resulted in shifts towards greater support ofnational conservatism,[32] protectionism,[33]cultural conservatism, a morerealist foreign policy, skepticism ofneoconservatism, reduced efforts to roll back entitlement programs, and a disdain for traditional checks and balances.[31][34]
Neoconservatives promote aninterventionist foreign policy and democracy or American interests abroad. Neoconservatives have been credited with importing into the Republican Party a more active international policy. They are amenable tounilateral military action when they believe it serves a morally valid purpose (such as the spread of democracy or deterrence of human rights abuses abroad). They grounded in arealist philosophy of "peace through strength."[35][36][37][38] Many of its adherents became politically famous during the Republican presidential administrations of the late 20th century, and neoconservatism peaked in influence during the administration ofGeorge W. Bush andDick Cheney during the 2000s, when they played a major role in promoting and planning the2003 invasion of Iraq.[39]
Prominent neoconservatives in theBush-Cheney administration includedJohn Bolton,Paul Wolfowitz,Elliott Abrams,Richard Perle, andPaul Bremer. During and afterDonald Trump's presidency, neoconservatism has declined andnon-interventionism andright-wing populism has grown among elected federal Republican officeholders.[40][41] However, after Trump took office, some neoconservatives joined his administration, such asJohn Bolton,Mike Pompeo,Elliott Abrams[42] andNadia Schadlow.
Neoconservatives' role remains key in foreign policy issues. TheHudson Institute has been described as neoconservative,[43][44] whose researchers and foreign policy experts have played a key role inRepublican administrations since the 2000s. Other organizations associated with this faction include theAmerican Enterprise Institute,[45] theFoundation for Defense of Democracies,[46][47][48] theHenry Jackson Society[49] and theProject for the New American Century.[50]
The Christian right is aconservativeChristianpolitical faction characterized by strong support ofsocially conservative andChristian nationalist policies.[51][52][53] Christian conservatives seek to use the teachings ofChristianity to influence law and public policy.[54]
In the United States, the Christian right is an informal coalition formed around a core ofevangelical Protestants and conservativeRoman Catholics, as well as a large number ofLatter-day Saints (Mormons).[55][56][57][58] The movement has its roots inAmerican politics going back as far as the 1940s and has been especially influential since the 1970s.[59] In the late 20th century, the Christian right became strongly connected to theRepublican Party.[60] Republican politicians associated with the Christian right in the 21st century include Tennessee SenatorMarsha Blackburn, former Arkansas GovernorMike Huckabee, and former SenatorRick Santorum.[61] Many within the Christian right have also identified associal conservatives, which sociologistHarry F. Dahms has described as Christian doctrinal conservatives (anti-abortion,anti-LGBT rights) andgun-rights conservatives (pro-NRA) as the two domains of ideology within social conservatism.[62] Christian nationalists generally seek to declare the U.S. a Christian nation, enforceChristian values, and overturn theseparation of church and state.[52][53]
Libertarians make up a relatively small faction of the Republican Party.[63][64] In the 1950s and 60s,fusionism—the combination oftraditionalist andsocial conservatism with political and economicright-libertarianism—was essential to the movement's growth.[65] This philosophy is most closely associated withFrank Meyer.[66]Barry Goldwater also had a substantial impact on the conservative-libertarian movement of the 1960s.[67]
Libertarian conservatives in the 21st century favor cutting taxes and regulations, repealing theAffordable Care Act, and protectinggun rights.[68] On social issues, they favorprivacy, oppose theUSA Patriot Act, and oppose thewar on drugs.[68] On foreign policy, libertarian conservatives favornon-interventionism.[69][70] TheRepublican Liberty Caucus, which describes itself as "the oldest continuously operating organization in the Liberty Republican movement with state charters nationwide", was founded in 1991.[71] TheHouse Liberty Caucus is acongressional caucus formed by former RepresentativeJustin Amash, a former Republican of Michigan who joined theLibertarian Party in 2020 before returning in 2024.[72]
Prominent libertarian conservatives within the Republican Party include New Hampshire GovernorChris Sununu,[73][74] SenatorsMike Lee andRand Paul, RepresentativeThomas Massie, former Representative and Governor of South CarolinaMark Sanford,[75] and former RepresentativeRon Paul[76] (who was a Republican prior to 1987 and again from 1996 to 2015, and a Libertarian from 1987 to 1996 and since 2015). Ron Paul ran for presidentonce as a Libertarian andtwice more recently as a Republican.
The libertarian conservative wing of the party had significant cross-over with theTea Party movement.[77][78]
During the2024 United States elections, the Republican Party adopted pro-cryptocurrency policies, which were originally advocated by the libertarian wing of the party.[79] As the Republican presidential nominee,Donald Trump addressed the2024 Libertarian National Convention, pledging support for cryptocurrency, opposingcentral bank digital currency and expressing support for the commutation ofRoss Ulbricht. Trump's 2024 campaign featured greater influence fromtechnolibertarian elements, particularlyElon Musk, who was subsequently nominated to lead theDepartment of Government Efficiency (DOGE).[80][81][82] 2024 Republican presidential candidateVivek Ramaswamy, who was chosen to lead DOGE alongside Musk, has called for a synthesis between nationalism and libertarianism within the Republican Party, while opposingprotectionist elements.[83][84] Musk and Ramaswamy have clashed with elements within the far-right populist faction over high-skilledlegal immigration to the United States.[85][86]
Moderate Republicans tend to be conservative-to-moderate on fiscal issues and moderate-to-liberal on social issues, and usually representswing states orblue states. Moderate Republican voters are typicallyhighly educated,[87] affluent, socially moderate or liberal and often part of theNever Trump movement.[88] Ideologically, such Republicans resemble theconservative liberals of Europe.[89]
While they sometimes share the economic views of other Republicans (i.e.lower taxes,deregulation, andwelfare reform), moderate Republicans differ in that some supportaffirmative action,[90]LGBT rights and same-sex marriage, legal access to and even public funding forabortion,gun control laws, moreenvironmental regulation and action onclimate change, fewer restrictions onimmigration and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, andembryonic stem cell research.[91][92] In the 21st century, some former Republican moderates have switched to the Democratic Party.[93][94][95]
Prominent 21st century moderate Republicans include SenatorsJohn McCain of Arizona,Lisa Murkowski of Alaska andSusan Collins of Maine[96][97][98][99] and several current or former governors of northeastern states, such asCharlie Baker of Massachusetts[100] andPhil Scott of Vermont.[101] Another moderate Republican is incumbent governor of NevadaJoe Lombardo, who was previously theSheriff of Clark County.[102] Moderate Republican Representatives includeBrian Fitzpatrick,[103]Mike Lawler,[104] andDavid Valadao.[105]
One of the most high-ranking moderate Republicans in recent history wasColin Powell as Secretary of State in the first term of theGeorge W. Bush administration (Powell left the Republican Party in January 2021 following the2021 storming of the United States Capitol, and had endorsed every Democrat for president in the general election since 2008).[106]
TheRepublican Governance Group is a caucus of moderate Republicans within the House of Representatives.[14]
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Sometimes referred to as the MAGA or "America First" movement,[107][108] Trumpists are the dominant faction in the Republican Party as of 2024.[109][18][110][20][111] It has been described as consisting of a range of right-wing ideologies including but not limited toright-wing populism,[112][113][114]national conservatism,[115]neo-nationalism,[116] andTrumpism, the political movement associated withDonald Trump and his base.[117][118] They have been described by some commentators, including Joseph Lowndes, James A. Gardner, and Guy-Uriel Charles, as the American political variant of thefar-right.[119][120][121]
Rachel Kleinfeld, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, characterizes Trumpism as an authoritarian, antidemocratic movement which has successfully weaponized cultural issues, and that cultivates a narrative placing white people, Christians, and men at the top of a status hierarchy as its response to the so-called "Great Replacement" theory, a claim that minorities, immigrants, and women, enabled by Democrats, Jews, and elites, are displacing white people, Christians, and men from their "rightful" positions in American society.[122] In international relations, Trumpists supportU.S. aid to Israel but not to Ukraine,[123][124] are generally supportive towardsRussia,[125][126][127] yet claim to favor anisolationist "America First" foreign policy agenda.[128][129][130][131] They generally reject compromise within the party and withDemocrats,[132][133] and are willing to oust fellow Republican office holders they deem to be too moderate.[134][135] Compared to other Republicans, the Trumpist faction is more likely to be immigration restrictionists,[136] and to be againstfree trade,[137]neoconservatism,[138] andenvironmental protection laws.[139]
The Republican Party's Trumpist and far-right movements emerged in occurrence with a global increase in such movements in the 2010s and 2020s,[140][141] coupled with entrenchment and increased partisanship within the party since 2010, fueled by the rise of theTea Party movement which has also been described as far-right.[142] The election of Trump in 2016 split the party into pro-Trump andanti-Trump factions.[143][144]
When conservative columnistGeorge Will advised voters of all ideologies to vote for Democratic candidates in the Senate and House elections of November 2018,[145] political writer Dan McLaughlin at theNational Review responded that doing so would make the Trumpist faction even more powerful within the Republican party.[146] Anticipating Trump's defeat in the U.S. presidential election held on November 3, 2020,Peter Feaver wrote inForeign Policy magazine: "With victory having been so close, the Trumpist faction in the party will be empowered and in no mood to compromise or reform."[147] A poll conducted in February 2021 indicated that a plurality of Republicans (46% versus 27%) would leave the Republican Party to join a new party if Trump chose to create it.[148] Nick Beauchamp, assistant professor of political science atNortheastern University, says he sees the country as divided into four parties, with two factions representing each of the Democratic and Republican parties: "For the GOP, there's the Trump faction—which is the larger group—and the non-Trump faction".[149]
Lilliana Mason, associate professor of political science atJohns Hopkins University, states that Donald Trump solidified the trend amongSouthern whiteconservative Democrats since the 1960s ofleaving the Democratic Party and joining the Republican Party: "Trump basically worked as a lightning rod to finalize that process of creating the Republican Party as a single entity for defending the high status of white, Christian, rural Americans. It's not a huge percentage of Americans that holds these beliefs, and it's not even the entire Republican Party; it's just about half of it. But the party itself is controlled by this intolerant, very strongly pro-Trump faction."[150]
Julia Azari, an associate professor of political science atMarquette University, noted that not all Trumpist Republicans are public supporters of Donald Trump, and that some Republicans endorse Trump policies while distancing themselves from Trump as a person.[151]
In a speech he gave on November 2, 2022, at Washington's Union Station near the U.S. Capitol, President Biden asserted that "the pro-Trump faction" of the Republican Party is trying to undermine the U.S. electoral system and suppress voting rights.[152][153]
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A divide has formed in the party between those who remain loyal to Donald Trump and those who oppose him.[154] A recent survey concluded that the Republican Party was divided between pro-Trump (the "Trump Boosters," "Die-hard Trumpers," and "Infowars G.O.P." wings) and anti-Trump factions (the "Never Trump" and "Post-Trump G.O.P." wings).[11] SenatorJohn McCain was an early leading critic of Trumpism within the Republican Party,refusing to support the then-Republican presidential nominee in the2016 presidential election.[155]
Several critics of the Trump faction have faced various forms of retaliation. RepresentativeLiz Cheney was removed from her position as Republican conference chair in theHouse of Representatives, which was perceived as retaliation for her criticism of Trump;[156] in 2022, she was defeated by a pro-Trump primary challenger.[157] RepresentativeAdam Kinzinger decided to retire at the end of his term, while Murkowski faced a pro-Trump primary challenge in2022 againstKelly Tshibaka whom she defeated.[158][159] A primary challenge to Romney had been suggested[160] byJason Chaffetz, who has criticized his opponents within the Republican Party as "Trump haters".[161] Romney chose not to run for re-election in2024.[162]
RepresentativeAnthony Gonzalez, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over theCapitol riot, called him "a cancer" while announcing his retirement.[163] Former Governor of New JerseyChris Christie, who wasrunning against Trump in the2024 Republican primaries, called him "a lonely, self-consumed, self-serving, mirror hog" inhis presidential announcement.[164] Indiana senatorTodd Young is one of few elected Republican senators thatdid not support Trump's 2024 campaign.[165]
Organizations associated with this faction includeThe Lincoln Project,[166]Republican Accountability Project[167] andRepublicans for the Rule of Law.[168]
| Caucus | Problem Solvers Caucus | Republican Governance Group | Republican Main Street Caucus | Republican Study Committee | Freedom Caucus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political position | Center[169] | Center[170] tocenter-right[171] | Center[172] tocenter-right[173][174] | Center-right[175][verification needed] toright-wing[176] | Right-wing[177] tofar-right[178] |
| 2020 | 28 / 213 | 45 / 213 | 0 / 213 | 157 / 213 | 45 / 213 |
| 2022[179] | 29 / 222 | 42 / 222 | 67 / 222 | 173 / 222 | 33 / 222 |
TheStalwarts were a traditionalist faction that existed from the 1860s through the 1880s. They represented "traditional" Republicans who favoredmachine politics and opposed thecivil service reforms ofRutherford B. Hayes and the more progressiveHalf-Breeds.[182] They declined following the elections of Hayes andJames A. Garfield. After Garfield's assassination byCharles J. Guiteau, his Stalwart Vice PresidentChester A. Arthur assumed the presidency. However, rather than pursuing Stalwart goals he took up the reformist cause, which curbed the faction's influence.[183]
TheHalf-Breeds were a reformist faction of the 1870s and 1880s. The name, which originated with rivals claiming they were only "half" Republicans, came to encompass a wide array of figures who did not all get along with each other. Generally speaking, politicians labeled Half-Breeds were moderates or progressives who opposed the machine politics of the Stalwarts and advanced civil service reforms.[183]
TheRadical Republicans were a major factor of the party from its inception in 1854 until the end of theReconstruction Era in 1877. The Radicals strongly opposedslavery, were hard-lineabolitionists, and later advocated equal rights for thefreedmen and women. They were often at odds with the moderate and conservative factions of the party. During theAmerican Civil War, Radical Republicans pressed for abolition as a major war aim and they opposed the moderate Reconstruction plans ofAbraham Lincoln as too lenient on theConfederates. After the war's end and Lincoln's assassination, the Radicals clashed withAndrew Johnson over Reconstruction policy.[184]
After winning major victories in the1866 congressional elections, the Radicals took over Reconstruction, pushing through new legislation protecting the civil rights of African Americans.John C. Frémont of Michigan, the party's first nominee for president in 1856, was a Radical Republican. Upset with Lincoln's politics, the faction split from the Republican Party to form the short-livedRadical Democracy Party in 1864 and again nominatedFrémont for president. They supportedUlysses S. Grant for president in 1868 and 1872, who worked closely with them to protect African Americans during Reconstruction. AsSouthern Democrats retook control in the South and enthusiasm for continued Reconstruction declined in the North, their influence within the GOP waned.[184]
Historically, the Republican Party included aprogressive wing that advocated using government to improve the problems of modern society.Theodore Roosevelt, an early leader of theprogressive movement, advanced a "Square Deal" domestic program as president (1901–09) that was built on the goals of controlling corporations, protecting consumers, and conserving natural resources.[185] After splitting with his successor,William Howard Taft, in the aftermath of thePinchot–Ballinger controversy,[186] Roosevelt sought to block Taft's re-election, first by challenging him for the1912 Republican presidential nomination, and then when that failed, by entering the1912 presidential contest as athird party candidate, running on theProgressive ticket. He succeeded in depriving Taft of a second term, but came in second behindDemocratWoodrow Wilson.
After Roosevelt's 1912 defeat, the progressive wing of the party went into decline. Progressive Republicans in theU.S. House of Representatives held a "last stand" protest in December 1923, at the start of the68th Congress, when they refused to support theRepublican Conference nominee forSpeaker of the House,Frederick H. Gillett, voting instead for two other candidates. After eight ballots spanning two days, they agreed to support Gillett in exchange for a seat on theHouse Rules Committee and pledges that subsequent rules changes would be considered. On the ninth ballot, Gillett received 215 votes, a majority of the 414 votes cast, to win the election.[187]
In addition to Theodore Roosevelt, leading early progressive Republicans includedRobert M. La Follette,Charles Evans Hughes,Hiram Johnson,William Borah,George W. Norris,William Allen White,Victor Murdock,Clyde M. Reed andFiorello La Guardia.[188]
The Old Guard was the conservative faction of the Republican Party between 1945 and 1964. They coalesced around their opposition to the shifts in traditional economic and foreign policy under the presidency ofFranklin D. Roosevelt. This opposition most noticeably directed to theNew Deal, which was variously derided by Old Guard lawmakers as communist, socialist, or overreaching, seeing its programs as unwanted, unconstitutional, unwise, and politically unprofitable.[189]
To counter the New Deal, Republicans of the Old Guard espousedAmericanism, which entailed astrict construction of theConstitution,fiscal responsibility, and state and local over federal regulation. Politically, they opposed federal regulation of state, local, or business interests. They viewed “big government” as a threat to liberty, which they interpreted aseconomic freedom, which they saw as critical to incentivizing individuals to improve their material welfare and develop the pioneer virtues ofindividualism and self-reliance. The Old Guard also espoused aunilateralist foreign policy, eschewing alliances that entailed advance military commitments while “go[ing] it alone” in foreign engagements. This also entailedeconomic self-sufficiency, prioritizing American financial interests, and thus partially informed the Old Guard’s support for tariffs on imports and opposition to foreign aid.[189]
While sharing the above overarching goals, figures affiliated with this movement varied in their policy stances. These includedBruce Fairchild Barton,John W. Bricker,Styles Bridges,Joseph McCarthy,Everett Dirksen,[190]Walter Judd,[191] andRobert A. Taft.
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In the 1964 Republican primaries, the John Birch Society (JBS) helped to secureBarry Goldwater’s Republican presidential nomination, defeating Nelson Rockefeller. Original members believed the Republican party was in danger of becoming too moderate.[192] Members of the John Birch Society, known as Birchers, were associated with theradical right,anti-communism, andultraconservatism.[193][page needed] The John Birch Society was founded in 1958 by businessmanRobert W. Welch Jr., and is controversial for its promotion ofconspiracy theories.[194]
Moderate or liberal Republicans in the 20th century, particularly those from the Northeast and West Coast, were referred to as "The Eastern Establishment" or "Rockefeller Republicans", afterNelson Rockefeller, Vice President during theGerald Ford administration.[195][196][197]
With their power decreasing in the final decades of the 20th century, many Rockefeller-style Republicans were replaced by conservative and moderate Democrats, such as those from theBlue Dog orNew Democrat coalitions. Massachusetts RepublicanElliot Richardson (who served in several cabinet positions during theRichard Nixon administration) and writer and academicMichael Lind argued that the liberalism of Democratic PresidentBill Clinton and the rest of theNew Democrat movement were in many ways to the right ofDwight Eisenhower, Rockefeller, andJohn Lindsay, Republican Congressman and Mayor of New York City in the late 1960s.[198][199]
According to historianGeorge H. Nash, the Reagan coalition in the Republican Party, which centered aroundRonald Reagan and his administration throughout all of the 1980s (continuing in the late 1980s with theGeorge H. W. Bush administration), originally consisted of five factions: the libertarians, the traditionalists, the anti-communists, the neoconservatives, and the religious right (which consisted of Protestants, Catholics, and some Jewish Republicans).[17][200]
The Tea Party movement was an Americanfiscally conservativepolitical movement within theRepublican Party that began in 2009 following the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States.[201][202] Members of the movement have called for lowertaxes, and for a reduction of thenational debt of the United States andfederal budget deficit through decreasedgovernment spending.[203][204] The movement supports small-government principles[205][206] and opposesgovernment-sponsored universal healthcare.[207] It has been described as a popularconstitutional movement.[208]
On matters of foreign policy, the movement largely supports avoiding being drawn into unnecessary conflicts and opposes "liberal internationalism".[209] Its name refers to theBoston Tea Party of December 16, 1773, a watershed event in the launch of theAmerican Revolution.[210] By 2016,Politico said that the modern Tea Party movement was "pretty much dead now"; however, the article noted that it seemed to die in part because some of its ideas had been "co-opted" by the mainstream Republican Party.[211]
Politicians associated with the Tea Party include former RepresentativesRon Paul,Michele Bachmann andAllen West,[212][213] SenatorsTed Cruz,Mike Lee,Rand Paul andTim Scott,[214][215][216] former SenatorJim DeMint,[215] former acting White House Chief of StaffMick Mulvaney,[217] and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee and former Alaska GovernorSarah Palin.[213] Although there has never been any one clear founder or leader of the movement, Palin scored highest in a 2010Washington Post poll asking Tea Party organizers "which national figure best represents your groups?".[218] Ron Paul was described in a 2011Atlantic article as its "intellectual godfather".[219] Both Paul and Palin, although ideologically different in many ways, had a major influence on the emergence of the movement due to their separate 2008presidential primary andvice presidential general election runs respectively.[220][209]
Several political organizations were created in response to the movement's growing popularity in the late 2000s and into the early 2010s, including theTea Party Patriots,Tea Party Express andTea Party Caucus.
In keeping with the party's deep division between its dominant Trumpist faction and its more traditionalist party elites, the twin responses seem aimed at appealing on one hand to its corporate-friendly allies and on the other hand to its populist rightwing base. Both have an anti-immigrant element.
republican party anti-environmental.
The U.S. Republican Party is an anomaly in denying anthropogenic climate change.
Of all the major conservative parties in the democratic world, the Republican Party stands alone in its denial of the legitimacy of climate science. Indeed, the Republican Party stands alone in its conviction that no national or international response to climate change is needed. To the extent that the party is divided on the issue, the gap separates candidates who openly dismiss climate science as a hoax, and those who, shying away from the political risks of blatant ignorance, instead couch their stance in the alleged impossibility of international action.
The current study establishes that, independent of these influences, voting for Trump was, at least for many Americans, a symbolic defense of the United States' perceived Christian heritage. Data from a national probability sample of Americans surveyed soon after the 2016 election shows that greater adherence to Christian nationalist ideology was a robust predictor of voting for Trump, even after controlling for economic dissatisfaction, sexism, anti-black prejudice, anti-Muslim refugee attitudes, and anti-immigrant sentiment, as well as measures of religion, sociodemographics, and political identity more generally.
More than half of all Christian right candidates attend evangelical Protestant churches, which are more theologically liberal. A relatively large number of Christian Right candidates (24 percent) are Catholics; however, when asked to describe themselves as either "progressive/liberal" or "traditional/conservative" Catholics, 88 percent of these Christian right candidates place themselves in the traditional category.
Most European liberals are Conservative Liberals, located at the right end of the left-right line, exactly opposite the American liberals' position. If transplanted to the United States, they would occupy the Left wing and the center of the Republican Party. Only the less numerous social liberals resemble American liberals.
In this article, we first illustrate that the Republican Party, or at least the dominant wing, which supports or tolerates Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda have become a proto-typical populist radical right-wing party (PRRP).
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)In keeping with the party's deep division between its dominant Trumpist faction and its more traditionalist party elites, the twin responses seem aimed at appealing on one hand to its corporate-friendly allies and on the other hand to its populist rightwing base. Both have an anti-immigrant element.
On a practical level, the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union and Trump's election as the United States president are regarded as typical events of neo-nationalism.
Trump unabashedly employed the language of white supremacy and misogyny, rage and even violence at Trump rallies was like nothing seen in decades.
Experts say a variety of factors have led to the GOP's more lenient approach to Moscow, some of which preceded Trump's arrival on the political scene ... Trump's popularity has only encouraged other Republicans to adopt a soft-gloves approach to Russia.
But during his time in office and after, Trump managed to create, from the grassroots up, a Republican constituency for Russia-friendly policy ... Conservatives vying to be the Trumpiest of them all have realized that supporting Russia translates in the Republican mind as a proxy for supporting Trump. Hence the politicians most willing to defend his offenses against democratic norms — Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jim Jordan, Tommy Tuberville, Mike Lee, J. D. Vance — hold the most anti-Ukraine or pro-Russia views. Conversely, the least-Trumpy Republicans, such as Mitch McConnell and Mitt Romney, have the most hawkish views on Russia. The rapid growth of Trump's once-unique pro-Russia stance is a gravitational function of his personality cult.
Contemporary debate is fueled on one side by immigration restrictionists, led by President Donald Trump and other elected republicans, whose rhetorical and policy assaults on undocumented Latin American immigrants, Muslim refugees, and family-based immigration energized their conservative base.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.), a longtime member and former co-chairman of the Tuesday Group, said lawmakers launched the PAC to help vulnerable centrists as well as liberal-leaning Republicans running for open congressional seats.
Meadows is one of the more active members of the House Freedom Caucus, an invitation-only group of about forty right-wing conservatives that formed at the beginning of this year.
Rep. Mary Miller, a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus, said Trump has vowed to campaign for her ahead of her primary against GOP Rep. Rodney Davis.