Core Beliefs

Conservatives believe that each person is responsible for his or her own place in society.  Government should enable each person the ability to secure the benefits of society for themselves, their families and for those who are unable to care for themselves.The conservative philosophy is based on limiting the intervention of government as a catalyst of individual prosperity. Government should only intervene in specific cases where society cannot effectively act at the individual level. With the core belief that individual destiny should be in the individual’s hands, governmental power and resources should be kept close to the people, through their state and community leaders, and not centralized in distant federal government agencies.

Liberals believe it is the responsibility of government to care for all individuals, even if it means giving up some individual rights and/or subordinating enterprise and initiative. Liberal administrations have pushed for the centralization of power in Washington D.C., with only secondary consideration for the rights of both individuals and communities. Liberals have favored federal-level interventions that replace community-based solutions to community problems. These tactics have created several federal regulations and controls that are often in the hands of unelected bureaucrats, causing a severe erosion of local authority.

The Economy

Conservatives believe free enterprise has brought economic growth and innovations that have made this country great. Government should help stimulate a business environment where people are free to use their talents.

Liberals believe that the economy is too complicated for individuals to navigate alone. They believe that business decisions should be guided by government officials and in the best interest of labor unions.

Taxes and Government Spending

Conservatives work tirelessly to cut government spending and to eliminate government waste. Conservatives believe individuals should control both their own and their government’s pocketbook – the people should authorize all tax increases.

Liberals believe that government knows what is best for individuals. They argue that federal bureaucrats better understand the needs of a community than a locally elected council and the federal government should define the tax burden necessary to meet its obligations, because this is too complicated for individuals to understand.

National Defense

Conservatives believe in a strong national defense. Conservatives know that defending our nation against its enemies must be a fundamental commitment of the federal government and this requires the best-trained, best-equipped and most effective military in the world. With America as the world’s only superpower, conservatives believe that true security comes from the strength of character to act collaboratively, when possible, and alone when necessary.  After the tragedy of 9-11, America must be ready to fight terrorism abroad in order to prevent it at home.

In the past 10 years, liberals have advocated for scaling down our military and reducing the money spent on military intelligence. Liberals believe that true security comes from negotiations with foreign nations, even if they harbor or have financial ties to terrorist groups.  Liberals believe that we must ask other nations for permission before we act to protect our own security.

Education

Conservatives believe all students, regardless of race or socio-economic background, should become proficient in both reading and math.  While it is desirable that children learn more than one language, mastery of the English language will allow our children to be competitive at the university level.  Conservatives  also believe that schools should be held accountable for student progress through testing, which can be used to identify individual childrens’ needs. These reports, at both the student and school level, should be provided to the parents to ensure accountability.

Liberals believe that tests burden teachers and waste classroom instruction time. They also believe children should be forced to stay in schools that fail to teach the basic skills. Liberals argue that literacy should be left for unions to define rather than local PTAs or other parent groups.

Immigration

Conservatives recognize that our nation is enriched by immigrants seeking a better life.  In many cases immigrants have fled violence and oppression searching for peace and freedom.  All suffered and sacrificed but hope for a better future for their children in America.  Republicans agree that the lack of security along our borders has contributed to the flow of narco-trafficking, gang violence, and the yearly forced servitude and slavery of over 50,000 women and children from foreign countries by human smugglers..  While our nation has been enriched by the determination, energy, and diversity of immigrants, conservatives believe that in this nation of laws, immigration policies should be followed and that securing our borders is vital to ensuring the safety of our citizens.

Liberals  believe that as the world superpower, it is a fundamental right for the United States to provide unconditional aid and comfort to the citizens of other nations.  Liberals believe in open borders, unconditional amnesty, and that the laws of this nation be curtailed to provide non-emergency assistance and legal forms of identification to foreign nationals.