Republican Values

Education

Republican views on education involve a variety of overarching ideas. First, republicans believe in a restructuring of higher education, which would leave more students equipped for their desired fields and less working minimum wage jobs that are irrelevant to their education. Next, they believe in limiting the federal government in education. This includes getting rid of federal student loans, and having only private loans. Republicans also support school choice and home schooling programs. Overall, Republicans believe strongly in an educational system that will provide higher education to those whose achievements deserve it, and that will give students the environment they want and need to succeed both in and beyond higher education.
Republicans also support initiatives that increase benefits to students who are taking more difficult courses, form partnerships with colleges and universities in an effort to improve science and math programs, and attract math, science, and engineering students to attend lower-income schools. Republicans support abstinence education when it comes to sex-education, believing this is the only sure way of preventing unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. They believe all family planning education programs should be replaced with abstinence programs.
Republicans also believe in an "English First" approach to education, believing programs that divide students whose first language is not English prevents them from becoming accustomed to mainstream American classrooms and culture, and therefore limits their ability to advance in society. Most of all, republicans believe that a students educational opportunities need to depend on their talent and motivation as a student, and not where they live or their income level.

 

Abortion

Republican views on abortion are rooted firmly in the belief that an unborn child, like any individual in this country, has an individual right to life that should not be infringed upon by others. The party adamantly believes that the rights guaranteed to all Americans in the Fourteenth Amendment apply to unborn children as well. They support a constitutional amendment which states this, and which will end abortion entirely. Republicans oppose using public revenues to promote or carry out abortions, and also oppose any health care options that include the coverage of abortion. Instead, republicans support tax incentives for those who choose adoption over abortion. However, the republican pro-life agenda, as stated in their 2004 party platform, does not include punitive action against women who have an abortion. In fact, republicans wish to provide women with problem pregnancies with the resources and support they need, as long as it is not infringing on the rights of their children. The party's agenda is solely to pass legislation to defend the rights outlined in the Fourteenth Amendment for unborn children.
The Republican platform on abortion has four main elements, which have been fought for, ever since they were outlined in the 1984 platform. They are: that an unborn child has a "fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed," the endorsement of a "human life" constitutional amendment, which would ban abortion, a call for judges who "respect human life" by supporting such an amendment, and new laws to state that the fetus is a "person" under the 14th Amendment. While the current Republican Party platform contains no exceptions for rape, incest, birth defect, or risks to the mother's health, these issues are controversial even within the party, with some republicans believing in exceptions for these cases, and others holding a very firm pro-life stance.

 

Environment

The Republican Party considers conservation to be a conservative value - as long as it is properly balanced with economics. They consider human health and safety to be the first and most important issue in environmental concerns, as humans are our country's most valuable resource. Any policy that supports conservation must equally address economic growth and development, as well as private property rights, in order for it to be practical. The party also supports public access to public lands for hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting. Republicans believe in environmental policies that are tailored to the needs of the localities that they regulate, and that focus on achieving results processes. To this end, they support legislation that would require congressional approval before the implementation of any plan that would cost over $100 million to consumers to put into effect. They also support developing the technology to meet our environmental needs by providing market-based incentives to advance said technology.
Republicans believe that environmental causes have been advanced best on private lands, and therefore consider the security of private property to be essential to any environmental agenda. Most environmental degradation has happened under government control. Republicans safeguard private property rights by supporting the enforcement of the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment, which guarantees a private property owner compensation for any pubic use of their land that is justified by eminent domain. They also believe that the large government land holdings in the west may be better used for ranching, mining, or forestry through private ownership. Republicans would also like to see all lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service available for harvesting, as timber is both a renewable resource and a source that can provide America with jobs.

 

Energy

Republicans have been criticized in recent years for its lack of focus on climate change, but its beliefs about energy dependence and its environmental impact have been positive for the most part. According to the Republican Party, oil and natural gas reserves in the U.S. are significantly high, and the pathway to an independent energy source is through the use of these reserves. The country's on and offshore reserves need to be used for powering the country and promoting job creating as well, according to the party. Moreover, the party believes in giving the states a reasonable share of the royalties and revenue resulting from the use of oil and natural gas resources within its borders.
To this extent, the Republican Party has supported the Outer Continental Shelf energy development strategy of the current administration and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain that helps in the exploration and production of natural gas and oil reserves on federal land. The party has strongly voiced its concerns over the Kyoto Protocol and mandatory carbon emission controls proposed by the United Nations because of its focus on oil and natural gas production. For this reason, it supports the current administration and President in their opposition against the Kyoto Protocol and other carbon emission controls that could come in the way of the country's energy independence and economic growth.

 

Immigration

The Republican Party believes in immigration laws and immigration reforms that address the needs of national security. The party has always been divided on to exactly what extent immigration laws should be tightened, but as a whole the party believes that a system needs to be in place to ensure that immigrants who enter this country illegally are not provided with the same benefits that legal citizens are. They believe in warmly welcoming those who enter the country through legal methods, while devoting extra resources to keep out those who try to enter via illegal methods, as well as keeping track of those who enter and when they leave. The party believes that amnesty towards those who have broken immigration laws only encourages future immigrants to enter the country illegally rather than legally. While Republicans recognize that the number of foreign immigrants travelling here has enriched our country, they also believe that requiring them to do so legally is vital to the safety of Americans.
The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program is an online system designed to help benefit-issuing agencies, institutions, and licensing agencies determine the immigration status of applicants. The Republican Party not only supports the SAVE program, but would like to see it implemented nation-wide. They also support immigration status verifications within the workplace, and believe that verification measures should be made mandatory throughout the country.
The party strongly believes that providing amnesty to illegal immigrants only further encourages illegal immigration. The Republican Party seeks stricter penalties for illegal aliens themselves, as well as for those who help smuggle illegal aliens into the country, those who create fraudulent documents to prolong the ability of illegal aliens to stay in the country, and employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens. They also support the right of border patrol agents to deport illegal immigrants without giving them a hearing before a judge.

 

Taxes

Republican views on taxes include the belief that tax reduction is important, but must be done the right way. The party believes that budget surpluses have caused Americans to be overtaxed-a condition that is not only threatening their financial prosperity, but is also hindering (and possibly even reversing) growth to the country's economy. They also want to limit the top marginal rate, believing it punishes those who have worked hard and invested well. Republicans also wish to make the Research and Development tax credit permanent. These three tax reforms combined, Republicans believe, will encourage and promote entrepreneurship. They also believe in encouraging saving and investments by implementing a tax credit for investments. However, despite their support for lowering taxes, Republicans do believe that tax cuts or tax incentives without any balancing spending cuts are detrimental to the economy.
The 2012 platform states that Republicans "reject the use of taxation to redistribute income, fund unnecessary or ineffective programs, or foster the crony capitalism that corrupts both politicians and corporations." They support making taxes "simple, transparent, flatter, and fair." They dislike the convoluted nature of the current tax code, and the fact that it is nearly impossible for the average American to understand it. Republicans oppose retroactive taxation in all cases, as well as taxes that set the classes against one another, and divide Americans. They do not support the taxation of religious organizations, charities, and fraternal benevolent societies, and also believe that contributions to these organizations should be tax deductible.

 

Gun Control

The Republican Party has from the outset made public its commitment to the paramount nature of freedom and individual responsibility. This belief is said to be a fundamental principle to the party. Republicans believe in smaller government with fewer regulations. They believe that such conditions bring about a more efficient way to manage the affairs of a nation.
This political posture generally extends to the rights of Americans to own firearms. Republicans believe that American citizens have the right to own, carry, and use guns. This belief rests on an ideological firmament grounded in the interpretation of the Constitution along with the basic philosophy of the party. The Republican stance on gun control circumducts that which the party believes is in harmony with its core ideologies - that the first ten amendments of the Constitution describe the undeniable rights of every individual American. Among these undeniable rights is "the right to bear arms" as spelled out in the Second Amendment. Republicans generally believe that changes in sociological norms have no bearing on the rights and freedoms defined by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

 

Health Care

Health care has risen to the forefront of political issues in recent months, especially in terms of the Republican Party's opposition to the Affordable Care Act. In this article we'll explain the Republican views on health care, the Republican Party's ideas for health care reform, and important Republican politicians' views on health care.
The Republican Party believes in a patient-centered health care system, which is based in free markets, fostering competition and driving health care costs down. They believe that a health care system that is run by the government will reduce both the efficiency and the standard of care, as well as compromise the patient-physician relationship, and increase waiting periods within the health care system, as evidenced by government-centered health care systems throughout the world.

 

Welfare

According to the Republican Party, religious charities play an important role in the promotion and propagation of societal welfare. Similarly, they also believe that charities and other benevolent organizations are helpful in fostering welfare and patriotism. Therefore, to promote such organizations the party supports their exemption from taxes and non-tax deductible donations to these organizations.
The Republican Party also believes in extending welfare to as many people as possible. To this effect, the Republican Congress of 1996 passed a welfare reform that gave states greater flexibility in managing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. According to the party, welfare should be taken as a step up to greater things rather than a way of life and that is what the welfare reform of 1996 aimed to do. Similarly, the Republican Party supports further reforms and legislations that move in this direction and allows welfare recipients to move into jobs and onward from their welfare rolls.

 

Marriage

The Republican Party stands behind a traditional definition of marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. This belief does not come from a hatred of homosexuals, as many people try to color it, but from a belief that the institution of marriage was set up as such by our founding fathers, and has been defined this way throughout history, and that changing it compromises the sanctity of the institution. It also stems from a belief that, in terms of raising a family, having a male and female authority figure is a healthier and more balanced way for a child to grow up. These are some of the common arguments against gay marriage.
Furthermore, the Republican Party believes in the right of individual states to decide for or against the recognition of marriages that do not fit this definition. The Republican Party believes in a smaller federal government, which places fewer regulations on the people. They also believe in the state's rights to make their own laws, based on the beliefs of their citizens. In relation to gay marriage, the Republican Party believes that state's rights should extend not only to the right to legalize or not legalize gay marriages, but to recognize, or not recognize, gay marriages from other jurisdictions.

 

Spending

The Republican Party has historically followed a policy or low government spending and minimal involvement. In its most basic level, the party believes that the government's role should be kept as low as possible, allowing the private sector and individual citizens to shape the state. The government should only be limited to passing and enforcing regulations to ensure that the citizens' rights and freedoms remain intact.
As a result, the Republican Party believes in low taxes for all citizens and reduced government spending. Simply, put, the party believes that the government should only collect enough tax to meet the requirements for its essential functions, which include maintenance of national security and basic infrastructure and protection of the citizens against criminals.
The goals and objectives of the Republican Party further illuminate its beliefs on the government's role and the effect that tax policies have on individuals. According to the party, the money collected and spent by the government belongs to the taxpayers, and these citizens have the right to keep their own money and invest it or use it as they see fit. They believe that tax policies at a state or local level help drive a healthy and strong economy, and not a centralized, federal one.