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Mar 29, 2016 · Over 20 years ago I explained the difference between Democrats and Republicans in a very simple way. My children have never forgotten it: Democrats care more about people Republicans care more about money.
- Basic Ideology. “Think of Democrats and Republicans like two different teams in a game. They both want what’s best for the country, but they have different ideas on how to achieve it.”
- Historical Perspective. “A long time ago, two groups of people had different ideas about how to run the country, so they formed two groups called Democrats and Republicans.”
- General Approach to Governance. “Democrats often believe that the government should help people more, especially those who need it, while Republicans believe that people should have more freedom to do things without the government’s help.”
- Economic Policies. “Democrats usually think the government should make rules that help workers and that rich people should pay more taxes. Republicans usually believe that lower taxes and fewer rules for businesses are better.”
Kids learn about the Two-Party political system of the United States government including advantages, disadvantages, Democrats, Republicans, other parties, elections, and fun facts.
Sep 20, 2023 · How to Explain Democrats vs. Republicans to Your Child. 1. Keep Your Personal Opinions Aside for That Time. While telling about all your young ones, make sure that you tell all this to them by keeping all your feelings aside.
- Overview
- Explaining Republican v Democrat Beliefs
- How do you explain the Democratic Party to a child?
- How do you explain the Republican Party to a child?
- Supporting Your Child’s Political Curiosity
2 How do you explain the Democratic Party to a child?
3 How do you explain the Republican Party to a child?
Politics can be confusing enough for adults, so how do you explain something so complicated to a child? If you brought your child with you to vote or it’s election season and your child is exposed to political ads or charged conversations, it’s reasonable that they have questions. If you’re nervous about broaching this topic with your child, that’s okay. We’ll show you how to do this with tact and empathy. Read on to learn everything you need to know about talking to your child about our political process.
Adjust the level of information you include based on your child’s age and level of interest.
Focus on explaining the parties in a neutral way, even if you aren’t super fond of one side of the aisle.
Be honest with your child and encourage them to engage with the political process as they get older. This is an opportunity to get your child interested in civics!
Tailor the conversation based on your child’s age.
A 6-year-old does not have the skillset to process the nuances of the debate over universal healthcare, while a 15-year-old might actively enjoy digging into the complex stuff. You know your child best, so adjust your explanation to suit what you think your child will understand.
Take your child’s interest level into account, too. If your kiddo is super interested in this, feel free to expand on things a bit. If they just want the bullet points, keep things short and sweet.
This is an understandably difficult conversation, so enlist help from a partner or teacher if you'd like.
Use a metaphor that your child will understand.
Explaining the political process can be difficult because it relies on so many underlying concepts and terms. If your child isn’t old enough to understand political terms, use a simple metaphor that your kid will be able to comprehend.
Start with the color blue and the donkey to cover the basics.
Your child is likely to come across some basic election iconography, so starting with the basics is probably ideal. You may want to stop here if your child is on the younger side and they aren’t super interested in politics. [7] You could say:
“So, the Democrats are the blue guys. They use a donkey as their mascot and people will often say they’re ‘on the left’ or ‘liberal.’”
If you want detail, you can explain that Democrats are associated with the color blue because of how news outlets displayed election results on TV and that they’re on the left because of where liberals sat in British parliament. The donkey is the symbol of the democrats due to a slick ad Andrew Jackson used in the 1800s.
Cover the basic policy positions that Democrats advocate for.
A pre-teen or older child is very likely to wonder what the key distinctions are between Democrats and Republicans—especially if your child is old enough to understand politics is related to policy. You might explain a few of the core positions that democrats hold.
Break down the color red and the elephant.
The preliminary information is just as important for Republicans as it is for Democrats. Explain all of the key symbols and icons a child might encounter when they see or hear things about Republicans. If your child is super young, this might be where you end things.
“Republicans are the red team. Their mascot is an elephant and people often say they’re ‘on the right’ or ‘conservative.’ If you see the letters ‘GOP,’ it’s the same thing as Republicans.”
If you want to be specific, you could explain that Republicans are red because both words start with “R” and TV crews used the color as shorthand for the party. Explain that they’re on the right because of where they sat in British parliament and that they’re associated with elephants because of political cartoons from the Civil War.
You should also note that people call Republicans the GOP, which is an acronym for “Grand Old Party.”
Go over the Republican core positions in simple terms. If your child is interested, they’re a pre-teen, or they’re older, you’ll likely want to explain the main policy positions of the Republican party. [13]
Visit historical museums and state buildings with your child.
Actually seeing some political relics and buildings may help your child build a better understanding and cultivate their curiosity. For many children, a hands-on experience is more meaningful and engaging than simply hearing about something in abstract terms. Find something fun and political to do together and get out there!
You likely want to avoid any political protests or rallies. These events can be especially charged and may spook your child.
Ask if they’d like to watch the news and political debates with you. If all of these questions are coming up because it’s election season, ask your child if they’d like to hang out while you watch debates, coverage, and analysis. This is a great way to teach them about issues people care about while exposing your child to the political process in action! [16]
With the establishment of a powerful two-party political system in the United States—the Democrats beginning in 1824 and the Republicans beginning in 1854—there are some core differences between the two based on very strong political beliefs. 1. Tax Policy.
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. No views 10 minutes ago. Welcome to Conservative Direct! In this video, we take on the ultimate challenge: explaining the differences between Democrats and...
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