What It Means to Be a Republican

What It Means to Be a Republican

(ConservativeSense.com) – When it comes to politics, whether you consider yourself a Republican or not, you should still have some basic understanding of what it means to be one. After all, how can you stand for or against something if you don’t know anything about it? So, let’s dive into what being a Republican means.

Definition of Republican

Before we can take a look into what being a Republican means and what beliefs come with it, we need to look at the word “Republican” itself. While there are several definitions for it, in short, Republican means a person supports a representative government rather than a monarchy. Beyond this basic definition, many people today use the term to define someone who belongs to the Republican Party in the United States.

Core Values

The core belief of Republicans is that every individual is responsible for their place in society. They believe the role of government is to enable people the ability to secure benefits from society on their own. Republicans are against big government and government intervention unless completely necessary. They feel the government’s focus should aim more toward the state and local sectors rather than the federal one. In other words, Republicans believe the power of government comes from the people it directly governs.

History of the Republican Party

While the party was started in the early 1850s, the first meetings were informal; there wasn’t a formal Republican meeting until July 6th, 1854 in Jackson, MI. The party was mostly started as an anti-slavery platform; some members within the party also believed settlers seeking land out west should be given the property they claimed for free.

The party’s name came from the word’s implication of equality, taking reference from Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic-Republican Party. It wasn’t until 1856 that the Republican Party made it to the national level with the nomination of John Fremont. In the following election of 1860, the Republicans saw their first elected president, Abraham Lincoln.

The 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments were created by the Republican Party to ensure freed slaves were seen as equals under the law. This party was also the first to support women’s suffrage. The majority of the states that voted to ratify the 19th Amendment were also Republican-run.

Power to the People

While the view of the Republican Party has been distorted over the course of history, it’s that same history that tells the true story of the party. The desire of Republicans is the same as it has always been: to grant individuals freedom and the means to experience life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In the eyes of Republicans, there’s no need for the government to be involved in the lives of the citizens it governs. The power doesn’t come from the government, it comes from the people of this nation.

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