Economic policies Republicans strongly believe that free markets and individual achievement are th e primary factors behind

economic prosperity. To this end, they advocate in favo r of laissez-faire economics, fiscal conservatism, and the elimination of govern ment run welfare programs in favor of private sector nonprofits and encouraging personal responsibility. A leading economic theory advocated by modern Republicans is supply side economi cs. Some fiscal policies influenced by this theory were popularly known as Reaga nomics, a term popularized during the Presidential administrations of Ronald Rea gan. This theory holds that reduced income tax rates increase GDP growth and the reby generate the same or more revenue for the government from the smaller tax o n the extra growth.[24] This belief is reflected, in part, by the party's long-t erm advocacy of tax cuts. Many Republicans consider the income tax system to be inherently inefficient and oppose graduated tax rates, which they believe are un fairly targeted at those who create jobs and wealth. They believe private spendi ng is usually more efficient than government spending. Republicans oppose the es tate tax. United States Great Seal of the United States (obverse).svg This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the United States Federal government[show] Legislature[show] Executive[show] Judiciary[show] Elections[show] Political parties[show] Federalism[show] Other countries Atlas Portal icon Politics portal v t e Most Republicans agree there should be a "safety net" to assist the less fortuna te; however, they tend to believe the private sector is more effective in helpin g the poor than government is; as a result, Republicans support giving governmen t grants to faith-based and other private charitable organizations to supplant w elfare spending. Members of the GOP also believe that limits on eligibility and benefits must be in place to ensure the safety net is not abused. Republicans in troduced and strongly supported the welfare reform of 1996, which was signed int o law by Democratic President Clinton, and which limited eligibility for welfare , successfully leading to many former welfare recipients finding jobs.[25][26] The party opposes a government-run single-payer health care system, believing su ch a system constitutes socialized medicine, and is in favor of a personal or em ployer-based system of insurance, supplemented by Medicare for the elderly and M edicaid, which covers approximately 40% of the poor.[citation needed][dead link] [27] The GOP has a mixed record of supporting the historically popular Social Se curity, Medicare and Medicaid programs. Congressional Republicans and the Bush a dministration supported a reduction in Medicaid's growth rate;[28] however, cong ressional Republicans expanded Medicare, supporting a new drug plan for seniors starting in 2006. In 2011, House Republicans overwhelmingly voted for a proposal named The Path to Prosperity and for major changes to Medicare, Medicaid, and the 2010 Health Car e Legislation. Many Republicans support increased health insurance portability, laws promoting coverage of pre-existing medical conditions, a cap on malpractice lawsuits, the implementation of a streamlined electronic medical records system , an emphasis on preventative care rather than emergency room care, and tax bene fits aimed at making health insurance more affordable for the uninsured and targ eted to promote universal access. They generally oppose government funding for e lective abortions.[29] Republicans are generally opposed by labor union management and members, and hav

e supported various legislation on the state and federal levels, including right to work legislation and the Taft-Hartley Act, which gives workers the right not to participate in unions, as opposed to a closed shop, which prohibits workers from choosing not to join unions in workplaces. Some Republicans are opposed to increases in the minimum wage, believing that such increases hurt many businesse s by forcing them to cut jobs and services, export jobs overseas, and raise the prices of goods to compensate for the decrease in profit. Separation of powers and balance of powers Many contemporary Republicans voice support of strict constructionism, the judic ial philosophy that the Constitution should be interpreted narrowly and as close to the original intent as is practicable rather than a more flexible "living Co nstitution" model.[30] Most Republicans point to Roe v. Wade as a case of judici al activism, where the court overturned most laws restricting abortion on the ba sis of a right to privacy inferred from the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Am endment to the United States Constitution. Some Republicans have actively sought to block judges whom they see as being activist judges and have sought the appo intment of judges who claim to practice judicial restraint. The issue of judicia l deference to the legislature is a matter of some debate like the Democrats, most Republicans criticize court decisions that overturn their own (conservative) le gislation as overstepping bounds and support decisions that overturn opposing le gislation. Some commentators have advocated that the Republicans take a more agg ressive approach and support legislative supremacy more firmly.[31] The Republican Party has supported various bills within the last decade to strip some or all federal courts of the ability to hear certain types of cases, in an attempt to limit judicial review. These jurisdiction stripping laws have includ ed removing federal review of the recognition of same-sex marriage with the Marr iage Protection Act,[32] the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance with the Pledge Protection Act, and the rights of detainees in Guantanamo Bay in the Detainee Treatment Act. The Supreme Court overruled the last of these limitation s in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld. Compared to Democrats, many Republicans believe in a more robust version of fede ralism with greater limitations placed upon federal authorities and a larger rol e reserved for those of the individual States. Following this view on federalism , Republicans often take a less expansive reading of congressional power under t he Commerce Clause, such as in the opinion of William Rehnquist in United States v. Lopez. Many Republicans on the more libertarian wing wish for a more dramati c narrowing of Commerce Clause power by revisiting, among other cases, Wickard v . Filburn, a case that held that growing wheat on a farm for consumption on the same farm fell under congressional power to "regulate commerce ... among the sev eral States". President George W. Bush was a proponent of the unitary executive theory and cit ed it within his Signing statements about legislation passed by Congress.[33] Th e administration's interpretation of the unitary executive theory was called ser iously into question by Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, where the Supreme Court ruled 5 3 that the President does not have sweeping powers to override or ignore laws through his power as commander in chief,[34] stating "the Executive is bound to comply w ith the Rule of Law that prevails".[35] Following the ruling, the Bush administr ation has sought Congressional authorization for programs started only on execut ive mandate, as was the case with the Military Commissions Act, or abandoned pro grams it had previously asserted executive authority to enact, in the case of th e National Security Agency domestic wiretapping program. Environmental policies Main article: Environmental policy of the United States The Republican Party had long supported the protection of the environment. For e xample, Republican President Theodore Roosevelt was a prominent conservationist whose policies eventually led to the creation of the modern National Park Servic e.[36] Republican President Richard Nixon was responsible for establishing the E nvironmental Protection Agency in 1970.[37] More recently, California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, with the support of 16 other states, sued the F ederal Government and the United States Environmental Protection Agency for the

right to set vehicle emission standards higher than the Federal Standard,[38] a right to which California is entitled under the Clean Air Act. This association however has shifted as the Democratic Party came to also suppor t environmentalism. For example, Democratic President Bill Clinton did not send the Kyoto Protocol to the U.S. Senate for ratification, as he thought it unfair to the United States.[39] President George W. Bush also publicly opposed ratific ation of the Kyoto Protocols on the grounds that they unfairly targeted Western industrialized nations such as the United States while favoring developing Globa l South polluters such as China and India. In 2000, the Republican Party adopted as part of its platform support for the de velopment of market-based solutions to environmental problems. According to the platform, "economic prosperity and environmental protection must advance togethe r, environmental regulations should be based on science, the government s role sho uld be to provide market-based incentives to develop the technologies to meet en vironmental standards, we should ensure that environmental policy meets the need s of localities, and environmental policy should focus on achieving results proc esses."[40] The Bush administration,[41] along with several of the candidates that sought th e Republican Presidential nomination in 2008,[42][43][44] supported increased Fe deral investment into the development of clean alternative fuels, increased nucl ear power, as well as fuels such as ethanol, as a way of helping the U.S. achiev e energy independence, as opposed to supporting less use of carbon dioxide-produ cing methods of generating energy. McCain supports the cap-and-trade policy, a p olicy that is quite popular among Democrats but much less so among other Republi cans. Some Republicans support increased oil drilling in protected areas such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a position that has drawn sharp criticism from some activists. Social policies The Republican Party is generally associated with social conservatism, although it does have centrist and libertarian factions. Abortion and embryonic stem cell research A majority of the GOP's national and state candidates are pro-life and oppose el ective abortion on religious or moral grounds. However many hold exceptions in t he case of incest, rape or the mother's life being at risk. When Congress voted on the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in 2003, Congressional Republicans voted o verwhelmingly to support the ban. Although the GOP has voted for increases in government funding of scientific res earch, some members actively oppose the federal funding of embryonic stem cell r esearch beyond the original lines because it involves the destruction of human e mbryos, while arguing for applying research money into adult stem cell or amniot ic stem cell research. However, human embryo's are not and have not been destroy ed simply for the purpose of collecting stem cells; the embryos from which stem cells are obtained are already slated for destruction, resulting from extra embr yos created for In-vitro-ferilization.[45][46][47] The stem cell issue has garne red two once-rare vetoes on research funding bills from President Bush, who said the research "crossed a moral boundary". In August 2012, the party approved a platform advocating banning abortions, with out exceptions for the cases of rape or incest[not in citation given]. The text specifically stated that "the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed." It also opposed using public revenues to promo te abortions, to perform them, or to fund organizations that do either such thin gs.[48] Civil rights Republicans are generally against affirmative action for women and some minoriti es, often describing it as a quota system, believing that it is not meritocratic and that it is counter-productive socially by only further promoting discrimina tion. Many Republicans support race-neutral admissions policies in universities, but support taking into account the socioeconomic status of the student.[49][50 ] Second Amendment rights

Republicans generally support gun ownership rights and oppose laws regulating gu ns, although some Republicans favor limited restrictions in some urban areas on the grounds of public safety. The War on Drugs Republicans generally support the War on Drugs, and oppose the legalization of d rugs, believing that smoking and drugs are immoral and wrong, and the country sh ould do its best to protect people from illegal drugs, and support Just Say No.[ citation needed] Education Most Republicans support school choice through charter schools and school vouche rs for private schools; many have denounced the performance of the public school system and the teachers' unions. The party has insisted on a system of greater accountability for public schools, most prominently in recent years with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Many Republicans, however, opposed the creation o f the United States Department of Education when it was initially created in 197 9.[citation needed] LGBT issues Groups advocating for LGBT issues inside the party include the Log Cabin Republi cans, GOProud, Young Conservatives For The Freedom To Marry, and College Republi can National Committee. A November/December 2013 Public Religion Research Institute poll sponsored by th e Ford Foundation found that Republicans are divided in their perceptions of the ir own party: 45% think the GOP is friendly toward LGBT people, while 41% think the party is unfriendly.[51] Same-sex marriage The 1992 Republican Party platform was the first Republican Party platform that adopted language opposing same-sex marriage.[52] The 1996 Republican Party platf orm adopted support for the Defense of Marriage Act.[53] The 2004 Republican Par ty platform adopted support for a constitutional amendment to the United States Constitution defining marriage between a man and a women.[54] In March 2011, after the Obama administration refused to defend the Defense of M arriage Act in court, House Speaker John Boehner said the House of Representativ es would defend the law in court.[55] In July 2013, after the United States v. W indsor decision, John Boehner dropped defense of the Defense of Marriage Act in court.[56] Support for same-sex marriage in the Republican Party [hide]Republican Party % of support of same-sex marriage Millennial Republican[51] 50 Generation X Republican[51] 42

Non-evangelical Republican[51] 42 All Republicans[57] 40 28 27 18 18

Conservative Republican[57] Baby Boomer Republican[51] Silent Generation Republican[51]

White evangelical Protestant Republican[51]

Notable supporters of same-sex marriage in the Republican Party include former V ice President Dick Cheney,[58] former First Lady Laura Bush,[59] former Secretar y of State Colin Powell,[60] former GOP national chairman Ken Mehlman,[61] Sen. Rob Portman,[62] former Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr.,[61] former Gov. Tom Ridge,[61] f ormer Rep. Bob Barr,[63] and former Solicitor General Theodore Olson. The last f igure co-led the successful legal campaign against Californian anti-same-sex mar riage measure Proposition 8[64] and the Virginian anti-same-sex marriage Marshal

l-Newman Amendment.[65] In 2013, more than one hundred former Republican lawmake rs, leaders and governors signed an amicus brief calling for California's ban on same-sex marriage to be overturned.[66] A 2013 College Republican report found that "there is hardly an appetite from this generation to see the GOP crusade ag ainst same-sex marriage. In the short run, as we wait for the Supreme Court ruli ngs on the Defense of Marriage Act and California s Proposition 8, the best course of action for the party may be to promote the diversity of opinion on the issue within its ranks (after all, for quite some time, former vice president Dick Ch eney was to the left of President Obama on same-sex marriage) and to focus on ac ceptance and support for gay people as separate from the definition of marriage. "[67] A May 2012 United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll fo und that only 37% of Republicans supported a constitutional amendment to the Uni ted States Constitution defining marriage between a man and a women.[68] A Novem ber/December 2013 Public Religion Research Institute poll sponsored by the Ford Foundation found that 63% of Republicans believe same-sex marriage should be lef t up to individual states to decide.[51] Civil unions The 2004 Republican Party platform adopted the statement that "We further believ e that legal recognition and the accompanying benefits afforded couples should b e preserved for that unique and special union of one man and one woman which has historically been called marriage."[54] The 2008 Republican Party platform remo ved the language from the platform.[69] A March 2013 Pew Research Center poll found that Republicans were divided over t he specific question of whether or not "same-sex couples should have the same le gal rights as heterosexuals", with 49% of Republicans agreeing and 48% that disa greeing.[70] Notable supporters of civil unions in the Republican Party include former Presid ent George W. Bush,[71] Rep. Paul Ryan,[72] Gov. Chris Christie,[73] and Sen. Or rin Hatch.[74] Military service The 1992 Republican Party platform adopted support for continuing to exclude hom osexuals from the military as a matter of good order and discipline.[52] The sup port for the exclusion of homosexuals from military service would remain in the Republican Party platform until the 2012 Republican Party platform, which remove d that language from it.[75] A May 2012 United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll fo und that only 41% of Republicans supported restoring the prohibition against gay s serving openly in the military.[68] Anti-discrimination laws The 1992 Republican Party platform adopted opposition to including sexual prefer ence into anti-discrimination statutes.[52] The 2000 Republican Party platform i ncluded the statement: "We support the First Amendment right of freedom of assoc iation and stand united with private organizations, such as the Boy Scouts of Am erica, and support their positions."[76] The 2004 Republican Party platform remo ved both parts of that language from the platform and stated that the party supp orts anti-discrimination legislation.[54] The 2008 and 2012 Republican Party pla tform supported anti-discrimination statues on based on sex, race, age, religion , creed, disability, or national origin, but both platforms were silent on sexua l orientation and gender identity.[69][75] A November/December 2013 Public Religion Research Institute poll sponsored by th e Ford Foundation found that 61% of Republicans support laws protecting gay and lesbian people against employment discrimination, with only 33% opposing such la ws.[51] A 2007 Gallup poll showed 60% of Republicans supported expanding federal hate crime laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity, with only 30 % opposing such laws.[77] Foreign aid The 2012 Republican Party platform opposes the Obama administration from attempt ing to "i