Democrat Factions
The Democrat Party can be divided into three broad factions:
Liberal/Progressive
Moderates
Conservative
These factions are seen in the figure below:
, Liberals
Economic Policy
The liberal faction favours greater state intervention in society, such as universal
healthcare, a broader scope of welfare provision and an increase in the state
providing affordable housing and free college education
These policies are associated with the likes of older liberals such as Bernie Sanders,
Elizabeth Warren as well as AOC
These policies are centred around the idea of social justice, which focuses on an
increase in equality of outcome, rather than the usual preference of modern
liberalism for equality of opportunity
It is for this reason that the liberal faction of the Democratic Party has members of
have described themselves as socialist
Both Sanders and Cortez are supported by the organisation Democratic Socialists of
America
The liberal wing, in common with socialism, is far more sceptical of capitalism than
the other two wings of the party
Liberal Democrats feel that the state needs to be more radical in remodelling the
economy to make a fairer society
Social Policy
On social aspects of society, this progressive attitude leads to many liberals
supporting the abolition of the death penalty and wanted to end mandatory
minimum sentences and private prisons
The liberal left wing of the party is also the most environmentally friendly of the
Democrat Factions, with many supporting the closing down of the existing nuclear
power plants, banning fracking and reducing carbon emissions to tackle climate
change
Liberals favour legalising marijuana, gun control, and citizenship for Dreamers (young
undocumented immigrants)
Liberals also favour reforming campaign finances and limiting the maximum amount
that can be raised and spent by candidates. This is because they see the current
situation favouring powerful and wealthy interest groups, especially those involved
with business and finance, to the detriment of ordinary hardworking Americans
The progressive wing of the party has grown in both numbers and confidence in
recent years. With the rise of national figures such as Warren, Sanders and Ocasio-
Cortez, the liberal wing of the party has seen dramatic resurgence and is particularly
popular with the young metropolitan and urban middle class
Tensions with other Factions
There is tension between liberals and the other wings of the Democratic Party, which
is largely due to the fact that all of the presidential candidates in recent years have
come from the party’s moderate wing
The rising star of the liberals, AOC, put it bluntly when discussing the two other
wings of the party. In discussing the moderate Democrat presidential candidate, Joe
Biden, she stated “In any other country, Joe Biden and I would not be in the same
party, but in America we are.”
The Democrat Party can be divided into three broad factions:
Liberal/Progressive
Moderates
Conservative
These factions are seen in the figure below:
, Liberals
Economic Policy
The liberal faction favours greater state intervention in society, such as universal
healthcare, a broader scope of welfare provision and an increase in the state
providing affordable housing and free college education
These policies are associated with the likes of older liberals such as Bernie Sanders,
Elizabeth Warren as well as AOC
These policies are centred around the idea of social justice, which focuses on an
increase in equality of outcome, rather than the usual preference of modern
liberalism for equality of opportunity
It is for this reason that the liberal faction of the Democratic Party has members of
have described themselves as socialist
Both Sanders and Cortez are supported by the organisation Democratic Socialists of
America
The liberal wing, in common with socialism, is far more sceptical of capitalism than
the other two wings of the party
Liberal Democrats feel that the state needs to be more radical in remodelling the
economy to make a fairer society
Social Policy
On social aspects of society, this progressive attitude leads to many liberals
supporting the abolition of the death penalty and wanted to end mandatory
minimum sentences and private prisons
The liberal left wing of the party is also the most environmentally friendly of the
Democrat Factions, with many supporting the closing down of the existing nuclear
power plants, banning fracking and reducing carbon emissions to tackle climate
change
Liberals favour legalising marijuana, gun control, and citizenship for Dreamers (young
undocumented immigrants)
Liberals also favour reforming campaign finances and limiting the maximum amount
that can be raised and spent by candidates. This is because they see the current
situation favouring powerful and wealthy interest groups, especially those involved
with business and finance, to the detriment of ordinary hardworking Americans
The progressive wing of the party has grown in both numbers and confidence in
recent years. With the rise of national figures such as Warren, Sanders and Ocasio-
Cortez, the liberal wing of the party has seen dramatic resurgence and is particularly
popular with the young metropolitan and urban middle class
Tensions with other Factions
There is tension between liberals and the other wings of the Democratic Party, which
is largely due to the fact that all of the presidential candidates in recent years have
come from the party’s moderate wing
The rising star of the liberals, AOC, put it bluntly when discussing the two other
wings of the party. In discussing the moderate Democrat presidential candidate, Joe
Biden, she stated “In any other country, Joe Biden and I would not be in the same
party, but in America we are.”
