What is the Definition of a Republican?

A republican is a person who supports the idea of a country having an elected president rather than a king or queen. In a republican system, power is held by the people and the representatives they elect.

The obvious definition of a republican is a member or supporter of the Republic Party in the US. However, the dictionary defines a republican as anyone who supports a government by elected representatives of the people, as opposed to a government by a king or queen.

In essence, a republic is a form of government where representatives of the citizen body rule a state/ country. In this form of government, sovereign power rests with the people, and they choose a select few to represent their interests in the government. Therefore, anyone who supports this kind of government is a republican.

In Northern Ireland, a republican is someone who believes that Northern Ireland should be an independent state under the Republic of Ireland and not ruled by Britain.

Last but not least, a republican is someone who has republic views and beliefs.

So, what exactly are these views?

To answer this, we have to take a look at the belief system of US republicans, and what sets them apart from Democrats, or members of the Democratic Party of the US.

Role of government

The fundamental difference between republicans and other people is that republicans believe in a small government. This is both in terms of the number of people working in that government and the role of government in society.

Gun control

Republicans oppose gun control laws and support the Second Amendment, or the right to bear arms and carry concealed weapons as a form of protection.

Minimum Wage

Republicans oppose the idea of raising the minimum wage uniformly to $15. They argue that this will hurt small businesses that will be forced to hire fewer employees and leave many people jobless.

Abortion

Again, republicans strongly oppose abortion and believe it should not be legal. In fact, they go as far as opposing the contraception mandate put forth by Obama, i.e. requiring employer-paid insurance plans to cover contraceptives.

LGBTQ Rights

Well, republicans believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Therefore, they do not support gay marriage or allow gay couples to adopt kids. Now that gay marriage is legal, the battle has shifted to the rights of transgender people. When Republican President Donald Trump took power, he withdrew protections for transgender people to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity.

Taxes

Republicans do not support progressive taxes and believe all people should be taxed the same. According to them, imposing higher taxes on the rich is a form of class warfare. After all, a smaller government doesn’t need so much money to sustain itself.

Immigration

The stand of republicans on immigration is that it should be merit-based or at least point-based. This allows skilled workers to receive lawful entry visas, but it also blocks family-based immigration. Republicans have zero tolerance for undocumented immigrants, and there have never been more people deported than when Donald Trump was president.

Military

Republicans have a hard-line stance against problematic countries like Iran, with a higher tendency to deploy military war. They also favor increasing military spending to equip them with what they need for war.

As you can see, the belief system of republicans is aimed at protecting the people of America and the fabric of America first. Unfortunately, this stance comes at the expense of other people, including the LGBTQ community and other nations.

#Republican

#RepublicanPerson