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Democratic Party can refer to: Democratic Party (Mongolia), Democratic Party of Albania, Democratic Party (Kenya) or Democratic Party of Serbia The Democratic Party, more grammatically called the "Democrat Party," is one of the two major political parties in the United States of America. In general it is pro-abortion and anti-free enterprise, supporting higher taxes, anti-gun policies, and a larger government, while the Republican Party is generally pro-life and pro-free enterprise, supporting lower taxes and small government. President Barack Obama and other Democrats are liberal / Progressive leftists. Many conservatives consider him to be the worst president to date.

Members of the Democratic Party are known as Democrats. In the 19th century when it supported slavery the party was sometimes called "The Democracy." Today, there are Democrats who claim to be more conservative than typical liberals, called the "Blue Dogs" in Congress, but they often behave like "lapdogs" for the liberal party leadership when there is a controversial vote.

In the doldrums after 2000, the party roared back with major gains in 2006, which it expanded in 2008 to sweep control of the national government, and leave the GOP in a state of confusion and decline. The GOP bounced back in 2009, with near-unanimous opposition to contentious Democratic policies, especially stimulus spending and health care reform. Polls show Obama's popularity began to sink in the summer of 2009.

The Democrats currently control the White House and hold a slim majority in the Senate, but in the 2010 midterm elections, the Republican party won decisive control of the House of Representatives; suburbs and rural areas are still more likely to be in Republican hands.[1] Polls show 50% of voters identify themselves with the Democratic Party as opposed to 35% for the Republican Party.[2] Surveys which address both the Republican House and the Democratic Senate currently has an average 78% negative approval rating, with only 13% expressing approval.[3]

The views of individual Democrats sometimes diverge from the party's official stance as expressed in its national party platform, however unlike the Republican party, the Democratic National Committee has not allowed dissenting opinions to share the podium on matters such as abortion at National Conventions.[4] The Democratic party also adopts policy positions and platforms at the state and Congressional district levels.

In the field of economic policy, Democrats tend to favor high progressive taxes, more regulation, and higher government spending.

The Democratic Party has historically had ties to organized labor.[5]

The National Education Association,[6] the largest union of public school teachers, is a backbone of the party, supplying the largest number of delegates to its national conventions.

Democrats typically state that they want to help low-income Americans, however they usually seek to accomplish this by increasing the tax burden on the wealthiest Americans.

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Democratic Party - Conservapedia - Main Page - Conservapedia

Democrats more vulnerable ahead of elections: NBC/WSJ poll

Overall, Americans are split evenly on whether they want Republicans or Democrats to control Congress after November. Fully 54 percent say they'd like to see every single member of Congress replacedincluding their own representatives.

That sentiment helps explain why Republicans and Democrats recently agreed on a budget deal, lifting near-term spending and declaring a truce in their budget wars. An overwhelming 86 percent say they'd be more likely to support a congressional candidate who will compromise with the other party to get things done.

And despite the loud criticism of budget "earmarks" in recent years, 67 percent want a candidate committed to bringing federal dollars and projects to their local areas. In a long list of potential issues, the poll shows, the biggest drag on a candidate's appeal would be supporting reductions in Social Security and Medicare to deal with the budget deficit.

(Read more: White House forecasts more economic growth in 2014, 2015)

Other results explain why neither party advocates using military force to deal with the crisis involving Russia and Ukraineeven though 72 percent of Americans view Russia as an adversary and 63 percent hold a negative view of Russian President Vladimir Putin. A 45 percent plurality, the poll shows, would be more likely to support a candidate who wants America less involved in settling international conflicts.

Looking ahead to 2016 shows the divergent fortunes of two of the best known potential candidates. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's favorability ratings have ebbed since September, but she is still viewed positively by 44 percent of Americans; 34 percent view her negatively. But New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie has fallen precipitously since revelations over a traffic scandal. Viewed positively by more than 3 to 1 last year, he's now viewed negative by a 2 to 1 margin.

The NBC/WSJ poll of 1,000 adults, conducted by telephone March 5-9, carries a margin for error of 3.1 percentage points.

By CNBC's John Harwood. Follow him on Twitter @JohnJHarwood.

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Democrats more vulnerable ahead of elections: NBC/WSJ poll

Democrats vulnerable ahead of elections

Overall, Americans are split evenly on whether they want Republicans or Democrats to control Congress after November. Fully 54 percent say they'd like to see every single member of Congress replacedincluding their own representatives.

That sentiment helps explain why Republicans and Democrats recently agreed on a budget deal, lifting near-term spending and declaring a truce in their budget wars. An overwhelming 86 percent say they'd be more likely to support a congressional candidate who will compromise with the other party to get things done.

And despite the loud criticism of budget "earmarks" in recent years, 67 percent want a candidate committed to bringing federal dollars and projects to their local areas. In a long list of potential issues, the poll shows, the biggest drag on a candidate's appeal would be supporting reductions in Social Security and Medicare to deal with the budget deficit.

(Read more: White House forecasts more economic growth in 2014, 2015)

Other results explain why neither party advocates using military force to deal with the crisis involving Russia and Ukraineeven though 72 percent of Americans view Russia as an adversary and 63 percent hold a negative view of Russian President Vladimir Putin. A 45 percent plurality, the poll shows, would be more likely to support a candidate who wants America less involved in settling international conflicts.

Looking ahead to 2016 shows the divergent fortunes of two of the best known potential candidates. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's favorability ratings have ebbed since September, but she is still viewed positively by 44 percent of Americans; 34 percent view her negatively. But New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie has fallen precipitously since revelations over a traffic scandal. Viewed positively by more than 3 to 1 last year, he's now viewed negative by a 2 to 1 margin.

The NBC/WSJ poll of 1,000 adults, conducted by telephone March 5-9, carries a margin for error of 3.1 percentage points.

By CNBC's John Harwood. Follow him on Twitter @JohnJHarwood.

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Democrats vulnerable ahead of elections

Democrats Are Up All Night Talking About Climate Change

It's a lot of hot air about a lot of hot air.

Democrats took to the Senate floor Monday night to talk about global warming and planned not to let up until morning. By midnight, lawmakers had been talking for nearly six hours.

Leading off the dusk-to-dawn talkathon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called climate change "a question of our own survival" and said the United States and other countries have a responsibility to act "before it is too late."

At least 28 senators were expected to participate. But several Democrats who face tough re-election fights in the fall opted to skip the session. Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Mark Begich of Alaska were among them.

Democratic leaders have no plans to bring a climate bill to the Senate floor this year, so the speeches were about little more than theatrics. House Democrats pushed through a bill to limit greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming in 2009, then lost their majority the following election. A climate bill led by then-Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry collapsed in 2010 without a vote in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, one of the organizers, said the all-night session showed that a growing number of senators are committed to working together to confront climate change.

"Climate change is real, it is caused by humans, and it is solvable," Schatz said.

But Sen. James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican who has written a book denouncing global warming as "the greatest hoax," said Democrats would not convince anyone with their stunt. "They'll have an audience of themselves, so I hope they enjoy it," Inhofe said. Indeed, he was one of only a few Republicans who engaged in the debate. None sided with Democrats.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., retorted that Democrats had received two separate petitions urging them to act, with a total of about 100,000 signatures.

"The American people are listening," Boxer said. "They care." She added that the event should "wake up Congress to the dangers of climate change."

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Democrats Are Up All Night Talking About Climate Change

Democrats hold all-night 'talkathon' on climate change on Senate floor

It was a lot of hot air about a lot of hot air.

Democrats took to the Senate floor Monday night to talk about global warming and did not let up until morning.

"Climate change is real, it is caused by humans, and it is solvable," said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.

In Schatz's view, the debate, such as it was, showed that a growing number of senators are committed to working together on climate change, even if no Republicans were among them. "This is where intractable, longstanding issues get solved," he said of the Senate.

Despite that bravado, Democratic leaders made it clear they have no plans to bring a climate bill to the Senate floor this year. Indeed, the issue is so politically charged that a host of Democrats who face tough re-election fights in the fall opted to skip the session. Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mark Begich of Alaska and Kay Hagan of North Carolina were among Democrats who stayed away.

Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., said Democrats who showed up were not convincing anyone with their stunt.

"They'll have an audience of themselves, so I hope they enjoy it," Inhofe said about an hour into the marathon, planned to last for nearly 15 hours. Inhofe's speech marked the only time Republicans engaged in the debate. Two other GOP senators, Alabama's Jeff Sessions and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, took to the Senate floor earlier Monday to denounce Democrats before the overnight session began.

Leading off, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called climate change "a question of our own survival" and said the United States and other countries have a responsibility to act "before it is too late."

House Democrats pushed through a bill to limit greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming in 2009, then lost their majority the following election. A climate bill led by then-Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry collapsed in 2010 without a vote in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said the climate debate, which had its own Twitter hashtag, #Up4Climate, had drawn interest from around the nation and the world. Democrats received two separate petitions urging them to act, with a total of about 100,000 signatures, Boxer said.

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Democrats hold all-night 'talkathon' on climate change on Senate floor