Goverment 2

8/12/2019 Goverment 2

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Jose Cordova

09-Feb-11

Political Outlook Piece

I grew up in a military environment, my father was in The Ecuadorian Army and I

studied in a Military High School.

Probably all these facts could affect, or may be avoid the need of a political ideology.

In Ecuador, a few years ago military people were not granted the right to vote. This

means that with the Constitution of 2008, military people are eligible to vote if desired. I

was no isolated from the world, so with education I was able to find some ideas that I

think are good from both ideologies: liberals and conservators.

I would qualify myself as a moderate person, because I find good things from liberals

and conservators, so I think they are both complimentary.

First, based on a research, I want to make a comparison between both parties, here in

The United States. I will start with common aspects of both parties:

1. “Both parties today want to change the unsatisfactory status quo- but the

Republicans, backed by lobbyists for various insurance, pharmaceutical,

tobacco, gun and other commercial interests, want to turn the clock back to pre-

New Deal days, while the Democrats want to tackle the new challenges to job

security created by trade and technology.



2. Both parties seek to balance the federal budget over time by reducing the size

and cost of government, but the Republicans’ approach is far harsher than the

Democrats’ to the young, the ill, the elderly and the least fortunate.

3. Both Parties denounce crime and violence on our streets, but only the democrats

target the underlying causes of that crime and violence and the guns with which

so much of it is committed.”1

Now I would like to show some of the differences founded on my research:

Differences in Principles

Democrats Republicans

Political Philosophy Liberal; progressive:

experimental: reformist:

tolerant of leftists

Conservative; standpat;

pro-status quo; intolerant

of leftists

Constitutional

Interpretation

Broad interpretation; big

government; weak states

rights; strong presidents

Narrow interpretation;

small government; states

rights; weak

“Constitutional” executives

Social Philosophy Human Rights paramount;

pro-masses; pro welfare-

state; pro immigrant

Property rights and rugged

individualism emphasized,

anti-welfare; anti-

immigrant

National Economy Managed economy, Private enterprise and free

1 SORENSEN, Theodore, “Why I am a Democrat”, Henry Halt and company, Inc, New York 1996, page 6



governmental curbs on

trusts and monopoly; low

tariff; minimum wage

initiative; pro big business;

protective tarife; anti

minimum wage

Fiscal Policy Loose money; inflation;

unbalanced budgets; low

interest rates

Sound money; frugality in

government; balanced

budget; high interest

rates2

Once I get all this information, I affirm that I am a moderate person, because I am in

favor of some of the ideas of both parties.

I conclude that I am moderate, because in 1998 after a bank crisis in my country, my

family lost a lot of money. I was feeling that my college education could be

compromised. Sometimes there are some opportunities for people that work hard. In

my case I had to work so hard in order to get the scholarship to The Naval Academy.

Opposite to the ideology of conservators, I and my family are changing the status-

quo. Thanks to an opportunity offered to people without a high income.

I like the idea to develop big enterprises with low taxes and protective tariffs to

business, because what people need is an employ, not the government to give

money for free. People will understand the necessity of working hard and the

satisfaction that they are moving into a change.

2 BAILEY Thomas, Democrats Vs Republicans, Meredith Press., New York, 1968, page 145



In Ecuador we do not have just two political parties, but the conservator and the

liberal parties are the oldest parties.

These two parties are considered the traditional parties. Because they have not

offered a notable change or at least move Ecuador into a more productive country,

there are new parties that have become stronger in the lasts years, I would say that

these parties are a little more moderate. The parties follow the populism and

socialism. These tendencies have reached the power in the last 20 years and in my

point of view, they have not done anything better than the other ones.

Due to the lack of success from the liberal and conservator parties, they are not

currently working. The two similar tendencies are a mixture between liberal and

conservator with moderate ideologies. The liberal-moderate they are supported by

the middle class people while the conservator moderate supported by the big

business people. Both of them try to offer the same, reduction in taxes, rise the

economy by supporting middle and small enterprises, free health, social security and

stop corruption. Alliances have an important role, because the “minorities” in the

highlands and in the coast are decisive factors that can push to one side or the

other.

The problem is that keep alliances becomes difficult and these minorities sometimes

rise against the government and because of this some of our presidents have been

taken out of the government.

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Goverment 2