Factions in the Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party in the United States includes several factions, or wings.
Conservative wing
The conservative wing grew out of the 1950s and 1960s in response to the growth and national prominence of the moderate wing, with its initial leaders being Senator Robert A. Taft, Russell Kirk, and William F. Buckley Jr. Its central tenets include the promotion of individual liberty and free-market economics and opposition to labor unions, high taxes, and excessive government regulation.In economic policy, conservatives call for a large reduction in government spending, free trade, less regulation of the economy, and personalized accounts for Social Security. Supporters of supply-side economics predominate, but there are deficit hawks within the faction as well. Before 1930, the Northeastern pro-manufacturing faction of the GOP was strongly committed to high tariffs, but since 1945 it has been more supportive of free-market principles and treaties for open trade. The conservative wing supports social conservatism and anti-abortion positions.
Conservatives generally oppose affirmative action, arguing that it too often turns into quotas. They tend to support a strong military and are opposed to gun control. They oppose illegal immigration and support stronger law enforcement, often disagreeing with strict libertarians. On the issue of school vouchers, conservative Republicans split between supporters who believe that "big government education" is a failure and opponents who fear greater government control over private and church schools. Parts of the conservative wing have been criticized for being anti-environmentalist and promoting climate change denial in opposition to the general scientific consensus, making them unique even among other worldwide conservative parties.
There are several subcategories within conservative Republicanism.
Christian right
The Christian right is a conservative Christian political faction characterized by strong support of socially conservative policies. Christian conservatives principally seek to apply their understanding of the teachings of Christianity to politics and to public policy by proclaiming the value of those teachings or by seeking to use those teachings to influence law and public policy.In the United States, the Christian right is an informal coalition formed around a core of evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholics, as well as a large number of Latter-day Saints. The movement has its roots in American politics going back as far as the 1940s and has been especially influential since the 1970s. In the late 20th century, the Christian right became a notable force in the Republican party. Politicians associated with the Christian right include former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum.
Neoconservatives
promote an interventionist foreign policy to promote democracy. Many neoconservatives were in earlier days identified as liberals or were affiliated with the Democrats. Neoconservatives have been credited with importing into the Republican Party a more active international policy. Neoconservatives are amenable to unilateral military action when they believe it serves a morally valid purpose. Many of its adherents became politically famous during the Republican presidential administrations of the late 20th century, and neoconservatism peaked in influence during the administration of George W. Bush, when they played a major role in promoting and planning the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Prominent neoconservatives in the George W. Bush administration included Paul Wolfowitz, Elliott Abrams, Richard Perle, and Paul Bremer. While not identifying as neoconservatives, senior officials Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld listened closely to neoconservative advisers regarding foreign policy, especially the defense of Israel and the promotion of American influence in the Middle East.Paleoconservatives
stress tradition, paternalism, Judeo-Christian ethics, regionalism, and nationalism. Paleoconservatives tend towards both social and cultural conservatism and as such oppose abortion, affirmative action, same-sex marriage, and civil unions. They are skeptical of modern political ideologies and critical of multiculturalism, generally favoring tight restrictions on legal immigration. Paleoconservatives are generally economically nationalist, favoring a protectionist policy on international trade. Their position on foreign affairs is non-interventionist. Paleoconservatives do not believe in continual entanglement in wars on foreign soil, and this key characteristic differentiates them from Neoconservatives.Pat Buchanan is a prominent paleoconservative. The political philosophy of President Donald Trump has also been described as paleoconservative.
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American fiscally conservative political movement within the Republican Party that began in 2009 following the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. Members of the movement have called for lower taxes, and for a reduction of the national debt of the United States and federal budget deficit through decreased government spending. The movement supports small-government principles and opposes government-sponsored universal healthcare. The Tea Party movement has been described as a popular constitutional movement. The movement's name refers to the Boston Tea Party of December 16, 1773, a watershed event in the launch of the American Revolution.Politicians associated with the Tea Party include former U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, former U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, former U.N. Ambassador and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, U.S. Senator Mike Lee, and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
Traditionalists
Traditionalists base their ideology upon the political philosophies of Aristotle, Edmund Burke, and Russell Kirk. They emphasize the bonds of social order over hyper-individualism and the defense of ancestral institutions. They believe in a transcendent moral order, manifested through certain natural laws to which they believe society ought to conform in a prudent manner. Traditionalists in the United States also emphasize the rule of law in securing individual liberty.Moderate & Liberal wings
Moderate Republicans, particularly those from the Northeast and West Coast, were referred to as "The Eastern Establishment" or "Rockefeller Republicans." Prominent liberal Republicans from the mid-1930s to the 1970s included: Alf Landon, Wendell Willkie, Earl Warren, Thomas Dewey, Prescott Bush, Nelson Rockefeller, Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., George W. Romney, William Scranton, Charles Mathias, Lowell Weicker and Jacob Javits.Modern moderates have been known as "business conservatives", and Congressional moderates are members of Main Street Republicans or The Tuesday Group. Moderates tend be conservative-to-moderate on fiscal issues and moderate-to-liberal on social issues. While they sometimes share the economic views of other Republicans—e.g. balanced budgets, lower taxes, free trade, deregulation, and welfare reform—moderate Republicans differ in that some are for affirmative action, same-sex marriage, gay adoption, legal access to and even funding for abortion, gun control laws, more environmental regulation and anti-climate change measures, fewer restrictions on legal immigration and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, and embryonic stem cell research.
Prominent modern moderate Republicans include U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa and former U.S. Senator Scott Brown, and Governors Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Larry Hogan of Maryland, Phil Scott of Vermont, and Chris Sununu of New Hampshire.
Libertarian wing
Historically known as Jeffersonian Republicans, libertarian Republicans make up a relatively small faction of the Republican Party. Libertarian Republicans in the 21st century favor cutting taxes and regulations, repealing the Affordable Care Act, and protecting gun rights. On social issues, they favor privacy, oppose the USA Patriot Act, and oppose the War on Drugs. On foreign policy, libertarian Republicans favor non-interventionism.The Republican Liberty Caucus, which describes itself as "the oldest continuously operating organization in the Liberty Republican movement with state charters nationwide", was founded in 1991. The House Liberty Caucus is a congressional caucus formed by Representative Justin Amash, former Republican of Michigan, now a member of the Libertarian Party. Other prominent libertarian Republicans include former congressman Ron Paul and U.S. Senator Rand Paul.
In the 1950s and 60s, fusionism—the combination of traditionalist and social conservatism with political and economic right-libertarianism—was essential to the movement's growth. This philosophy is most closely associated with Frank Meyer. While the fusion of various factions within the big tent has always been critical, original fusionism saw its peak during the presidency of Ronald Reagan.
Historical factions
Half-Breeds
The Half-Breeds were a reformist faction of the 1870s and 1880s. The name, which originated with rivals claiming they were only "half" Republicans, came to encompass a wide array of figures who did not all get along with each other. Generally speaking, politicians labeled Half-Breeds were moderates or progressives who opposed the machine politics of the Stalwarts and advanced civil services reforms.Progressive Republicans
Historically, the Republican Party included a progressive wing that advocated using government to improve the problems of modern society. Theodore Roosevelt, an early leader of the progressive movement, advanced a "Square Deal" domestic program as president that was built on the goals of controlling corporations, protecting consumers, and conserving natural resources. After splitting with his successor, William Howard Taft, in the aftermath of the Pinchot–Ballinger controversy, Roosevelt sought to block Taft's re-election, first by challenging him for the 1912 Republican presidential nomination, and then when that failed, by entering the 1912 presidential contest as a third party candidate, running on the Progressive ticket. He succeeded in depriving Taft of a second term, but came in second behind Democrat Woodrow Wilson.After Roosevelt's 1912 defeat, the progressive wing of the party went into decline. Progressive Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives held a "last stand" protest in December 1923, at the start of the 68th Congress, when they refused to support the Republican Conference nominee for Speaker of the House, Frederick H. Gillett, voting instead for two other candidates. After eight ballots spanning two days, they agreed to support Gillett in exchange for a seat on the House Rules Committee and pledges that subsequent rules changes would be considered. On the ninth ballot, Gillett received 215 votes, a majority of the 414 votes cast, to win the election.
In addition to Theodore Roosevelt, leading early progressive Republicans included Robert M. La Follette Sr., Charles Evans Hughes, Hiram Johnson, William Borah, George W. Norris and Fiorello La Guardia.