Countless reasons that separate Republicans from Democrats, one of which, it is the difference of views in politics. Generally, republicans are more conservatives than of the opposing democrats who are usually more liberal. I will discuss more in depth later of why this line is drawn and how these two parties operate now. Moreover, a party or members of the party may change their views on a certain subject because the influence of third parties. Third parties are groups of people with the same goal on a specific issue. In sum, both parties have their differences but they both have one goal in mind, it is to make the United States a better place to live. To start, both parties do have their similarities, whether it is for the better or worse. For instance, both republican and democrat politicians would give themselves a raise in a heartbeat (ten times since 1997 to 2009)! Yet that is not all, most is power hungry and wants to stay in power so they use a mast fund of money to campaign for re-election. They bribe voters with the voter’s money with promises they cannot or will not keep. They waste so much time focusing so hard on how to make their incumbent seat so secure that neither side gets much done when they are in office. Enough bash on the negative similarities, few from both sides actually want to help the United States and its' problems. Let’s face it, both sides are doing something right to make this the greatest nation to live in. Republicans have a tendency to focus more on values and morals; on the other hand democrats usually are for pro-choice and feel it is up to the individual to make their own choice. This can easily be seen on a topic such as abortion or gay marriage. Republicans are against both while the democrats are for both. The role of our government is to monitor and standardize the economy some democrats would say or should I say they want the government to do so. On the contrary, a republican might say that the proper role of our government is to regulate and overlook individual morality. Democrats prefer Keynesian economic fiscal policy. Essentially, an approach of the government spending more money in trying to help stimulate our economy. Democrats favor government correcting the unfairness created by "capitalistic free market forces" (Jim). Opposing, Republicans prefer supply side economic fiscal policy. Basically, a policy that advocates the public to spend more money which in terms will help stimulate our economy. Republicans favor "capitalistic free market forces" as a solution to economic troubles (Jim). Moreover, the Republican Party seems to be fueled by male supporters, while the Democratic Party seems to be supported by women constituents (Newport). This statistic may not be absolute but based on recent election this stat is a probable trend. Collectively, both republicans and democrats have their similarities and differences. Adjacent to both parties, third parties play a role in politics also. Third parties are minor parties that present a third alternative to the two dominant political parties in the American political system. Usually third parties focus on a single issue. For example, the Prohibition Party only focuses on the opposition of consuming alcohol beverages. Third parties affect American politics by affecting the elections. For example, the 2000 election in Florida was as some say epic. The third party, Green Party, who Ralph Nader was affiliated with to run for president received 97,4888 votes in the state of Florida. Which resulted with the victory of George W. Bush to become president. This was a major deal breaker because many believed if it was not for Ralph Nader, Al Gore would have been elected to be president (Geer). All in all, third parties may not be a significant deal but they can make a difference in politics. To start, I would consider myself to affiliate with the republican side. Not because my dad was, but also the way my mindset