http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Democratic_PartyOne should note that the principles and values of any political party - especially one as factional as the Democratic Party - are difficult to define and apply generally to all members of the party. There is always debate within either American major political party. Some members may disagree with one or more plank of his or her party's platform. However, it is important to give researchers and other readers a general idea of a particular party's position on the issues.
Factions of the Democratic Party
It should be noted that defining the views of any "faction" of any political party, especially a major political party in the United States, is difficult at best, and that any attempt to apply labels within a single political party is no more effective than the application of broad labels to political parties as a whole. Keeping that in mind, there are several ideological groups widely recognized within the modern-day Democratic Party:
The New Democrats are a grouping of centrists, formally organized as the Democratic Leadership Council. The organization became particularly prominent during and after Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign. The group was founded and continues to be led by Al From. Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana is the current chairman.
Reagan Democrats are Democrats who found reasons in 1980 and 1984 to vote for the Republican Presidential Candidate, Ronald Reagan. This group was the beginning of the national conservative trend which has led to Republicans becoming the majority party in the U.S. House of Representatives(1994) and Senate(2004).
The Blue Dog Democrats are a congressional grouping of fiscal and social conservatives and moderates, primarily southerners, willing to broker compromises with the Republican leadership. They have acted as a unified voting bloc in the past, giving its thirty members some ability to change legislation. The name appears to be both a reference to several well-known Louisiana paintings featuring blue dogs, as well as a reference to the old "yellow dog" Democrats having been "choked blue." Oddly, blue is the color chosen by the media to represent Democrats.
Clintonistas - Political journalists often speak of the political advisors and allies surrounding Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton as a kind of faction, though such individuals hardly have a unified ideological leaning. Though formally a New Democrat, Hillary Clinton is generally considered more liberal than the DLC.
"Deaniacs" - Howard Dean, a failed candidate for the party's 2004 presidential nomination, currently serves as chairman of the Democratic National Committee and is a leading opponent to the New Democrats group. His campaign organization "Dean for America" became a new group, Democracy for America, which advocates very liberal policies. Many Deaniacs became politically active and contributed financially because of Gov. Dean's internet campaign.
Congressional Progressive Caucus - The CPC is a caucus of progressive Democrats in the U.S. Congress. Members have included Senator Paul Wellstone, congressman/1960s civil rights activist John Lewis, congressman/former presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich and congresswoman Barbara Lee. The CPC advocates affirmative action, trade protectionism, a livable minimum wage, repeal of tax provisions that allow for off-shore corporate havens from taxes, severe restrictions on corporate campaign money, loans for physicians who work in rural and/or impoverished areas, regulation of the prices of electricity, organic agriculture instead of genetically engineered foods, reducing the prices of prescription drugs, and supplying inexpensive drugs to Africa to treat HIV/AIDS. The CPC opposed the 1996 welfare reform.<1>
Progressive Democrats of America - The supporters of Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign also started an organization to press their ideas after the election, although it is not restricted to Kucinich supporters.
Southern Democrats - Socially conservative southern white Democrats, previously a key element in the Democratic coalition, are increasingly rare, many having lost, or opting not to run, in the 1994, 2002, and 2004 elections. Zell Miller, a former Democratic Senator from Georgia, actually spoke in favor of President Bush at the 2004 Republican convention.
Organized Labor - As a key source of political contributions, volunteers, and field organizing expertise, labor unions hold significant sway in the Democratic Party. Former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt was a leading supporter of Labor's agenda in Congress.
African-American Leadership - African Americans are members of many factions, but there is a Democratic African-American Leadership group that coalesces around the Congressional Black Caucus leadership and is generally considered liberal in outlook. Barack Obama, a newcomer, and Jesse Jackson are its most prominent leaders.
Civil libertarians often support the Democratic Party because its positions on such issues as civil rights and separation of church and state are more closely aligned to their own than are the positions of the Republican Party, and because the Democrats' economic agenda may be more appealing to them than that of the Libertarian Party. They oppose the "War on Drugs," preventive law, protectionism, corporate welfare, immigration restrictions, governmental borrowing, and an interventionist, war-centered U.S. foreign policy. The Democratic Freedom Caucus is the current example of this faction.
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