Video by Brian Nestel and Angelina Miller
As election time rolls around, many college students are registering be a member of one of the nation’s political parties; however, there is that burning question on the registration sheet. Should they register as Republican, Democrat or other?
Choosing which political party to be a member of and voting is a crucial decision for an American citizen. The political party somebody identifies with means they can only select among candidates within their specific party during the primaries and caucuses. For example, if a person registers as a Democrat then they could only vote for which Democrat they want to run for president in the primaries and caucuses.
“The best way to define each political party is to see the differences,” Dr. James Hedtke, history and political science professor, said. “You can identify each party by where they stand on controversial topics such as gun control and abortion. Republicans are for less regulation while Democrats like more regulation. Republicans more for liberty while Democrats more for equality.”
If neither of the political parties sound appealing, then there is the other option. Libertarian is an alternative to the traditional Democrat and Republican options.
“Libertarians are different from the other two parties. They come from eighteenth century individualism. Libertarians believe in a free market and less control in the government. They also are not in favor for foreign affairs and international politics,” Hedtke said.
There is also the Green Party. Their beliefs rely on the environment, social justice and non-violence.
Some students already have a grasp on politics, know where they stand on the current presidential election and can identify which political party they stand for.
“To me, Democrat is allowing the government to take more control while Republican are letting the individuals take control over themselves. Libertarians want little to no involvement with the government,” Nia Albardd Mapp, who works with the NAACP during the summer to help with voter registration, said. “I was originally Republican, but I became Democrat for Obama. Right now I am Independent.”
“Democrats tend to have a more liberal view while Republicans tend to have a more conservative view on most issues. Libertarians can go either way depending on the issue, they are an oddity,” C.J. Griffin, a political science major, said.
