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Republican Party (United States) facts for kids

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Republican Party
Abbreviation GOP (Grand Old Party)
Chairperson Ronna McDaniel (MI)
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA)
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY)
Founded March 20, 1854; 171 years ago (1854-03-20)
Preceded by Whig Party
Free Soil Party
Headquarters 310 First Street SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
Student wing College Republicans
Youth wing Young Republicans
Teen Age Republicans
Women's wing National Federation of Republican Women
Overseas wing Republicans Overseas
Membership (2018) Increase32,854,496
Ideology Majority:
 • Conservatism
 • Social conservatism
 • Economic liberalism
Factions:
 • Centrism
 • Fiscal conservatism
 • Fusionism
 • Libertarianism
 • Neoconservatism
 • Paleoconservatism
 • Right-wing populism
 • Economic nationalism
European affiliation Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (regional partner)
International affiliation International Democrat Union
Regional affiliation Asia Pacific Democrat Union
Colors      Red
Seats in the Senate
50 / 100
Seats in the House
211 / 435
State Governorships
27 / 50
State Upper Chamber Seats
1,080 / 1,972
State Lower Chamber Seats
2,773 / 5,411
Total State Legislature Seats
3,853 / 7,366
Territorial Governorships
1 / 6
Territorial Upper Chamber Seats
12 / 97
Territorial Lower Chamber Seats
14 / 91
Website
gop.com

The United States Republican Party is one of the two largest political parties in the USA. The other big party is the Democratic Party. The United States also has many smaller parties, known as third parties.

Republicans are often called "the right" or "conservatives". The Republican Party is also known as the GOP, which stands for "Grand Old Party". The symbol of the Republican party is the elephant. This symbol was first used in 1874 in a political cartoon by Thomas Nast.

The Republican National Committee, or "RNC", is the main organization for the Republican Party across all 50 states. Ronna Romney McDaniel is the current RNC Chairperson. The Republican Party is different from the old Democratic-Republican Party. The Republican Party's main office is in Washington, D.C.. A state where most voters choose Republican politicians is sometimes called a "red state".

History of the Republican Party

NastRepublicanElephant
An 1874 cartoon from Harpers Weekly, showing the first use of the elephant as the Republican party symbol.

The Republican Party started in Ripon, Wisconsin in 1854. It was formed by people who did not like the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854. This act would have allowed each new territory to decide if it wanted slavery.

The party was created by former members of the Free Soil Party and the Whig Party. They wanted to stop slavery from spreading. They believed slavery went against the ideas of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Some founders wanted to end slavery everywhere in the United States. The first Republican candidate for President of the United States was John C. Frémont in 1856.

As the Whig Party faded, the Republicans became one of the two main political parties. The Democratic Party was the other. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican president. For most of the second half of the 19th century, the US had Republican presidents. From 1860 to 1912, Republicans lost the presidential election only twice. Both times were to Democrat Grover Cleveland.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Republicans supported protectionism. This meant raising taxes on goods from other countries to protect the US economy.

Republican Presidents in the 20th Century

After World War I, the 1920s saw three Republican presidents: Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. This time was sometimes called the "Republican Decade". Harding and Coolidge worked to lower taxes, reduce government spending, and remove rules that affected the economy.

Near the end of the 1920s, the stock market crashed. This led to the Great Depression. During this time, the Republican Party became less popular. No Republicans were president between 1933 and 1953.

Dwight D. Eisenhower became president in 1953 and served two terms. Richard Nixon lost the 1960 election, but was elected president in 1968 and again in 1972.

Ronald Reagan, a former actor and conservative political activist, was elected president in 1980. He was the first Republican president who had previously been a member of the Democratic Party. Reagan served two terms. His successor, George H. W. Bush, served one term. Reagan wanted fewer government rules for the economy and a stronger military.

Republicans in Recent Times

Bill Clinton (a Democrat) was elected president in 1992 and re-elected in 1996. However, in 1994, Republicans gained control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. They often disagreed with Clinton's ideas.

After the 2006 elections, Republicans lost control of Congress. Democrat Barack Obama was elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2012. In 2010, Republican John Boehner became the Speaker of the House. In 2014, Republicans gained control of both the Senate and the House.

Boehner resigned in 2015 and was replaced by Paul Ryan. On November 9, 2016, Donald Trump was elected president. He defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump was the first Republican president since George W. Bush in 2001. In 2018, Republicans lost the House but kept the Senate. Paul Ryan retired in 2019, and Nancy Pelosi (a Democrat) became Speaker.

What Republicans Believe Today

Today, the Republican Party is known for ideas like classical liberalism, conservatism, and right-wing policies.

While not all Republicans agree on everything, here are some common beliefs they support:

  • They generally favor a smaller government.
  • They believe in individual responsibility, strong family values, and community groups.
  • They support Capitalism, which means less government involvement in the economy. They also favor policies that help the economy grow.
  • They want to reduce government spending.
  • They support Israel, the United States' allies, and protecting American interests in the Middle East.
  • They want lower taxes.
  • They believe in a strong military and national defense, with more money spent on defense.
  • They support the 2nd Amendment, which allows people to own firearms for self-protection.
  • They support the death penalty in certain serious cases.
  • They favor "Educational Choice," like a voucher system, which helps students attend different schools.
  • They are against illegal immigration and support deporting people who are in the country illegally.
  • They are against government-run health care.
  • They do not support free college or university tuition for students.
  • They generally oppose Same-sex marriage.

Most Republican supporters come from states in the Southern and Deep South regions, parts of the Midwest, and rural areas of the Northeast. They also have support in states like Montana and even parts of northern California.

Republican Presidents of the United States

19th Century Republican Presidents

Abraham Lincoln head on shoulders photo portrait
President Abraham Lincoln

20th Century Republican Presidents

21st Century Republican Presidents

Donald Trump official portrait
President Donald J. Trump

Other Famous Republicans

Barry Goldwater photo1962
Senator
Barry Goldwater
John McCain official portrait 2009
Senator
John McCain

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Partido Republicano (Estados Unidos) para niños

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