Everyone has heard the following words at one time or another: "Democrats are liberal, while Republicans are conservative." Is it really true? To resolve this question you need to answer two questions: What do the two terms mean? What is liberal and what is conservative? Some Democrats are conservative and some Republicans are liberal. In this time of turmoil, Democrats and Republicans must work together to advance the common good. What exactly is liberalism? According to Sidlow (2013), liberalism is the belief that “big government” is necessary for the promotion of the common good (p.16). Without government action, many social and economic outcomes for many people would be negative. In other words, without government intervention, many children of poor individuals would never have access to health care in their critical early years and may not have enough food to eat. Liberalism is the belief that social progress can be achieved by enacting laws and reforms rather than upheavals. It is a policy based on the rights of the individual. The usual vision of liberals was freedom from tradition and the freedom to practice new policies and institutions. Liberals support change, conservatives avoid it. What is conservatism? It is politics that looks to traditional practices and institutions to find answers to society's problems. Traditionally, conservatism referred to people who wished to “preserve” traditional values ​​and institutions (Sidlow, 2013, p.16). Conservatism accepts change slowly and values ​​the traditional norm. Democratic influences can be seen in American culture. In 1971 the voting age was raised to 18. This meant that many young people could now vote. ...... middle of the sheet ...... 2, 6 September). The 10 best economic ideas in the Democratic platform. In Bloomberg Politics The ticker. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-06/the-10-best-economic-ideas-in-the-democratic-platform.html.Troy, T. ( 21 March 2013). Can Republicans bridge the gap in pop culture? In a really clear policy. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/03/21/can_republicans_close_the_pop_culture_gap_117568.html.WATSON, B. (March 22, 2013). Lee Harvey Oswald's rifle and the gun control debate it sparked. On WFFA.com ABC. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from http://www.wfaa.com/jfk/Oswalds-rifle-and-the-gun-control-debate-it-ignited-199595691.html.Yglesias, M. (2013). Ten good economic policy ideas from the Republican platform. In Moneybox A blog about business and economics. Retrieved December 17, 2013, from