"GOP" redirects here. For other uses, see GOP (disambiguation).
| Abbreviation | GOP |
|---|---|
| Chairperson | Michael Whatley |
| Governing body | Republican National Committee |
| U.S. President | Donald Trump |
| U.S. Vice President | JD Vance |
| Senate Majority Leader | John Thune |
| Speaker of the House | Mike Johnson |
| House Majority Leader | Steve Scalise |
| Founders | Alvan E. Bovay[1] Henry J. Raymond[2] |
| Founded | March&#;20, ; years ago&#;() Ripon, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Merger&#;of | Whig Party[3][4][5][6] Free Soil Party[7] Anti-Nebraska movement[8] |
| Headquarters | First Street SE, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Student wing | College Republicans High School Republican National Federation |
| Youth wing | |
| Women's wing | National Federation of Republican Women |
| Overseas wing | Republicans Overseas |
| Ideology | Factions: |
| Political&#;position | Center-right[14] to right-wing[15] |
| International affiliation | |
| Caucuses | Republican Governance Group Republican Main Street Caucus Republican Study Committee Freedom Caucus |
| Colors | &#;Red |
| Senate | |
| House of Representatives | |
| State Governors | |
| State upper chambers | |
| State lower chambers | |
| Territorial Governors | |
| Territorial upper chambers | |
| Territorial lower chambers | |
The United States Republican Party, also known as the GOP (Grand Old Party) is one of the two biggestpolitical parties in the United States. Since the mid's, the party's main opponent has been the Democratic Party. Both political parties have controlled American politics ever since.
The party sits at the right-wing of the American political spectrum, with the Democratic Party being positioned to their left. However, there also factions of the Republican Party that are center-right to far-right.
Ideologically, Republicans favor fiscal and social conservatism.[19] It opposes abortion,[20]euthanasia, labor unions, affirmative action,[21]marijuana legalization, and a high minimum wage.[22] It advocates for low taxes,[23]limited government,[24]gun rights,[25]free markets, and free trade.[26] It did, however, hold protectionist opinions during its early days,[27] for example during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency. It also held anti-free trade opinions during Donald Trump’s presidency.[28]
The symbol of the Republican party is the elephant. This symbol was first used in in a political cartoon by Thomas Nast.[29]
The Republican National Committee, or the RNC, is the main organization for the Republican Party in all 50 states. The Republican Party is not the same political party as the Democratic-Republican Party. A state where most voters vote for Republican politicians is called a red state.
The Republican Party was founded in Ripon, Wisconsin in ,[30] with the help of Francis Preston Blair. The Republican Party was formed by people who did not like the Kansas-Nebraska Act of , which would let each territory allow slavery. The Republican Party was founded by past members of the Free Soil Party and the Whig Party who wanted to stop the expansion of slavery. The founders of the Republican Party wanted to stop the expansion of slavery because they believed it was against the ideals of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Some founders of the Republican Party wanted to abolish slavery everywhere in the United States. The Republican Party's first candidate for president of the United States was John C. Frémont in
As the Whig Party collapsed, the Republicans became one of two major political parties in the United States (the Democratic Party was the other major political party). In Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, was elected. For the rest of the second half of the 19th century, the country had mostly Republican presidents. From until the Republicans lost the presidential election just twice (non-consecutively to Democrat Grover Cleveland in and ).
Republicans believed in protectionism (the belief that raising taxes on trades with other countries would protect the economy) during the second half of the 19th century and during the early half of the 20th century.
After World War I, the s had three Republican presidents: Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. It was called the Republican Decade for that reason. Harding and Coolidge made a plan for the economy which lowered taxes, made the government spend less money, and got rid of rules and laws that affected the economy.
Near the end of the s, the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began. During the Great Depression, the Republican Party became less popular. No Republicans were president between and , when Dwight Eisenhower began his first of two consecutive terms as president (he was re-elected in ). Richard Nixon lost the election in , but was elected president on the Republican ticket in and again in
Ronald Reagan, an actor and conservative political activist, was elected as president in Ronald Reagan became the first Republican president who was a former member of the Democratic Party. Ronald Reagan served two terms and his successor George H.W. Bush served one term. Reagan wanted fewer laws to affect the economy, and wanted the military to be stronger.
Bill Clinton (a Democrat) was elected president in , and re-elected in However, a new Congress was elected in , and Republicans gained control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. They voted against many of Clinton's ideas and proposed ideas of their own such as a line-item veto and a balanced budget amendment. In , George W. Bush was elected president, defeating Al Gore in a very close election. Bush was re-elected in
After elections held in , Republicans lost control of Congress. Democrat Barack Obama was elected in and re-elected in Republican John Boehner was elected the Speaker of the House of Representatives in and re-elected in In , Republicans gained control of the Senate and the House. Boehner resigned in early October and was eventually succeeded by Paul Ryan of Wisconsin on October 29, On November 9, , Donald Trump was elected president, defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton in the Electoral College. Trump was the first Republican to take office as president since January 20, , when George W. Bush was inaugurated. The Republicans lost the House and won the Senate in Paul Ryan retired in and was succeeded by Nancy Pelosi, who is a member of the Democratic Party.
In , the Republicans lost the presidency when Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump. In , they were able to get control back of the House of Representatives, but not the Senate.
Currently, the Republican Party is identified by classical liberalism, conservatism, and right-wing policies.
Not all Republicans believe in the same things, but generally, these are the things many Republicans support in all:
Most supporters for the Republican Party come from states in the Southern, Deep South, parts of the Midwest, and the rural Northeast areas of the US, as well as from Montana; though they come from all over the United States, including the northern portion of California.
[change | change source]
| # | President | Portrait | State | Term start | Term end | Years in office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Abraham Lincoln (–) | Illinois | March 4, | April 15, [a] | 4&#;years, 42&#;days | |
| 18 | Ulysses S. Grant (–) | Ohio | March 4, | March 4, | 8&#;years, 0&#;days | |
| 19 | Rutherford B. Hayes (–) | Ohio | March 4, | March 4, | 4&#;years, 0&#;days | |
| 20 | James A. Garfield (–) | Ohio | March 4, | September 19, [a] | &#;days | |
| 21 | Chester A. Arthur (–) | New York | September 19, | March 4, | 3&#;years, &#;days | |
| 23 | Benjamin Harrison (–) | Indiana | March 4, | March 4, | 4&#;years, 0&#;days | |
| 25 | William McKinley (–) | Ohio | March 4, | September 14, [a] | 4&#;years, &#;days | |
| 26 | Theodore Roosevelt (–) | New York | September 14, | March 4, | 7&#;years, &#;days | |
| 27 | William Howard Taft (–) | Ohio | March 4, | March 4, | 4&#;years, 0&#;days | |
| 29 | Warren G. Harding (–) | Ohio | March 4, | August 2, [a] | 2&#;years, &#;days | |
| 30 | Calvin Coolidge (–) | Massachusetts | August 2, | March 4, | 5&#;years, &#;days | |
| 31 | Herbert Hoover (–) | California | March 4, | March 4, | 4&#;years, 0&#;days | |
| 34 | Dwight D. Eisenhower (–) | Texas | January 20, | January 20, | 8&#;years, 0&#;days | |
| 37 | Richard Nixon (–) | California | January 20, | August 9, [b] | 5&#;years, &#;days | |
| 38 | Gerald Ford (–) | Michigan | August 9, | January 20, | 2&#;years, &#;days | |
| 40 | Ronald Reagan (–) | California | January 20, | January 20, | 8&#;years, 0&#;days | |
| 41 | George H. W. Bush (–) | Texas | January 20, | January 20, | 4&#;years, 0&#;days | |
| 43 | George W. Bush (born ) | Texas | January 20, | January 20, | 8&#;years, 0&#;days | |
| 45 | Donald Trump (born ) | New York | January 20, | January 20, | 4&#;years, 0&#;days | |
| Elect | Florida | January 20, | Incumbent | days |